Carpet Care and Maintenance-

Regular care and maintenance such as vacuuming your carpet every week, wiping up spills immediately after they occur, and thoroughly cleaning your carpet every one to three years will keep your carpets looking new and ensure that they will last for many years. Here’s what else you need to know about caring for and maintaining your carpets.

Daily Care

Vacuuming is an essential part of caring for your carpet. Frequent vacuuming ensures that soil is removed while it is on the surface of the carpet and does not become imbedded in the fibers. When dirt and grime accumulate in the fibers it may cause them to abrade and give your carpets a dull and dingy appearance. High traffic areas should be vacuumed frequently, even daily, while the rest of the carpet should be vacuumed once or twice per week depending on the amount of use it gets. Your vacuum should have strong enough suction to extract dirt in addition to adequate airflow, rotating brushes, and a filter bag to capture dirt and dust. It should be in good condition and properly maintained as well.

Quick Stain Spot Removal

Although most carpets are stain resistant, it doesn’t mean that spills shouldn’t be wiped up and cared for immediately. The best way to deal with stains is to blot them up as soon as they occur—before they dry and become permanent. For liquid spills blot with white paper or cloth towels. Do not scrub the area. For semi-solid spills such as mustard, scrape up with the edge of a spoon to remove any solids, and then blot. If needed, treat with a stain remover but first test it in an inconspicuous spot to make sure that colors don’t bleed and the fibers are not affected. Apply stain remover to a white cloth and press into the carpet. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, and then blot again working from the outside of the stain toward the center. Repeat as many times as needed. When the stain is gone, blot dry and rinse with cold water, then lay a thick layer of paper towels or white towel over the area and continue blotting until the carpet is dry. Avoid bleach and alkaline cleaning solutions, especially on wool carpets.

Steam Cleaning

Carpets should be professionally cleaned as a preventative measure. Do it yourself types can rent professional equipment to achieve similar results. Steam cleaning, or the hot water extraction method, is one of several methods used for cleaning carpets, which also include dry foam extraction method, dry extraction method, and rotary shampoo. The type of fiber your carpet is made from determines which method of cleaning is the correct one, so before cleaning always read the manufacturer’s recommendations. As a general rule, silk should always be cleaned by a professional using a dry cleaning process, whereas wool, cotton, and viscose may be cleaned with any method. Household cleaning products used to clean tile, linoleum, or wood should not be used on carpets. Carpets made with synthetic fibers should be cleaned with detergents specifically formulated for stain resistant carpets. Use a pH neutral cleaner for wool carpets. Before cleaning your carpets vacuum them thoroughly to remove loose dirt. When finished with the cleaning process your carpet should be dried as quickly as possible using fans or natural ventilation to prevent discoloration of the fibers.

~Heleigh Bostwick Staff Editor

Growing up in Vermont, her education and work as a botanist and landscape architect, and now her job as a mom of twins, have all contributed to Heleigh’s “Green Living” lifestyle. She has a BA in Botany from Connecticut College and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.