How can I protect my carpet once installed?

A new carpet is a wonderful way to freshen up any room. The warmth and ambience of a good carpet is hard to match. Once your carpet is installed you should learn how to protect it. By properly cleaning and maintaining your carpet, you can double its lifespan.

When maintaining your carpet, it is most important to focus on the highly trafficked areas. These areas will attract dirt particles which will grind against the carpet fibres as they are walked on.

Equally important is being quick to react to stains and spills. Liquids such as red wine, red juices, blood or urine will leave an indelible mark if not dealt with immediately.

Indoor and outdoor mats

Installing mats at each entrance is a simple and effective way of protecting your carpet. People entering from the outside will often carry dirt on their shoes. If carried inside, the dirt will wear down your carpet fibres.

A good mat should be coarse-textured to catch the soil. As much as 80 to 90 percent of soil can be caught by a mat. It is also a good idea to ensure the mat is water absorbent to dry off wet shoes.

Dealing with stains and spills

If you suffer a stain on your carpet, you must act urgently. If you do so, there is a 99 percent chance you can remove it. Stains which are not attended to will react chemically with the carpet leaving a mark which will be hard to erase.

Avoid the temptation to try to dig or scoop out food spills. This can actually make the stain more deeply embedded. Instead, use a spoon or blunt knife to scrape the food into a towel.

80 percent of stains can be cleaned up using plain water. Press a clean, dry white cloth over the stain. Repeat until the stain is completely absorbed. If this does not remove the stain, use a cleaning solution comprised of white water and vinegar in equal amounts.

If the stain persists, you should contact your carpet supplier for advice on commercial cleaning products. Before using commercial cleaners, you should first test them on an inconspicuous area of your carpet.

Vacuuming

Regular vacuuming should be part of your carpet maintenance routine. We recommend vacuuming at least once or twice a week. Vacuuming removes the abrasive dirt particles that can wear down your carpet fibres.

Before vacuuming you must set the correct vacuum height. For most carpet styles, the middle setting is best. Ideally the brushes should skim the tops of the carpet fibres, causing them to vibrate, thus loosening up the dirt particles.

Do not forget to check your vacuum bag and change it as soon as it becomes 30 percent full. Once the bag is 30 percent full your vacuum has already lost 80 percent of its power.

Cleaning

Even with regular vacuuming, your carpet can harbour allergens in the lower, hard to reach fibres. You should aim to have your carpet professionally cleaned once a year. A professional cleaner will remove hidden dirt particles and will not leave any sticky cleaning residues behind.

Professional cleaners will usually use “steam” cleaning which involves pre-treating the carpet with a detergent, then applying a hot rinse solution under high pressure which is vacuumed out.

Call us today

At Cherry Carpets, we are well established as carpet suppliers and fitters to the domestic and commercial markets. If you need advice on how to best protect your carpet, our expert staff will be only too eager to help. At Cherry Carpets, we take great pride in every job, regardless of the size and we go the extra mile to ensure that we exceed your expectations and continue to build on the excellent reputation we have built. Our team are all fully employed by Cherry Carpets, meaning you get the benefit of fully accountable staff and also avoid the additional cost of paying a sub-contractors premium. If you are considering a new floor for your home or commercial space then please call us on or click here to complete the contact form and we will be in contact within 24 hours.

We are proud members of Checkatrade and you can view feedback from our many satisfied customers on our company profile by clicking this link