When should I replace my carpets?

"So, what is the average life expectancy of my carpet?" you as, or "How long can I go until I replace my carpets", "What is 'too old' in terms of carpet?"

All good questions.

The answer varies, but by most carpet manufacturer's standards, 8 - 10 years given good user maintenance. What does that mean? The biggest factor in life expectancy for your carpet is, quite frankly, the same factor in your life expectancy...you. How well do you treat your carpets? Well, if you're like most people, you walk all over them! (Sore attempt at a joke. Sorry.)

Seriously, if you smoke two packs a day, eat at McDonald's three times a week, have a Venti Mocha Frappucino with whip and two shots of espresso every morning and never hit the gym or the green and leafy side of the buffet bar...it's realistic that your life expectancy is less than average. A doctor's visit becomes more of a 'band aid' for symptoms...as opposed to getting on the health track and preventing problems down the road. You know what I'm talking about and media is pushing it all the time, let's say it together aloud, "Preventive Medicine". Exactly. Same scenario with your carpets, they depend on how well you take care of them.

How do I extend the life of my carpet?

• Vacuum twice a week
• Don't wear shoes indoors
• Place runners in your main traffic areas, halls, walkways, in front of the couch
• Professionally steam clean your carpets a minimum of once every year (regardless of how few people live in your home or whether or not there are visible spots and soiling)
• Don't use store bought spot removers that can actually set the stain and force replacement, instead use cold water and a white terry cloth towel to blot up spills.
  
  Why?
  
  Vacuuming alone removes 70% of the dry soil in your carpets. A great percentage. But what's left behind? The heavier particles of sand that come in from outdoors that a vacuum alone cannot get up. If you have a 100 pound person walking on your carpets with this sand in the base of the fibers, essentially, it's like taking sandpaper with 100 pounds of pressure grinding away the fabulous finish, protection and structure your new carpets originally presented you. This is how a wear pattern or 'traffic area' forms in walkways and halls. And just as if you had sanded down a block of wood, there is nothing we can do to restore the fiber's original appearance. This is why prevention is key. A truck mounted steam cleaner has the greatest capability for maximum soil removal.