It is a proven fact that a good looking carpet is the most important component to a homes appearance and replacing a carpet is expensive. You want your carpet to last as long as possible. Use the following tips to extend the life of your carpet:

1. Padding is important, ideally no more than 7/16-inch thick, unless your carpet came with it attached. Also use pads under small rugs, and rotate them from time to time.
2. In areas that get a lot of sun exposure, keep your drapes or curtains closed to prevent fading or browning.
3. Leave dirt outside. You may feel a bit uneasy about asking guests to remove their shoes, but by leaving footwear at the door, you keep the dirt out. In addition, take the time to sweep your home’s sidewalks, and at the very least invest in heavy-duty doormats to prevent excess dirt from entering the house.
4. Confine all snacking to the kitchen. Your family may protest this rule, but it’s the only way to prevent spills from staining your carpeting. Sauces, chocolate and juices are lethal to your carpet’s aesthetic value. If food does find its way to your carpet, be sure to clean it up immediately.
5. Run the vacuum often. In high-traffic areas, carpets should be vacuumed daily. In less-traveled areas, vacuum one to two times per week. Vacuuming often will remove damaging dirt from the fibers. Buy an upright vacuum fitted with beater bars.
6. Keep your socks on. While walking without shoes will help to make your carpet last longer, you shouldn’t walk on your carpeting with bare feet. The oils present on the skin will stick to carpet fibers and attract dirt and grime.
7. Change the room’s layout often. To break up the same old traffic pattern and to avoid wearing the carpeting down in the same spots, move your furniture around. This will create new foot traffic and your whole carpet will last longer, not just one area.
8. Call in the professionals. You should hire a reputable carpet cleaning company to service your carpets at least once or twice per year. Make sure they have the equipment that won’t leave detergent in the fibers.