Carpet Care

Carpet Care
Carpet is a great flooring choice for most people because it's low maintenance, affordable, and feels good under your feet. If you have carpet in your home, follow this simple maintenance routine to help it look great for years to come...

1. Vacuum regularly, especially the high traffic areas. (80 percent of carpet soil is dry and can be removed with a vacuum cleaner).
2. Make sure your vacuum is set on the right height for your carpet. If it's too high, you won't vacuum effectively. If it's too low, your carpet will get unnecessary wear and tear.
3. Frequently change the direction that you vacuum.
4. Change the vacuum bag or dump your canister regularly.
5. Have your carpet professionally cleaned at least every two years.
6. Spot clean as necessary, especially in high traffic areas.
7. Clean up debris and spills right after they occur.

Even with proper cleaning and maintenance, your carpet will have problems from time to time. Try some of these remedies before you resort to replacing it...

1. Carpet can get crushed by furniture and foot traffic. Rearrange your furniture from time to time to change traffic patterns, and vacuum regularly to help keep the piles raised.
2. Static occurs with cool temperatures and low humidity. Either choose a carpet with anti-static protection or invest in a humidifier.
3. Shedding is a common nuisance with new carpet, especially wool and cut pile. Just keep vacuuming until all of the loose fibers are eventually removed.
4. Pilling is when traffic makes small balls appear on the surface of the carpet. To remove them, all you need is a pair of sharp scissors and steady hands.
5. Snagging occurs from sharp-edged objects like furniture, toys, or pet claws. If you have a snag, just cut it off.
6. Sprouting is when small tufts of fiber stick out above the rest of the carpet. Clip the individual sprouts to level them off, but never pull on them because surrounding fibers will pull out in the process and make the problem worse.

It may not hold up as well as tile or wood, but carpet can look, feel, and smell great for a very long time if you just give it a little TLC.