Homeowner Upkeep Guide for Carpets, Rugs, and Upholstery |
It’s no secret that carpets remain popular have been long-time staples in homes and businesses alike for decades. What is not as well-known however, is proper homeowner and business owner carpet upkeep. Carpeting and rugs can make your home or workspace feel incredibly comfortable and warm but after that worn-in look or grime appears, they are often times viewed as high maintenance or a bad investment.
Read on to find the best homeowner’s tips for keeping your carpet, your specialty rugs, and your upholstered furniture looking fresh and new for years to come. To pull the maximum quality use out of your carpeting, the key will be consistency and help from a professional cleaner on a routine basis (we recommend annually or less). How to Keep Up Your Carpets Looking New The lifespan of a carpet will depend greatly on the quality of the pad beneath the carpet. This cushion will prevent wear on your investment, while absorbing many of the spills, dirt, and grime that a carpet is set to withstand over the years. If you’re in the position to have your carpet installed, don’t skimp on the carpet foundation. Being able to choose our carpet and its accessories isn’t always the case. If you’ve inherited a carpeted floor or just had one installed, ongoing maintenance will keep your carpet looking lush for as long as possible. Vacuuming your carpet should be your first line of defense against all environmental factors set to destroy it. Depending on the amount of foot or pet traffic your carpet receives, it’s a good rule of thumb to vacuum your carpets at least once a week and more if it bears more abuse. This will keep the top layer of dust and dirt from settling into your carpet pad, allowing for a longer lifespan in the foundation of your carpet. Limiting the amount of dirt and grime your carpet is exposed to will also help improve the lifespan of your investment. It may seem silly to some but removing your shoes will greatly affect the amount of outside environment that your carpet will be exposed to. Professional steam cleaning your carpets at least once per year will also help to prevent buildup in the carpet and in the carpet cushion. Professional steam cleaning may also refer to methods that use less water than you think, and it may be best to leave these cleanings to the experts – to avoid saturation or risk of leaving water embedded in your carpet. Think of this routine, periodic deep cleaning like “spring cleaning”, where you vacuum all year and allow a for a deep and thorough cleaning each year to get your carpet through the next. When it comes to steam cleaning or spot cleaning your carpet, it’s best not to soak the carpet. If the carpet becomes too wet and cannot dry properly, it’s likely you will be left with mildew and odor. Pay special attention to high traffic areas and read a comprehensive list of DIY spot treating tricks available in one of our other blog articles. Another great way to protect your carpet for the longest amount of time is to physically protect it with barriers. Add in rugs where you can and they will not only act as a shield for your carpet, but they will cozy up your home as well. Regular Maintenance for Specialty Rugs If you’ve chosen to protect your carpet with rugs, or even warm up your tile or hardwood, rug maintenance will be just as important as carpet maintenance. If you’ve bought a rug before or are in the process of shopping for one, you will find that they are not cheap. Specialty rugs have long been a popular go to for you sprucing up your home and with the prices of Persian, Oriental, or Turkish rugs, proper care has the potential to hold your investment. When caring for a specialty rug, there are a few things you can do to keep them looking as elegant as when you bought them. Just as sun can be detrimental to our skin, the UV rays can be detrimental to the colorful fibers in your delicate rug. Limiting the sun exposure your rug will experience will help keep the fibers strong and bright. Rotating your rug is also good practice. Often times, humans and animals will repeat the same patterns. By leaving your rug in the same place and never taking care to turn it or rotate it, you are ensuring that the same spaces in your rug will receive invariable wear. Similar to carpeting, rugs can benefit from padding beneath them as well. This will help cushion the fibers and act as another layer of protection from the constant pressure rugs are under. The rotation, coupled with the cushion, will protect some areas of your rug from wearing before others. Spot cleaning, vacuuming and rug washing will also enhance the lifespan of your rug and help you to get your money’s worth out of your investment. Using gentle soaps when cleaning your rug will prevent damage to the rug, along with allowing the rug to fully dry before putting it out to prevent mildew and odor. It’s also good practice to brush your rug with hard bristled brush. This will fluff the fibers to keep your rug plush and beautiful. In the instance that your rug does mildew or begins to produce an odor, try these DIY rug cleaning tips to hold you over until you can get your rugs to a professional. Protect and Maintain Your Upholstered Furniture It may seem like a lot of work to remember to maintain your carpets, your rugs, and then your upholstered furniture but in the long run you will save money and stress by keeping up with your investments. It’s much more manageable to maintain your furniture well enough to only need a professional cleaning every once in a while, than the cost and results you may receive from allowing environmental factors to build up over time. Managing your upholstery will be similar to maintaining your rugs and carpeting. By continuously cleaning or vacuuming your furniture, you will prevent buildup of dirt and grime. It’s easy for dirt or dust to accumulate over time and it not necessarily stand out as a direct spill would. By vacuuming your furniture once a week with the rest of your fabrics, you will ensure your furniture is not only clean, but that the buildup has less of a chance of damaging the fibers of your furniture. You can make use of a stain guard to preemptively protect your furniture from spills or dirt. Even with a protectant, you will want to spot clean your furniture with an appropriate cleaner or gentle soap and water. Sunlight can damage your furniture in the same way that it can damage rugs. Managing the sun exposure for your furniture will prevent it from fading in certain spots or weakening the upholstery. If it’s applicable, it’s also good practice to flip your cushions. When it comes to any furniture, the continued use and patterns we follow in life will show. By rotating and flipping when possible, you will redistribute the pressure and wear exerted on a specific area of the furniture. When to Call a Professional Maintaining your carpets, rugs, and upholstery will help to preserve them and keep them looking great, but it is still recommended to have your investments cleaned at least every couple of years. A professional will have the tools, cleaning agents, and knowledge necessary to revamp your furniture in a way that would be very difficult at home. This preventative maintenance has a great chance of cutting the cost that you will have to pay these professionals, as well as managing your expectations for the outcome of your products. If rugs or furniture have experienced years of neglect and buildup, your professional may not be able to rejuvenate them in the way that you would hope. By keeping this up over time, you will ensure that with professional help, your investments have the potential to be like new again. |
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