Tips To Keep Your Carpet Looking Brand New

New carpet can quickly lose its fresh appearance and vivid color unless you take steps to keep it looking brand new. Here are some tips to protect the look and quality of your carpet in various situations.

You're having a holiday celebration.

If you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house or getting the family together for the Christmas season, you're inviting trouble for your carpet. Snow and ice from dozens of shoes, coats and gloves can quickly dirty up your carpet.

To do: Designate an area just inside your entry door where guests can hang coats, dry mittens and gloves and store shoes and boots upside down to dry. Even if your home doesn't have a specific "mudroom," you can make one for the occasion by placing a coat rack, shoe rack and bench by the entrance. Visitors will quickly understand that they're expected to remove shoes and outerwear by the door.

You're having an open house.

If you're selling your home, you naturally want potential buyers to see your carpets in pristine condition. But how can you control their wet or muddy footprints from dirtying up your carpets when you're not present?

To do: Purchase disposable shoe booties from any hardware store or medical supply store. Instruct your realtor to have everyone don a pair of booties over their street shoes. They'll then be able to walk about freely without leaving telltale marks on your carpet.

The grandkids are visiting.

It's always great to have the grandkids over, but they love to spread their crayons, coloring books and toys all over the living room carpet while they play on the floor.

To do: Before they arrive, spread a king size flat bed sheet over the play area on top of the carpet. Let the kids pretend the sheet is a floating raft or a magic carpet, and tell them they have to stay on it while they play.

Your husband invited his buddies over to watch the Super Bowl.

The truth is, you enjoy eating chicken wings and snacks during the Super Bowl as much as your husband and his friends. But you know that crumbs and sauce are going to wind up on the living room carpet.

To do: Purchase several inexpensive area rugs from a big box store. Place the rugs around the coffee table and in front of all seating areas where you know guests will be snacking. When game day is over, simply remove and shake out the rugs and store them away for next year or your next big party.

Keeping your carpet looking its best takes a little bit of effort, but as you can see, it can be easy when you use these tips. For more carpet care advice, contact a company like Creative Carpet Inc.