This is the easiest and most important part of good carpet care.  Carpets attract a lot of dust, dirt and other pollutants.  Most home carpets should be vacuumed at least once each week.  Offices, entry rugs, high traffic areas, or other areas with lots of pollution (pets, salt, construction debris) should be vacuumed more often even daily.  Leaving dirt in your carpets will cause them to wear out more quickly.  And of course, no one likes the look of a dirt carpet.

 

Using rugs at entry points can go a long way towards protecting your entire carpet.  Appropriate rugs can trap dirt, sand and moisture that can destroy a carpet.  Of course these rugs also need to be cleaned regularly or the benefits will be nullified.

 

Avoiding spots and stains is the best policy.  When accidents do happen, spots should be cleaned up as soon as possible.  Many stains can be fixed right away.  (See our spotting guide)

 

Carpet manufactures recommend a regular deep clean by a professional company.  In fact many warranties require it.  There are a lot of do-it-yourself machines on the market.  These do not get a true deep clean.  Many can even permanently harm your carpet.  Sand and dirt act like sandpaper in your carpet, wearing away at the fibers.  Dirt and grime can stain the carpet if it is not regularly cleaned.  Even smells and bacteria grow in carpets and need to be cleaned away.  Get a professional deep clean often to keep your carpet at its best.