Everything that enters our homes in the air, everything that spills, everything that gets tracked in on our shoes settles to the bottom of our home. It lands on the carpet.The light dusty bits of soils are easily removed by conscientious vacuuming. The more tenacious and sticky soils stick to the carpet and they need professional cleaning to dislodge and remove them.

Some people try to lessen the problem by taking their shoes off. This simply changes the source of the problem. The soles of our feet leave an oily residue just like the palms of our hands. Pets also contribute to the problem. Some pets even have oil glands in the pads of their feet. So what can you do to protect your carpet? Here are 3 easy ways to lengthen the life of your carpet.

HAVE A WALK-OFF MAT AT THE ENTRANCES TO YOUR HOME: Since some of the oily residue that gets to your carpet comes in on your shoes, a walk-off mat is a good idea. It's important to get an absorbent walk-off mat. There are somethat are made to have a smooth finish. These absorb nothing at all. A good mat will have fibers that can trap oils and soils as well as grit before they get into your home.

WASH YOUR WALK-OFF MAT: It stands to reason that if the walk-off mat is doing its job, it will get pretty dirty. Once in awhile when you are washing the car, you can soap up and scrub the walk-off mat. You will be amazed at what comes out of it as you rinse it out. All the grime that you see coming out, was stopped from getting to your carpet.

COMBAT COOKING OILS: Cooking is the other source of oils that can settle on your carpet. If you have a vent over your stovetop, it's a good idea to use it. Some of these vent the cooking vapors outside your home. Others run the vapors through a filter and release them back into your kitchen. In either case, you will get the most effectiveness if the filter of your vent is clean. Most of the filters are dishwasher safe so occassionally wash your filters or replace them.

Last updated on October 13, 2011 by Champion Cleaning Systems