You finally did it. After years of resisting, you called up a local company to carry out a professional grade carpet shampooing, and now your carpet is absolutely spotless. You couldn’t be happier. It almost looks as good as the day that it was fitted. But how do you keep it that way? Is it possible to enjoy your now spotless carpet for the many weeks and months to come, or is it destined to become a grubby mess in next to no time?
In our experience of providing carpet cleaning services to households in the Boulder area, there are lots of things you can do to keep your newly cleaned carpets that way for longer.
Tips You can Implement to Keep Clean Carpets Clean
The great thing about implementing these tips is that not only will they help make your home more aesthetically pleasing and a healthier environment to live in, but they’ll also extend the lifespan of your carpets (which are not cheap to replace!).
Here are a few of our favorite tips:
Inside the Home Should Be a Strict No-Shoe Zone
Think about it for a second. Your shoes come into contact with all manner of dirt and grime in the outside world, and then you come home and tread that dirt and grime into your carpets. It makes no sense, and will stay there until you call up your local carpet cleaning company to do another shampooing.
Take your shoes off at the door and store them away. Buy everyone that lives in your home a pair of shoes/slippers/sandals that they only wear inside your home. This will greatly reduce the amount of dirt that finds its way onto your carpet, helping them stay cleaner for longer.
Use Doormats – Both Inside and Outside
Want to go one better than just removing your shoes when you come into your home? How about cleaning them before you set foot inside. Buying and then positioning a doormat both inside and outside of the main entrance door to your home is a great way to do this. Then every time you get home, give your shoes a good wipe on the mats (particularly on the one outside), and this will reduce the amount of dirt that makes its way inside.
Make Sure You Vacuum Regularly
This seems pretty obvious, but it’s one of the absolute best ways to keep your carpet cleaner for longer after you’ve had it shampooed. If you’re the kind of person that usually only pulls the vacuum out of the cupboard when you can visibly see the dirt on your carpets, that’s way too late. Make your vacuum your friend and meet with it regularly to take a walk across your carpets. At least a couple of times a week. Pay particular attention to high-traffic areas and give those an extra good going over, as that’s typically where most of the dirt and dust will accumulate.
Change Your Air Filters Regularly
You might be thinking – “what have my air filters got to do with my carpets?” – but there is a reason for this suggestion (obviously). You see, if you let your air filters get clogged to the point that they can no longer do their job efficiently, the dust that they are no longer able to filter out of the air will fall onto your carpet instead (as well as other things like your chairs, tables, sofa, etc.). Keeping the filters in good condition will prevent this, as well as provide you with a healthier living environment.
It’s advisable to change most types of air filters every three months, but if you have pets inside the home, it may be necessary to change them every two months.
Don’t Give Stains Time to “Settle In”
It’s a moment that will make your stomach sink. I’m talking about that moment when you watch as a huge spoonful of sticky jam falls down below the height of the table toward your carpet. It almost feels as though it’s happening in slow motion, but there’s nothing you can do.
You’re not going to prevent the stain from happening, unless you discover a superpower that you never knew you had. But you can (and should) take action once it’s happened. You see if you just leave the stain and let it settle, it’ll be harder to get out in long run. Take a piece of white cloth (or paper towel if that's all you have), dampen it and blot the stain gently. But don't rub and don't used a colored cloth, as this can discolor your carpet fibers.
Call Our Carpet Cleaners for Professional Cleaning
Even if you follow every one of these suggestions, you’ll still need to have your carpet deep cleaned at least once per year to keep it in tip-top condition, as this pulls out all of the dirt and grime that builds up over time below the surface level.
That’s definitely something that we at Steve’s Carpet Care & Restoration can help you with. We’ve been keeping carpets looking and feeling their best in homes and business premises around Boulder and Westminster for well over 40 years. So if your carpet has seen better days or the time has arrived for your annual carpet shampooing, give us a call or contact us online, and we’ll explain what we can do for you.