Should I Clean or Replace My Carpet?

High-quality carpet can last up to 15 years with the proper care and maintenance. Proper maintenance should already include a thorough carpet cleaning at least once each year. Regular carpet cleaning can keep your floors looking great and maintain their good condition. But sometimes, it’s just time for new carpet. How do you know when to clean your carpet and when to replace it?

Start with a Professional Carpet Cleaning Service

If your carpets have lost their lustre, are looking dingy, or are producing an odor, start with a thorough, professional cleaning. Having your carpets cleaned by professionals will be more affordable than replacing the carpet right away. If your carpets have superficial stains, uneven coloring, or other blemishes, a cleaning might do the trick! Especially if your carpets are in otherwise great condition, haven’t been affected by flooding, and are less than five years old, you might just need a good, thorough cleaning.

Make sure that your carpet cleaning service fully dries the carpets after they’re cleaned to prevent any mold or mildew from forming underneath the carpet and causing bigger problems than dirt and stains!

Inspect Your Carpet for Tell-Tale Replacement Signs

After your carpets have been thoroughly cleaned, conduct an inspection in carpeted areas to see if problems persist. You’ll want to look at all areas of your carpet, even those under furniture. You can perform this examination prior to a professional cleaning, but the best time to examine your carpet is five to seven days after a thorough cleaning. What signs should you look for to tell if it’s time to replace your carpet?:

• Deep, Persistent Stains.

  Some stains are superficial and will come right out with a thorough cleaning. Other stains, though, may never come out of your carpet. The most stain-resistant carpet depends on the type of fiber or stain-resistance treatment coatings. Over time, the stain-resistant treatments of your carpet may begin to fade, so older carpets might not repel staining as well. Typically, the toughest stains are bleach, plant food, tea, wine, and mustard. But even easy-to-remove stains can leave behind health hazards like mold and mildew. If these stains are starting to discolor your carpet in several places, it might be time to replace it.

• Wear and Tear.

  In high traffic areas, you might notice that the fibers of your carpet are worn down or showing signs of being trodden down over the years. But if you notice excessive wear on your carpet or literal tears in the carpet, it might be time to replace. Particularly if you notice that your carpet is wrinkling or appears to have shifted or moved over time, it’s time to replace it. Small tears and rips can be repaired, but large rips and tears, especially on stairs or major walkway, mean it’s time to replace.

• Carpet Odor.

  If carpet odors weren’t removed by the cleaning or reappear on their own, you might be introducing biological hazards to your household. Look out for odors of mold and mildew or particularly persistent odors. These could be signs that the offending substance has penetrated to your carpet pad or subfloor and could be causing damage or even lead to illness.

• Carpet Pad Resilience.

  Your flooring is made up of layers that include the carpet, carpet pad, and subfloor. Your carpet pad condition may not be readily observable, but you can feel for wearing and weakness by walking over your carpet. If the carpet pad is not dampening the sound of your footfalls, feels uneven underfoot, or is causing a rolling-wave effect in your carpet, it’s time to replace it. Listen, too, for a crinkling sound underfoot that might indicate your carpet pad is damaged or worn.

Call the Pros at The Carpet Center

When it’s time to repair or replace your carpet, call the professionals at The Carpet Center. We can help you determine if it’s time to clean, repair, or replace your carpet in any room of your house. Our experienced sales, service, and installation professionals can help you pick out the best, most long-lasting carpet for any space and take care of quick, courteous installation for you! Call or visit us today for a free consultation.