Tips for keeping your carpet clean:

• Buy the right kind of carpet for your needs.
• Get the best quality you can afford.
• Have your carpet regularly cleaned by professionals.
• Use the cleaning method that is best for your type of carpet.
• Stop dirt at the door by removing shoes or employing barriers.

Carpet made of nylon fibers is not only the most durable but also the easiest to clean. Polypropylene and polyester fibers will not conceal stains as well or last as long. The tradeoff is that these are less expensive choices. Wool carpets are easy to clean because the wool has natural water repellant properties and wool also has less static electricity to attract dirt. Wool can sometimes be an expensive choice but carpeting that is a blend of wool and synthetic fibers can be both durable and economical.

Berber and other textured carpets have the advantage of showing dirt less. Don’t use patterned weave in high traffic areas though, because dirt will collect in the low areas. This makes the carpet more difficult to vacuum and also makes cleaning more of a chore.

Regardless of the type of carpet, it is recommended that you use a professional carpet cleaning service. In the case of steam cleaning, the heating elements in the trucks are able to get the water hotter and the large machines have more suction available to do a thorough job.