How to care for your carpet

Once you’ve invested in your brand-new carpet, you’ll want to do all you can to prolong its life and keep it looking as good as new. So, our carpet experts share their top tips for how you can care for your carpet to help keep it in tip-top condition.

Caring for your new carpet

Give your carpet the best start in its life by following our new carpet care guide:

Place doormats or runners at the entrance to the room where your new carpet has been laid to help trap dirt and moisture before it gets walked into the room and into the carpet’s fibres.
As loose fibres in your new carpet can work their way to the surface, you will need to vacuum your new carpet once a day wherever possible during the first few weeks after installation.
Regular vacuuming will also help keep the surface clean and free from dirt and debris. Usually, a vacuum with a beater bar and/or brushes is best for cut pile carpets, while a vacuum without a beater bar or brushes is recommended for loop pile carpets.
If you notice a bit of fibre rising above the rest of the pile, do not pull it out. Instead, simply trim the offending thread using a pair of scissors.
Sometimes new carpets ad underlay can release a slight odour for the first few days after installation so you may want to keep the room ventilated by opening windows and doors. The odour will usually disappear within a few days.

Everyday carpet care

When given the right everyday care, carpets will last for many years. Follow our advice on how to look after your carpet:
Deal with any spillages as quickly as possible to avoid the moisture getting into the pile and leaving a stain. Use a clean, white cloth or tissues to blot the stain (try not to rub) and work from the outside in to stop the spill spreading. Use any appropriate cleaning agents (patch test first) and avoid getting the carpet too wet.
Regular vacuuming will help remove dirt and grime to keep your carpet looking clean and will help keep the pile upright.
Avoid letting sunlight spill directly on the carpet as this can cause colour deterioration. Simple pull blinds or curtains closed when the sun shines through your windows and onto the floor.
Invest in deep steam cleaning for your carpet at least once a year to get deep down into the carpet fibres and blast away dirt and debris.
Heavy items of furniture can cause indentations in your carpet and underlay. To help avoid this, place special cups on the bottom of your furniture and, if possible, periodically rotate the items around the room.

Carpet Barn is the South’s leading carpet supplier and we stock a huge range of top-quality carpets at fantastic prices. Pop down to one of our five stores today to browse the selection and to get more advice on carpet care from one of our friendly team members.