How to Care for your Carpets and Save Thousands of Dollars in Premature Replacement Costs Part 3

How to Care for your Carpets and Save Thousands of Dollars in Premature Replacement Costs Part 3
 
New customers here is State College, Pennsylvania, after seeing how wonderful their carpets look after a professional cleaning, often ask me how they should be caring for their carpets to keep them looking nice.  In part 1 of this article, I covered the importance of frequent vacuuming and in part 2 I discussed cleaning and protecting your carpets.  Here in part 3, I discuss other steps you can take to keep your carpets looking beautiful for years to come. 
 
1.  Use mats and runners to help prevent tracking in dirt and oils from outside.  Place “dirt catcher” mats, such as those with stiff fibers or artificial grass, outside each entrance to your home.  These mats are designed to scrape particulate soils from the bottom of your shoes.  Place “moisture absorbing” mats inside each entrance to wipe moisture, grease and oils from your shoes.  Encourage all family members to wipe their feet on both indoor and outdoor mats when entering the house. 
 
2. Keep walkways, driveways and garages free of debris by sweeping as needed. Have us professionally clean your garage floor to keep the grease and oil form being tracked in. When you have your asphalt driveway resealed, remove your shoes when entering the house for at least 30 days! 
 
3.  Consider not wearing outside shoes inside of your home.  I am finding more and more of my customers following this practice with great results.  But keep your socks on!  Oils present on the skin will stick to carpet fibers and attract dirt and grime.  Olefin and polyester carpets fibers are “oil-loving” and will actually absorb bodily oils from people and pets.  Note: Health care workers should never wear their work shoes in their homes as this could contaminate their carpets with harmful germs and bacteria.
 
4.  Have us professionally re-stretch your carpet at the first sign of wrinkles, ripples or buckles, and have seams repaired at the first sign of damage.  I am finding many carpets in need of re-stretching after just a few years of use due to improper installation.  Improperly stretched carpets will last a fraction of their intended life.
 
5.  If space permits, change the room’s furniture layout often, say once a year.  This will help avoid wearing the carpeting down in the same spots, and create new foot traffic patterns so your whole carpet will last longer, not just one area.
 
6.  Move heavy furniture such as sofas and china cabinets over just a couple of inches now and then to prevent permanent crushing of carpet fibers under the furniture legs.  This is especially important if your carpet is made from olefin or polyester, which is must less resilient than nylon.
 
7.  In carpet areas that get a lot of direct sun exposure, keep your drapes or curtains closed when the family is away at work or school, and perhaps a few hours each day when the sun is shining directly onto the carpet when family members are home. This will prevent color fading. 
 
 
I hope you have found this information helpful.  My goal is to help you keep your expensive carpeting looking beautiful for many years while saving you money. Even more important than the appearance of your carpeting is the health of your family.  Yearly professional cleaning of your carpets removes deeply embedded allergens, germs, and pollutants that have built up over time.  At Blue Diamond, We Clean for Health first, and then appearance!  Please call me at 814-861-4188 if I can be of service.