Nothing feels better than walking with bare feet across fluffy brand new carpets. The fibers are not matted or flat and there are no traffic lanes showing, yet. The new carpet smell provides peace of mind knowing that your home is clean. Wouldn’t it be great if you could keep this feeling forever? Well, at least as long as the life of the carpet?

There are a couple tricks to maintaining fluffy soft carpets, keep the traffic lanes at bay, and keep the carpets new as long as possible. Often, the question is, "How often should I have my carpets cleaned?" According to the carpet manufacturers and the IICRC you should have your carpets cleaned every 6-18 months. The interval between cleanings really depends on the amount and type of traffic on your carpet. For some consumers cleaning every 6-months provides peace of mind knowing their carpets are clean and healthy. For others waiting years to get their carpets cleaned is normal. It is optimal to get your carpets cleaned at least once per year.

The thing about cleaning carpet is not just removing the dirt you see, but removing the soil found in the bottom of the carpet fibers. This is known as particulate soil and can be very damaging to the carpet fibers. The sands and dirt cause abrasion that no type of cleaning can correct.

Now, that you have some great reasons as to the importance of carpet cleaning, you need to find a great carpet cleaner.

The real trick is to not hire just any carpet cleaner that calls themselves professional, but a true professional carpet cleaner. A true professional carpet cleaner cleans and rinses the carpet properly. Proper rinsing of the carpet is accomplished by using a rinse that neutralizes the cleaning solutions used to clean the carpet. If a neutralizing agent is not used then the carpets are left hard and crunchy and are prone to rapid re-soiling.

Finding a carpet cleaner that cleans carpet properly is no small challenge. To help you start your journey of finding a great carpet cleaner I have provided information on tips below that will help you maintain your carpets and keep them looking new.

Did you know...

New carpet, and upholstery for that matter, comes with carpet protector installed at the factory. Yes, it's true! Ever notice how easily the first spills on new carpet clean up? The new spills seem to sit there floating on the carpet providing time to clean them up almost like magic.

You need to follow the next few steps to help keep your carpets looking new and feeling soft and fluffy for long run.

1. Vacuum - Perform once or twice a week, utilizing proper vacuuming techniques. With proper vacuuming techniques you will help to maximize the amount of soil removal.

2. Clean Carpet - Have the carpet cleaned by a professional carpet cleaner every 6-18 months. This will greatly improve the longevity of your carpets. If you hire a carpet cleaner that properly cleans your carpet it will feel soft and fluffy for its useful life.

3. Re-apply Carpet Protector - Every time you have the carpets cleaned, have the carpet protector re-applied. This will help to prevent soil from scratching the fibers in the carpet creating permanent traffic lanes. You see over time, just like when you buy a new Teflon pan, the Teflon flakes off. With a Teflon pan this is true even if you always use the Teflon safe tools. Carpet is the same and the advantage with carpet is that the Teflon protector can be replaced.

Did you know...

Many carpet cleaners offer reasonable maintenance programs to help you clean your carpets more often, while saving money at the same time. Sometimes you can save as much as %50 off your entire yearly cleaning bill and have you carpets cleaned twice a year.

With these programs you can keep your home looking new for a great price. Cleaning carpet keeps the damaging soil out of the carpet, improves indoor air quality, and provides peace of mind.

I hope this information will provide new insight in to the benefits of having your carpets cleaned.