Your vacuum misses a lot of dirt and dander, which is why you have spent the money for professional carpet cleaning services. In between cleanings it is imperative that you maintain your carpet so that it looks fresh and clean, especially if you only use professional services once every year.

Why Vacuums Don’t Work

Though vacuuming is a good idea, this should not be the only step you take to protect your carpet in between cleanings. This is because vacuums are ineffective at taking away dirt from deep within carpet fibers. That means once the dirt is in there, it is not coming out. So it makes sense that you need to prevent dirt from embedding into the carpet first.

Limit Dirt Exposure

Though you cannot avoid walking on your carpet, you can avoid introducing the carpet’s fibers to dirt. Inside your home have a shoes-off area where no one is allowed to wear outdoor shoes inside the home. Use doormats at the entry to collect shoes and prevent their dirt from being tracked by socks.

Vacuuming your carpet frequently can keep the dirt from embedding deep within your carpet’s fibers, but once dirt has settled in there is no getting it out. Carpet cleaning experts recommend an every other day cleaning rule that includes vacuuming high-traffic areas, a four-foot perimeter between entrances and quick passes in low-traffic rooms.

Area Rugs

Area rugs expose your home’s carpet to dirt, grease and dander. Rather than vacuum area rugs inside the home, roll them up and clean them outdoors. Once a year your area rugs should be rolled up and taken to a professional carpet cleaning service to have them steam cleaned. Though it might be tempting to clean area rugs at home, doing so can leave them too wet, which means they will attract dust and other particles in the area as they dry.

Keeping the Air Clean

Keep in mind that no matter how much work you put into keeping your carpet’s surface clean, if your air quality is dirty your carpet will soil up quickly. Make sure to regularly change out your furnace’s filter to prevent dust and buildup from entering into your home’s vents. When vacuuming, make sure the filter is fresh and the bag is always empty to prevent dust from being expelled during the process. If you dust your home, make sure you use a static duster so that dust particles are trapped within the fibers and not pushed into the air.