Regular vacuuming and cleaning up spillages as soon as possible is all that is necessary to keep your carpet clean and look like new for years to come, right? Not exactly. It is extremely important to vacuum your carpet at least once a week and ideally, deal with those spillages immediately. But unfortunately, it’s not enough. The good news is that you can keep your carpet look and feel like new without spending much time, effort and money. Here is how: 
1. Take off your shoes
Dirt is the greatest threat to your carpet. It won’t only make it look uninviting but it will also cause damage to the fibres, leading to a noticeable change of colour and texture. It is therefore of key importance to reduce the amount of dirt that gets on your carpet to minimum. And taking off your shoes when entering your home is one of the easiest ways to do so. If – for any reason – taking off shoes isn’t an option, you are advised to consider buying a large doormat to trap dirt from shoes and keep it off your carpet.
2. Keep those paws clean
If you have pets, you are advised to consider keeping a towel at the door to wipe your dog’s paws when returning from outside. If you own a cat, this obviously isn’t an option. However, a mat at the cat flap or door will make a huge difference. It is also a good idea to trim those claws or at least install a cat tree, scratching post or something similar to discourage your cat from scratching your carpet.
3. Prevent direct sunlight exposure
Believe it or not but direct sunlight exposure can seriously harm your carpet as prolonged exposure to UV light can eventually lead to discolouration, most often in the form of fading. To prevent this from happening, you are recommended to try to limit your carpet’s exposure to direct sunlight by installing blinds, using curtains or some other method to block sunlight.
4. Move furniture or/and use furniture coaters
Furniture can cause a serious damage to your carpet in the form of indentations which can become permanent, especially if furniture is left on the same place for years. For that reason it is highly important to move your furniture from time to time – just an inch or two to the left or right every few months is all that is necessary to prevent those dents from becoming permanent. It is also a good idea to consider furniture coaters which help minimise furniture dents by distributing the weight more evenly.
5. Have your carpet professionally cleaned on a yearly basis
Just because you vacuum your carpet on a regular basis, that doesn’t mean it’s clean. Unfortunately, even the most powerful vacuum cleaners cannot remove the dirt and dust that over time accumulate at the base of carpet. Besides making the carpet to look and smell dirty, the accumulated dirt and dust can eventually also become a potential health hazard, triggering allergies, asthma attacks and other health problems. To keep your carpet clean to the base and prevent it from jeopardising your health, you should have it professionally cleaned once a year or more frequently if you have pets.
