Easy Ways to Prevent Carpet Damage

Carpets are notorious pain points for homeowners. While they may look nice and add flavor and style to a room, they also tend to soak up spills, attract stains and odors, and become punching bags for heavy furniture.

At First Coast Home Pros, we can take care of your serious carpet cleaning needs. In the meantime, read up on these simple ways to prevent your carpet from getting soiled, being torn, and looking drab.

Your Carpet and Pesky Stains

Most of us have experienced the panicked moment when a glass of juice, milk, or wine lands on the carpet. Many of us know the unique pain of returning home from work only to find a mess left for us by our pets. Those initial moments of shock stem from the inescapable fact that carpets tend to hold residues, odors, and stains long after you’ve mopped up the liquid.

We can deal with these difficulties in two primary ways. First, there are steps you can take to prevent stains from taking hold in the first place. Second, there are some simple ways to ensure that stains that do set in don’t cause permanent damage.

Preventing Stains From Taking Hold

You can help prevent stains from occuring in the first place by:

• Making sure your family only eats and drinks in non-carpeted areas
• Vacuuming regularly
• Getting regular professional carpet cleaning services as a form of maintenance
• Keeping pets away from carpeted areas in your home

However, spills and accidents are natural parts of life, and you can’t prevent them from ever happening. Use the above tips to reduce the number of spills and apply protective treatments to your carpet (such as Scotchgard) to minimize the damage spills can do if they do happen.

Preventing Stains From Causing Long-Term Damage

The way you handle spills and stains can affect the longevity of your carpet. The best practice for liquid spills is to dab at the spill with a towel or other cleaning implement rather than aggressively rubbing. Scrubbing can cause all those nasty elements to get further embedded in the fibers of your carpet.

Other easy tips to keep in mind when dealing with spills and stains include:

• Apply warm water to the spill and continue blotting/dabbing the stain
• If necessary, use a drop of non-bleach dish detergent to assist with stain removal
• Once you have dried the area through blotting (never scrubbing!), vacuum the area in order to restore the carpet’s texture
• Get the professionals to come help

Seriously, there is a world of difference when professional cleaners deal with carpet stains. We have more advanced tools, our technicians are all certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, and we guarantee top quality when assisting clients.

Preventing Wear and Tear on Your Carpet

Stains aren’t the only source of permanent damage to carpets. General wear and tear can have a massive impact, as well as the presence of heavy furniture. Take the proper precautions to ensure that you keep the wear and tear on your carpets to a minimum and extend their lives.

Go Shoeless

If you’re comfortable with it, try to go shoeless in your home as much as possible. Shoes track in dirt and grime, and they can leave behind stains, odors, or even carpet snags that socks or bare feet prevent.

Move Furniture, but Do It Properly

It’s important to “rotate” or rearrange your heavy furniture from time to time in order to prevent the carpet underneath from becoming permanently disfigured or impressed. However, remember to NEVER drag furniture, as this runs the risk of creasing the carpet or, worse, ripping the carpet’s fibers.

Think About Furniture Weight Distribution

Lots of items of furniture have legs or posts that contact the carpet minimally. These small spots hold all the weight of the furniture, causing dents, disfiguration, and even punctures in the carpet over time. 

One way to prevent this is by using inconspicuous flat boards or furniture sliders to more evenly distribute the item’s weight and prevent it all from going onto a few small points of contact.

Get a FREE Carpet Cleaning Estimate Today

Even the most meticulous homeowners need help from the professionals at times. At First Coast Home Pros, we offer all potential clients a free estimate on our services, including carpet cleaning.

When stains, spills, and damaged carpets are your nemesis, let us help by bringing in our state-of-the-art machinery and cleaning solutions to fix the problem. We also perform handyman services. Head to our contact page to order your free estimate today.