Increase the Life of Your Carpet with these 3 Simple Tips in 2025

Vacuuming is one of the simplest and most effective ways to maintain your carpet. Dirt and grit act like tiny abrasives that can wear down carpet fibres over time. Regular vacuuming removes this debris, preserving the appearance and texture of your flooring.

Choose the Right Vacuum Cleaner

For wool carpet and loop wool carpet, it’s important to use the right type of vacuum. Avoid rotating brush heads, as they can cause fuzziness and damage the delicate fibres. Instead, select a vacuum with adjustable suction and a soft brush head for gentle cleaning.

Vacuum Large Carpet Rugs Too

Don’t overlook large carpet rugs in your home. Rugs in high-traffic areas can accumulate dirt quickly, so regular vacuuming will help them last longer and maintain their vibrant appearance.

While professional cleaning is highly effective, knowing how to clean carpet yourself can save time and money for everyday maintenance. Here’s a step-by-step guide to tackling spills and stains at home:

1. Act Quickly: As soon as a spill occurs, remove as much of it as possible by scooping or blotting with a clean white cloth.
2. Blot, Don’t Scrub: Use gentle blotting motions to avoid pushing the stain deeper into the fibres. Always work from the outside of the stain inward to prevent spreading.
3. Avoid harsh chemicals: Avoid harsh chemicals that can damage the fibres.
4. Rinse and Dry: After treating the stain, rinse the area with clean water to remove any residue. Blot with a dry towel and allow it to air dry completely.

For tougher stains, it’s always a good idea to consult a professional to avoid causing permanent damage.

While learning how to clean your carpet yourself is essential, professional cleaning ensures your carpet gets a deep clean that removes embedded dirt and allergens. Schedule a professional cleaning annually to keep your wool carpet or synthetic carpet looking its best.

Carpet underlay plays a crucial role in extending the life of your flooring. Investing in high-quality underlay provides several benefits:

• Protects Your Carpet: Underlay absorbs impact, reducing wear and tear on the carpet fibres.
• Improves Comfort: It makes your carpet feel softer underfoot, adding a layer of cushioning that’s especially noticeable with wool carpet.
• Enhances Acoustics: Underlay helps reduce noise, creating a quieter and more comfortable home environment.
• Retains warmth: Underlay keeps you cosy during the cooler months.

Shoes can track dirt, grit, and oils into your home, leading to unnecessary wear and tear on your carpet. Encourage a shoes-off policy to keep your carpet in top condition.

Set Up a Shoes-Off Zone

Create a designated area near your home’s entrance for removing shoes. Include features like:

• A shoe rack to keep pairs organized.
• A bench or ottoman for convenience.
• Door mats to trap dirt before it enters your home.

Don’t Forget Your Pets

Pets may not wear shoes, but their paws can bring in dirt and debris. Wipe their paws clean before they walk on your carpet.

Rugs not only enhance your home’s aesthetic but also protect your carpet in high-traffic areas. Place rugs in busy spaces like hallways, living rooms, and under dining tables to prevent excessive wear. Large carpet rugs will obviously protect more space and look aesthetically pleasing so go as large as you can! Rug care is similar to carpet care in terms of prevention is key to its longevity. For wool rugs, follow the same care guidelines as for wool carpet: vacuum regularly, clean spills promptly, and rotate rugs periodically to ensure even wear. To learn more, read our Rug Care Guide.

What type of flooring is easiest to maintain?

All flooring requires some level of maintenance to ensure it will look good for a long time. All carpet and hard flooring should be swept or vacuumed regularly to remove grit and dirt from the surface (which can lead to scratches and marks). Laminate and vinyl floors are excellent low-maintenance hard flooring options while solution dyed nylon and polypropylene carpet are also resilient.

What is Triexta carpet?

A Triexta carpet is stain resistant and durable, is great for those on a budget, and is fantastic in family homes and high traffic areas. Triexta is has a similar composition to polyester and is also environmentally friendly, partly derived from corn sugar.

Where can I buy carpet?

Flooring Xtra have a wide range of carpets across varying price, fibre and style categories, with stores conveniently located Australia-wide! To find your nearest Flooring Xtra store you can use our Store Finder.