Knowing how to clean high-traffic carpet areas is crucial — not only will it extend the lifespan of your carpet, but it will keep your carpets looking and smelling like new. And let’s not forget removing and eliminating those stains for good.
High-traffic areas in your home likely include the entrance room, the hallways, and in some homes, the kitchen. There’s only so much you can do to prevent heavy footfall — but preventing wear and tear is absolutely key.
The better you take care of your carpet, the longer it will last, and the cleaner it will be — that also means fewer germs and bacteria.
So, this blog post will highlight several tips on how to keep carpet clean in high-traffic areas, prolonging the life of your carpets and keeping your carpets looking like new. Because who doesn’t love a clean-looking carpet?!
Vacuum regularly
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you should vacuum high-traffic areas regularly.
These areas of your home attract the most foot traffic — maybe you walk through these areas dozens of times each day. And if you have several family members or young kids, then perhaps even hundreds of times. That’s a lot of footfall!
Dirt and other debris can quickly build up in these areas — vacuum regularly to prevent damage to your carpet. If you have a large family or young kids, you’ll likely need to vacuum more often than, say, a household of one or two people.
But vacuuming once, twice, or even three times a week is a great place to start. It all depends on how often your carpet gets used.
Consider installing low-pile carpets in high-traffic areas — they’re easier to vacuum and keep clean. Keep deep-pile carpets for sitting rooms and other less heavy footfall areas of the home.
Use welcome mats and issue a “no shoes” rule
Keep dirt and other debris away from your freshly vacuumed carpets by using welcome mats. You can place these at both the back and front doors and any other entrance points you may have, such as patio or french doors.
Also, consider implementing a “no shoes” rule in your home. Add a shoe rack and keep your shoes by the door — eliminate muck and prevent debris from dragging around your entire home. Cleaning high traffic areas does not need to be complicated — you just need a system.
While you don’t need to follow it religiously, turning into a no-shoes-in-the-house kind of family will help keep your carpet clean. It will also help extend the lifespan of your carpets — it’s well worth doing!
Clean up spills and muck immediately
If you spill food, drink, or any other liquid or substance on your carpet, clean it up immediately. This stops it from staining your carpet — and stains are a lot more difficult to remove than initial spills.
And if it’s muck, perhaps dirt from shoes, vacuum as soon as possible. You do not want the mud to travel around the house — it can ruin your carpets, especially if you have lighter colors in rooms such as your sitting room.
So, our advice: clean up spills and muck immediately — you don’t want it to spread around the home, and you certainly don’t want any nasty stains.
Perform a deep clean
If you follow the above advice, then it should be relatively easy to keep your carpets in high-traffic areas of the home clean. Although it will require work and a lot of upkeep, you’ll extend the lifespan of your carpets while keeping them fresh.
But alongside the already mentioned advice, you should look to deep clean your carpet a few times a year. If you’ve got a steam cleaner, you can do this yourself — cleaning the carpet and removing any stains as often as needed.
If you have pets or young children, you may wish to steam clean once a month or even more frequently.
And if you live in San Antonio, Texas, and do not have the tools to perform a deep clean, or would prefer a professional to clean your carpet, then the Eco Clean team can help. We clean carpets for many homeowners, treating stains with our eco-friendly methods — it’s good for your family, and it’s great for the environment.