How to Protect a New Carpet

What’s one of the first things a person does/has done when they move into a new place? They have new carpeting installed.

Carpets add warmth, style, and a comfy feel to our floors, and once you get a new one, you want to keep it looking and feeling new for as long as possible.

What are some things you can do to protect a new carpet from things like dirt, stains, tears and trouble?

Tips for Protecting Your New Carpet

For starters, before you even have new carpeting installed, think about “use patterns” for your home. Where are the places that will receive the most foot traffic? Those are the places where you might not want to put carpeting. For instance, the front hall where people come into the house will likely be a place where they’ll wear dirty shoes, sneakers and boots, tracking in some mud. Therefore, that flooring should be vinyl or something else that can easily be wiped or swept clean. Carpeting makes sense in less-trafficked areas of the house, such as the living room, den and bedrooms.

That said, a lot of people make a habit of having guests take off their shoes when they first enter a house, in order to avoid bringing whatever’s on the bottom of those shoes onto a nice, new carpet. This idea works well for hundreds of thousands of households across the country. Even something simple like a place to wipe feet can help keep carpets cleaner, should you want to say “ok” to people wearing shoes in the house.

Vacuuming carpets regularly is a great way to keep them clean for the long haul. So, instead of just vacuuming once a season or “when it looks really bad,” get in the habit of vacuuming the carpet in your home once a week or so. Vacuuming not only helps remove dust and allergens from the carpet, but also refreshes its overall look.

If and when spills and other problems occur on carpeting, ask yourself this: did I add carpet protector to the carpet just in case something like this would happen? You should invest in a carpet protector spray and use it. Also, anytime spots or stains appear, tend to them quickly so they don’t have time to set/settle in. Blotting is always better than trying to rub a stain out, by the way.

Finally, if you want to be proud of your new carpet for years to come, it doesn’t hurt to hire a professional to check and clean it every couple months.