Carpets contend with a lot more than other furnishings in our home – they’re the work horses of interior design! They’re stepped on, skidded across, and have food, mud and all sorts spilt on them…. With that in mind when is it time to wave farewell to your trusted carpet and look for a replacement?Well the simple answer is… there is no simple answer. It’s dependent on many contributing factors including:
How many people live in the house
What material is it made from?
Is it in an area of high traffic (e.g. The hallway)
Do you have children/pets?
How often have you cleaned and maintained it?
What level of quality is it?
Bearing the above in mind, professionals generally recommend changing your carpet every 6-8 years for the average household of 2-4 people. That can be greatly extended by looking after your carpet appropriately by doing the following:
Vacuum regularly, at least once a week. High traffic areas should be attended more frequently (every 3 days or so) to extend their lifespan.
Clean up spills as soon as they happen so they don’t get to soak in. Be sure to dab at stain to avoid spreading it around.
Get all carpets professionally cleaned one a year. You can hire the equipment and complete the job yourself, or if you prefer get a company to do it for you.
Use stain remover if necessary, and double check the best way to treat a particular stain.
When choosing a carpet it pays in the long run to go for higher quality – this could be the difference between carpets that lasts for 15 years instead of 5.
Get into good habits such as wiping your feet on a mat before entering from outside or removing shoes.
Change foot traffic by altering the layout. As we know areas which are heavily used are more likely to see damage, moving furniture can help to lessen this.
Avoid excess exposure to sunlight by having suitable window dressings.
