Carpets are one of your home’s most important – and most noticeable – features, and with the right care they’ll look good for years. It doesn’t take much, but knowing how to get the most out of your floor coverings can make a huge difference.
The right products, the best techniques and knowing what to avoid will all help extend the life of your carpet and keep it looking as good as the day it was laid, regardless of how well-worn it is.
In this guide, we’ll share some tips and tricks we’ve learned from professional fitters and carpet cleaners in our 25+ years of supplying the trade with carpet underlay to ensure your investment goes the distance.
In this guide
Before fitting
Great carpet care begins before it’s even laid. So here are a few things your local carpet retailer may not have told you that will make a big difference to the overall finish of your flooring and how it performs long-term.
Because most carpet is stored in cool warehouses before it gets to you, it’ll need bringing up to temperature before being laid – especially natural floor coverings such as sisal, seagrass and jute, which can expand and shrink in new environments.
To avoid the carpet splitting or buckling once fitted, it should always be acclimatised or conditioned. This means laying the carpet flat in the room it’s going to live in for 48 hours before installation.
Key steps:
- Remove any packaging
- Lay flat or roll as loosely as possible
- Wait for 48 hours before fitting
Installation
The quality of installation will make a huge difference to how your carpet looks and feels over the long term, so you need to get it right first time.
While laying carpet underlay is relatively straightforward for an experienced DIY’er, installing a carpet is best left to the professionals. Which means you’ll need a carpet fitter.
If your carpet retailer isn’t taking care of fitting for you, search the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers directory to find an accredited fitter in your area. Always ring two or three and request they come out to see the job before quoting to avoid any unforeseen ‘extra’ fees come fitting day.
Things to bear in mind:
- Your subfloor needs to be smooth and level before installation. Any issues should be fixed beforehand.
- Buy a high-quality underlay suitable for your specific carpet and the room it’s being installed in.
- Use an accredited fitter. Always ask them to come and view the job for an accurate quote.
- If you’re installing natural flooring like sisal, seagrass or jute, then you’ll need a fitter who is experienced in dealing with that type of carpet. It requires ‘double-stick’ installation (along with a ‘double-stick’ underlay and relevant adhesives), which is a specialist skill.
Underlay
We’ve discussed the benefits of carpet underlay many times, but it is really an investment that will pay dividends over the years.
Install a quality underlay and you can expect increased comfort underfoot, warmer rooms, less noise and a longer-lasting carpet.
If you’re unsure which type of underlay is right for your space and carpet, contact us at contact@simplyunderlay.co.uk and our experts will be more than happy to help.
Stain treatment
Spills happen, pets happen, life happens. When you’re caring for something that lives on the floor, it’s bound to get marks. And if that’s something you’re worried about, a stain treatment could give you peace of mind.
Stain treatments are usually applied before laying (often before the carpet even leaves the warehouse), but you can also buy standalone products that you can spray on yourself after it’s been laid.
Typically, the way these products work is by coating the carpet fibres. This adds a hydrophobic layer of protection that will resist spills and stains for a period of time, allowing you to quickly blot up or wipe away the substance before it has time to embed itself into the carpet.
They aren’t a magic bullet by any means, but they do bide you some time and provide a decent level of protection for the relatively low cost associated with them (around £3m²).
Stain treatment can be used on almost any carpet but the chart below shows which it is best applied to. It should be noted that some carpet manufacturers, such as Westex, treat all their products with a stain protector as standard, making further treatment unneccesary. If you’re unsure, check with your carpet retailer for clarification.
| Carpet type | Stain Guard Treatment | Things to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Wool | ✓ | As well as absorbing liquids, wool can be prone to dust mites and moths, so it’s worth considering stain treatment |
| Natural Fibres (Sisal, Seagrass, Jute) | ✓ | Highly absorbent, natural fibres will benefit the most from stain treatment |
| Viscose | ✓ | This partially natural material can be permanently damaged by liquids |
| Nylon | ✓ | Although it absorbs less than natural fibres, nylon will still benefit from stain treatment |
| Polypropylene | ✕ | A low absorption rate means these carpets don’t need treating. In fact, many will even be ‘bleach cleanable’ these days |
After fitting
These simple steps will help get your carpet off to the best start possible:
- Help protect your new carpet by using doormats at all the entrances and exits of your home.
- Vacuum daily if you can, for the first few weeks, to help remove any loose fibres.
- Noticed a thread sticking out? Resist the urge to pull it, and trim carefully with scissors instead.
- If you can, keep the room ventilated for a few days to allow any odour from underlay and adhesives to pass.
- Direct sunlight can fade the colour of some carpets, so it’s always best to use blinds or curtains during the day for protection.
- Use furniture cups (or offcuts of underlay) to help avoid flattening under heavier pieces of furniture.
Day-to-day care
Here are some simple tips to help keep your carpet looking its best daily.
Do
- Vacuum regularly: every day is ideal, but try as frequently as possible.
- Act fast with spills: blot up what you can, dilute the stain with water* and blot again. Then mix in a baking soda paste, and vacuum once dry.
- Trim claws: pets’ claws can damage carpets, so always keep them trimmed.
- Use furniture cups: these help to avoid indentations. If you can, moving furniture around is a great idea too. Any unused underlay also works
- Wipe your feet: add doormats or coir matting at every entrance and exit to help stop dirt and grit from working into your carpet.
* Water should never be used to clean natural floor coverings.
Don’t
- Rub stains: this will only work liquids further into the carpet fibres. Instead, blot, blot and blot again.
- Pull at loose threads: these are totally normal – simply trim carefully with scissors.
- Place in strong light: colours can fade in sunlight, so try to shield with curtains and blinds.
- Use bleach: the only carpets that can handle bleach are 100% polypropylene. When in doubt, check with the retailer or manufacturer prior to use.
- Over-moisten: when cleaning a stain, take care not to add too much water, as this can cause damage to some carpets.
Make your investment go the distance
Follow the tips and advice above to ensure your new carpet looks and feels its best for many years to come.
With the right love and care, carpets we’ve seen carpets last over 10 years, making the initial lump sum investment seem like peanuts.