So your in the mood to purchase new carpet and your not sure on what to consider before making your decision. The is actually quite common with carpet because there are so many choices to choose from! Yep, there are many types and styles of carpet sold on the market today and they all look, feel and clean differently! So, what do you look for when purchasing new carpet? Well, many of you already know the basics on how to choose the perfect carpet for you and your family. But, there is one thing that stands out more than the others and most consumers never consider this as being important when purchasing new carpet! Yes, you didn’t guess it! The answer is, how easy is the carpet to maintain and clean.

Here we go! Yep, the one thing most people do not consider when purchasing new carpet or flooring. Mostly, it’s all about the type, style, color and budget for most consumers. But, there is so much more to consider when making that final decision! If your going to purchase new carpet for your home (especially high-end carpet) maintenance is super important! Do you want to protect your investment…maybe not…it’s just carpet right? Well, some carpet these days is not cheap! Being as carpet cleaner, I try to give non-bias views on what people should look for when purchasing new carpet. If you saw some of the selections consumers make for their application, then you would understand where I am coming from. My point, maintenance is one of the most important decisions there is when purchasing new carpet…period! Your probably asking why is maintenance and cleaning so important? Here’s why.

First, cleaning and maintenance is the thing you will do the most with your new carpet purchase. If you vacuum one a week for the life expectancy of carpet which is 7-10 years, then you will vacuum approximately 520 times! If you get your carpet cleaned twice a year, then that’s 20 carpet cleanings. Yes, that’s a lot of vacuuming through the years for carpet maintenance. So, if this is what you will be doing more than anything with your carpet purchase, then why would this not be a consideration before the purchase…exactly! How well carpet cleans is a big deal! Here are things to consider, especially if you have pets!

  1. Color of the carpet is key! Light colors will soil faster and are more difficult to clean! You will wear traffic patterns and the carpet will look worn faster than a darker color. Lighter colors are also more difficult to spot clean (DIY) customers in the home. The products to clean lighter color carpet are more expensive and expect to pay more for a professional carpet cleaning as well. Basically, much more difficult to maintain! And yes, lighter colors are not good for pets!
  2. Second, how well does the carpet vacuum. Believe it or not, cheaper quality carpet is easier to vacuum because it’s not as dense! Yes, you will get better results from vacuuming a cheaper carpet because they are able to breathe more…period! Whereas, a more dense carpet cannot breathe causing dirt and debris to get trapped and most consumer vacuums do not have enough power to extract the dirt and debris. We have witnessed this through the years with vacuuming many homes and seeing the results.
  3. Carpet cleaning is the next thing to consider. Carpet cleaning is similar to vacuuming, but with much more power and a cleaning solution. But, the same is “true” for cleaning a cheaper vs. more expensive carpet. The cheaper the carpet quality, it’s much easier to flush the carpet getting a quicker result at a cheaper cost…less time to clean…less product to clean it! So, in the long run, cheaper grades of carpet are exactly that…cheaper! The downside, they are not as dense, so expect less cushion under your feet and the life expectancy of the carpet will be less.
  4. Dust mites, dander and allergens! Yep, if you don’t want to deal with these types of possible health concerns, then again, carpet maintenance it important! As stated above, regular vacuuming and professional carpet cleaning will reduce and eliminate this concern all together.

The bottom line, these are important things to consider when making a new carpet purchase. Be sure to ask for a carpet sample and look at it closely. Be sure to touch and feel the carpet fibers for density and the backing for rigidness. You will start to notice the differences quickly after looking at a few. Just take your time and have fun!