Top tips to extend the life of your carpet

If you’ve recently invested in a new carpet, then you will want to keep it looking its best for years to come. Cleaning your carpet regularly as well as ensuring it receives just the right amount of love will make all the difference. It will keep your carpet looking newer for longer and will also prevent any discolouration, bad odours and allergens from forming, too.

So, where to start?

Below we have outlined some top tips for caring for your new carpet, which are pretty simple to do but which will make all the difference to the appearance of your new floor.

1. Ventilation and odour minimisation

It’s likely that your new carpet may have that ‘new carpet smell’ for a few days after it has been fitted. This is usually caused by the underlay or the adhesive that has been used to lay the carpet onto your flooring.

To get rid of any odours quickly, it’s important to get some good ventilation flowing around the room. Keep the doors open in between rooms and open all windows when you are inside. The odours should soon disappear with plenty of fresh air breezing through.

2. Vacuum care

Although it might seem like a bit of a chore, we do recommend that you vacuum your new carpet daily for at least the first couple of weeks after it has been fitted. This way you will be able to remove any loose fibres and bits of fluff that have made their way to the surface.

After the first few weeks, you can limit the vacuuming to about once or twice per week. This way, you will be preventing dirt and hairs from getting deeper into the carpet pile and will also help to keep the piles upright. If you have pets, you might want to vacuum a bit more regularly in those areas where your little ball of fur is allowed to roam.

3. Strategic rugs and doormats

Doormats are like marmite with home-owners. You either love them or loathe them. Although they’re not always that appealing on the eye, doormats placed near all the entrances to your home will definitely help to trap dirt and moisture from entering in and being trampled through onto your carpets. Even if you just want to use them in the autumn and winter when there is more mud and water around outside, then it will really help with the tidy maintenance of your interior flooring.

Rugs and runners are also a good investment to place on top of your carpet too. They add an additional layer of support to fight off dust and dirt as well as adding insulation underfoot - and let's not forget that they also look fabulous! Patterned rugs are especially good at hiding little marks and stains that crop up over the years.

4. Spills and stains

Spills and dribbles do happen, no matter how hard you tried to prevent them. Therefore, it’s important to know what to do when they occur. Carpet cleaning techniques will very much depend on what type of carpet you have opted for. Cleaning natural fibre carpets will be very different from cleaning 100% polypropylene carpets, so always check with us when buying your carpet, so you are sure what yours is made from.

Stains should be acted on fast! They should always be blotted first with a white cloth – not rubbed as this may make the stain larger in volume. The more you can remove like this, the less you will have to remove in other ways. Diluting the stain with water will also help initially, as well as dabbing on a bit of baking soda paste (depending on the stain type). Steam cleaning is a great way to clean your carpet thoroughly and should get out most general grubby marks and stains from the surface. Just make sure that you allow the carpet to completely dry after steaming before you move any furniture back in the room.

If you want to chat with us about the maintenance of your carpet and how to care from it, then just pop into the Harrogate shop or give us a call for some friendly advice.