Carpet Care Tips for Today's Household

A carpet is an important element in your home, or room area, since it is the point of contact between you and the floor and also because it plays a significant role in the visual layout of the room. Taking care of the carpet is not a hard task, but there are a few guidelines that should be followed for maximum efficiency. A good trick, for example, is to take the pressure and dirt of carpets by placing walk off mats at the entrance to your home. If you clean the mats regularly, you might have to do less work on the carpet itself, since the mats will stop most of the dirt from going inside.

The padding that goes under your carpet should also receive your attention. Stairs are in important area to look at, since carpet life is usually reduced in such places. While carpet pads are comfortable and soft to the touch, they also play a role of cushioning the wear and tear of the bottom part of the carpet. Another good idea is to keep your carpet out of direct sunlight, if possible. If a carpet stays in the sun for a few years, some discoloring might appear and the quality of the fabric will be lower.

Moving furniture is quite common in every household, and the floor and carpets

usually get damaged in the process. Prevent wheel or scratch marks by placing cardboard tiles on the carpet when you are moving the furniture. Also make sure that your other furniture, like chairs or coffee tables, has some padding to protect the integrity of your carpet. Area rugs are another element of interest: clean them once in a while, but also remember to clean the area of carpet underneath them. This will prevent dust from gathering there and it will help the carpet retain original coloring and texture quality. Make sure that both the carpet and the area rugs are completely dry before placing them in their spots.

Stains are yet another enemy of carpets. There are stain resistant treatments that you can apply to your carpet - however they do not prevent stains from forming, as they are meant to facilitate cleaning them. There is no carpet that doesn't need maintenance and cleaning - do not let a seller tell you otherwise. It is a good idea to use specialized cleaners for your carpets, as general household cleaners might have chemicals that will work against your carpet. There are several items that you might consider purchasing in order to keep your carpets clean: nail

polish remover, chewing gum removers, clear, non bleached detergents, or vinegar and water mixtures.

No matter how powerful the cleaning agents are, your best bet is to try and remove stains as soon as they are formed. Wet spills are among the most common carpet problems. Use a white cloth or paper to blot the area of the spill and allow as much of the liquid to be absorbed by the cloth. When you are done, place a layer or two of paper or cloth that will not transfer color and cover them with a heavy object that will help them absorb any excess moisture. Food stains should be scraped of right away, before they get hard. However, any scraping should be light, as you do not want your carpet to have fuzzy looking area all around. After using detergent, also wash it out with water so that no residues get stuck in the carpet material.
About the Author

Mary Kay Alvarez enjoys writing about the best vacuum cleaners, household appliances, and carpet care tips.

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