5 Effective Tips to extend the life of your Carpet

Want to know how to save money and get the most wear out of your carpet? Carpet makes a home feel warm, cosy and comfortable, but fresh, clean carpet makes all the difference. Here are our five top tips for extending the life of your carpet.

1. Choose quality, based on your living needs
When purchasing carpet it’s important to consider which room it will be installed in, as well as the general nature of your home. Will the carpet be in a high traffic area, such as a living room, or a low traffic area, such as a master bedroom? Do you have any children or indoor pets? These questions will determine carpet padding, fibre, and style.

2. Make some décor changes 
To maximise longevity, it is suggested that you rearrange the furniture on your carpet every few months. Eventually carpet will wear, however, this method encourages it to wear gradually and evenly. It also provides a solution to the two major carpet-wearing causes – the furniture and people on it. That’s because rearranging heavy furniture relieves pressure on areas of the carpet, as well as changing the room’s footpath and traffic flow. It’s also important to protect carpet from too much direct sunlight, to avoid the colour fading. Appropriate curtains and blinds will also help reduce the rate of colour fade due to direct sunlight.

3. Spot clean straight away
Spills are inevitable, but stains don’t have to be. Immediate spot treatment is essential to avoid the spill from soaking up into the fibres and remaining permanent. It’s also much more effective than attempting to scrub hours later, no matter how hard you scrub. Keep in mind that scrubbing isn’t the way to go, anyway, as it’s likely to damage the fibres or even spread the stain more. Instead, you should gently blot with a damp, white cloth, working from the outside of the stain inwards. This method stops the stain from growing and spreading outwards.

4. Vacuum regularly 
There’s no doubt that vacuuming is essential for removing visible dirt. The longer dirt is resting on the carpet, the more opportunity it has to soak into the fibres, leaving a permanent stain. Like sweeping, vacuuming daily proves to be most beneficial. However, people are busy and this isn’t always possible. It’s recommended that high traffic areas are vacuumed at least 2-3 times a week.

5. Get a professional 
Vacuuming a carpet without cleaning it professionally is like sweeping a kitchen floor without ever mopping it. It does the job for now but will eventually require a much deeper clean. Advanced Floor Care gets rid of hidden dirt, giving the carpet a new and fresh effect. Once a year is a standard to getting your carpet professionally cleaned. However, it’s recommended more frequently for those who have pets or children.