Having new carpeting installed can be exciting. It can really transform your home’s appearance. Keeping it looking new depends on a few factors and can require a little work. Here’s a quick and dirty list of things on how to keep your carpet clean and looking good for years. Give them a try!
Recommendations To Keep Your Carpet Looking Good
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Sadly, there is no silver bullet on how to keep your carpet clean. The concepts below are nothing new or earth-shattering. However, when used in combination, they can have an amazing overall effect. What we do offer is some specific ideas on how to accomplish each of the recommendations. Most of the items may require a little extra work and/or investment on your part, but so do most things in life worth protecting. Let’s get started so you can see how to keep your carpet cleaner.
In this article, we will be providing you with a few links to some products for pricing and informational purposes. We are required to let you know some of these links are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, we could make a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps offset the cost of maintaining our website. Now, let’s get started.
Keep the dirt outside!
Your approach to the house is the first place to look. Do you have a sidewalk or entryway that is free of dirt? Keeping the approach to your home swept or using a leaf blower helps keep the dirt in its place; outside.
Outside Doormat
Try putting down a heavy outdoor doormat at your entryway door. Having one in place naturally invites people to use it and you’ll be surprised how many people do use them, especially in foul weather. There are tons of styles to choose from, so you should be able to find something to fit your decor.
Inside Doormat
I know, it seems kind of redundant, but again if people are given the opportunity they will typically use them when going into someone’s home. Again, there are tons of inside doormats to choose from.
Remove Your Shoes At The Door
If you remove your shoes and have them sitting in a well-defined area (a shoe or boot tray) near the entry door, most guests will at least offer to remove their shoes. For your children, make it a rule. It may even teach them the respect of asking about removing their shoes when they enter someone else’s home too.
Set Rules For Children And Pets
Do you have children or pets? This will significantly increase the traffic and potential for messes! I would never suggest not having either. They are both life-changing and rewarding all rolled up in one (technically two 🙂 ).
What I would recommend is to set no eating or drinking rules, in certain areas, with the children. This will help prevent spills and keep your furniture cleaner as well.
Get pets “house-trained” ASAP and keep them groomed. Accidents and pet hair are your worse enemies. The next two items can be your best friend, especially if you have children and/or pets.
Vacuum Regularly
Dirt and grime can be abrasive and damage carpet fibers. Vacuum at least a couple times a week and even more in high traffic areas. Here’s my sales pitch, but I am an owner and 100% believer in the following products. First, invest in a good vacuum! We own a Dyson DC33 vacuum and it is awesome. I’m not particularly pushing a certain brand, just make it a good one. It’s worth the investment.
My second recommendation is to consider buying an iRobot Roomba vacuum. This is especially helpful with shedding pets! Ours is a basic model and we have owned it for over 4 years. Run it when you leave for the day and when you get back the house will look nice and clean. We run ours five days a week on average and it makes a huge difference. Walmart and Amazon both sell them and have free shipping options. For more information read our iRobot Roomba blog article. We also have an article on Roomba maintenance that may be useful too.
Clean Your Carpets
It’s probably not a bad idea to have your carpets professionally cleaned occasionally. In most circumstances once a year should be enough. However, it really depends on how much traffic it gets. You can opt for more or less, as you see fit.
Here’s my last and final sales pitch for those who have children or pets. Consider purchasing your own carpet cleaner! We own and highly recommend the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe carpet cleaner. It is perfect for spot cleaning spills, pet accidents, and those high traffic areas. It can easily handle an entire room too. For more information read our Hoover Power Scrub blog article. Again, it’s not about the brand, it’s more about the specific features it has. Our article goes into more detail on all the features that sold us on this cleaner. The Hoover Power Scrub can be purchased at both Walmart and Amazon and again, both have free shipping options.
Conclusion
Keeping your new carpet looking good doesn’t mean you have to put up rope barriers or lay down those annoying carpet runners. It just requires using a few simple tactics and a little extra care and preventative measures. So make the investment in some of the above recommendations and enjoy your new carpet for years.
If you have any comments or questions, you can leave them in the comments section below or you can email us at [email protected]. FYI, we do not collect or share email addresses. We will only use them to reply to your comments or provide answers to your questions. We are also required to let you know that some of our links are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, we could make a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps offset the cost of maintaining our website. So, if you like what you’ve seen, please be sure to give us a “Like” and “Share” on Facebook and Instagram too. Thank you for reading and good luck with all your home projects!
I am certain the above recommendations can help protect the investment in your new carpeting. Not only will it last longer, look cleaner and brighter, but it will also make for a healthier dust-free home. Make the investment today to protect that new carpet.
I totally agree with your comments. And if you live in a colder region, a warmer, cozy floor can make a big difference in the comfort of your home.
From the point of view of health and air quality in the house, it’s better to avoid carpets. Hard floor coverings are easier to keep clean just by doing regular wet cleaning. But I agree that they make the house cozy, and sometimes that’s just what you need.
Thank you for publishing such valuable content!
All good points, thanks for sharing! In our article “Healthier Home Considerations” (https://www.ourrecipesforsuccess.com/healthier-home/#Healthier_Home_Filtration_Needs), we cover a few of those same items.
Thank you for such an informative post!
By the way, another reason for the accumulation of dust and allergens in carpets can be dirty filters of HVAC systems (air conditioners, furnaces) and dirty air ducts. Filters should be cleaned at least once every three months, but you may need to clean them more often during the peak winter and summer months when it’s likely that your system will be running at almost maximum capacity for long periods. And as for the air ducts, clean them once a year.