7+ Tips That Will Extend The Life of Your Carpet
From dinner parties and dirty shoes to messy toddlers and pets, it feels like there are hundreds of things that cause carpets to wear out faster than people might expect. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can extend the life of your carpet and combat some of the everyday messes!
Why Worry About Carpet Longevity?
Carpets have a unique ability to make your home feel comfortable and cozy. It's a soft place to land at the end of the day, and it adds a warmth that other flooring just doesn't. Making this surface last means giving your home a peaceful and comforting feel that only carpets can provide.
There are plenty of people who dismiss their carpets and believe that it's normal for them to get dirty and dingy over time, and all you have to do is replace them. What they don't realize is that replacing carpet is a massive expense, and making it last is a much more cost-effective option that requires minimal effort on your part.
Without proper care, carpets need to be replaced every 5-10 years, depending on the material. With the right cleaning routine, some carpets can last upwards of twenty years or more!
Understanding Carpet Wear
Why does your carpet wear down? There are lots of reasons for carpet to deteriorate, but some of the most common causes of carpet wear include:
Foot Traffic
Spills
Infrequent Vacuuming
Pet Spots
Sun Damage
When you walk inside each day, you track in dirt and other grime that winds up on your carpet. With every step you take, you then push that grime deeper into the fibers, causing microabrasions. These microabrasions are the main contributor to matting, holes, and discoloration of your carpet.
Tips to Make Your Carpet Last
In order to minimize the daily damage to your carpets, we are providing some very simple, yet effective tips that you can implement into your routine:
Tip #1: Vacuum
When dirt and debris are left on your carpet for long periods, they damage carpet fibers and reduce the life of your carpet. Vacuuming regularly is a crucial step in getting the most extended life out of your carpet.
Tip #2: Clean Spills Right Away
The longer you let a spilled substance sit on the carpet, the harder it will be to remove it. When spills are taken care of right away, they are more likely to lift and not reappear. Avoid letting a mess get out of hand by giving it the attention it needs as soon as possible.
Tip #3: Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Many people turn to store-bought products in an effort to spot-clean their carpets. Harsh chemicals found in soaps, detergents, and other cleaning agents can actually cause much more harm than good. Many products have been known to bleach the carpet fibers, while others leave a sticky residue that attracts more dirt and grime to the area, causing it to become even dirtier.
Tip #4: Rotate Your Furniture
It's fun to change things up now and then, plus it also does your carpet good to move that couch around! This allows areas of your carpet to have a break and those hidden areas to go to work, reducing unnecessary wear in one area.
Tip #5: DO NOT PULL SNAGS
Always cut snags. It might feel tempting, but pulling on snags in your carpets is one of the fastest ways to ruin them. When you pull these snags, you start untying your carpet, and this leads to your carpet falling apart.
Tip #6: Use Area Rugs
It sounds odd, but it is quite trendy to layer area rugs on your carpets right now. Having an area rug on your carpet can bring life to a room, and more life to your carpet. Area rugs allow your carpets to have a break from the constant wear of foot traffic.
Tip #7 Get a Shoe Rack
You already know wearing shoes inside your home attracts all kinds of things into your home. Yet, you can never get your kids (or your neighbors) to just take off those shoes. Get a shoe rack that can be placed by the door, and you will find it tends to get used. Having a place for those shoes before the carpet will make it so those shoes get taken off.
*Bonus Tip*
Trust Zerorez®. Why should you trust Zerorez more than other carpet cleaners? Soaps attract and hold onto dirt like magnets. If not all of that soapy residue is removed from the carpets, it continues to attract dirt. This causes the carpets to get dirtier faster and, eventually, to wear out.
Zerorez saves you time and money by cleaning your carpets with Zr™ļø Water that won't leave behind a residue like commonly used harsh chemicals, detergents, and soaps do. With our process, your carpets will not only look cleaner, but they will also stay cleaner longer.
Next time you notice your carpets starting to look dull or discolored, try scheduling an appointment with Zerorez to get your carpets cleaned, and start implementing some of these tips to extend the life of your carpets!
