Renovating
How to Care for Your Carpets
Find out how to keep you carpet clean, soft, and in beautiful condition with these expert tips
They’re wonderfully gentle underfoot and give a warm, cosy feel to a room, but how do you make sure your carpets are spotlessly clean and well-maintained? Here, carpet professionals share their advice on how to ensure your soft floor coverings stay in top condition.
Expert advice from: Richard Davies at Horwich Carpets & Interiors; David Cormack at Cormar Carpets
More in this series: How to Care for Encaustic Cement Tiles l How to Care for Engineered Wood Flooring
Expert advice from: Richard Davies at Horwich Carpets & Interiors; David Cormack at Cormar Carpets
More in this series: How to Care for Encaustic Cement Tiles l How to Care for Engineered Wood Flooring
Lay the foundations
“Be sure the carpet fitter you choose is a master fitter or approved fitter of the National Institute of Carpet and Floor Layers (NICF),” David advises.
Richard says, “You should always use a new, quality underlay.” David reiterates the point, and explains that underlay “helps to improve overall resilience and resistance to flattening. Do not be tempted to save money by laying a brand-new carpet on old underlay.”
Richard advises, “The subfloor should be clean and preferably vacuumed prior to installation.”
David adds, “Carpet that’s been laid on a dirty floor is susceptible to ‘draught marks’, which appear at the edges of the room. In actual fact these marks are created by the dust finding a route up via the edges of the carpet.”
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“Be sure the carpet fitter you choose is a master fitter or approved fitter of the National Institute of Carpet and Floor Layers (NICF),” David advises.
Richard says, “You should always use a new, quality underlay.” David reiterates the point, and explains that underlay “helps to improve overall resilience and resistance to flattening. Do not be tempted to save money by laying a brand-new carpet on old underlay.”
Richard advises, “The subfloor should be clean and preferably vacuumed prior to installation.”
David adds, “Carpet that’s been laid on a dirty floor is susceptible to ‘draught marks’, which appear at the edges of the room. In actual fact these marks are created by the dust finding a route up via the edges of the carpet.”
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Vacuum frequently
Richard says dirt prevention is key to keeping your carpets well maintained and explains, “Foot traffic is responsible for 80% of all soiling. Protect the entrance of your home by using walk-off mats at the front and back door to get rid of any dirt that may be on your shoes.
“A weekly vacuum is all that’s required to keep a carpet’s appearance and prolong its life,” he says.
David adds, “Different styles of carpets require different types of vacuum cleaners. For example, a cut-pile carpet should be vacuumed using an upright cleaner with a beater bar and brush, as this helps to lift the pile. With a loop pile, vacuum with a cylinder cleaner using the suction head only.”
As for professional cleaning? “We recommend all carpets be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 12 to 18 months,” David says.
Shop for vacuum cleaners on Houzz
Richard says dirt prevention is key to keeping your carpets well maintained and explains, “Foot traffic is responsible for 80% of all soiling. Protect the entrance of your home by using walk-off mats at the front and back door to get rid of any dirt that may be on your shoes.
“A weekly vacuum is all that’s required to keep a carpet’s appearance and prolong its life,” he says.
David adds, “Different styles of carpets require different types of vacuum cleaners. For example, a cut-pile carpet should be vacuumed using an upright cleaner with a beater bar and brush, as this helps to lift the pile. With a loop pile, vacuum with a cylinder cleaner using the suction head only.”
As for professional cleaning? “We recommend all carpets be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 12 to 18 months,” David says.
Shop for vacuum cleaners on Houzz
The type of carpet you choose depends on where you’re going to lay it in the home, say the experts. Richard Davies of Horwich Carpets advises you think about the following: “What is the room’s main purpose, who will use it, are there pets or children in your household, and do you have any allergies?”
David Cormack of Cormar Carpets says, “Firstly, think about where the new carpet will be placed and the amount of wear it will receive. High-traffic areas, such as hallways, need hard-wearing, practical carpets that maintain their appearance, whereas bedrooms can be fitted with more luxurious designs, as they don’t receive such consistent use.
“In the living room,” he adds, “wool or wool-rich twist piles have superb resilience to wear and tear, whereas easy-clean polypropylene carpets are stain-resistant and can be bleached.”
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