Carpet Protection From Carpet Stains A Good Investment
In this era of financial re-regulation, many people are pondering what it means to invest in something. And it’s no accident, perhaps, that at the same time as the world’s markets seem so unpredictable, we are seeing, in popular culture, in “fix-it” television programs and reality shows about home makeovers, a new emphasis on the most basic and most important of investments: the home. After all, the home is a long term investment.
And, in its turn, the home is also full of smaller long term investments. Think about it: Your every item of furniture, your television, your major appliances, your books, and your decorations are all expensive purchases that, with proper care, will bring you many years’ use. And not only use, but convenience, enjoyment, and even, in some cases, shared memories and family bonding times.
For this reason most homeowners make a point of protecting these valuable investments. They purchase homeowner’s insurance, install expensive home alarm systems, and lock the doors every time they go out. But as they do all of these necessary things, they sometimes forget one of the largest such investments of all -- the investment beneath their feet. They forget about the importance of protecting carpet from stains.
What’s especially sad, in such cases -- as anybody knows who has ever done a walk-through of a beautiful home in which mottled, stained, dirty carpet has been allowed to mar the overall optical effect (and bring down, possibly, the house’s price) -- is that protecting carpet from stains is not that hard. It only requires a bit of foresight, some know how, a bit of basic knowledge about fabrics, and, for emergencies, some non abrasive, all natural stain remover kept somewhere close at hand.
The first potential threat to your carpet’s health, and the first possible way of protecting carpet from stains, is to consider whether your home will be a shoes-off home. There are reasons to go either way, but one easy way to eliminate a lot of possible dirt on your expensive carpets is to tell visitors (and yourself) to remove shoes on entering the residence. Having mats on both sides of all entrances (an “outside mat” for the worst, caked on shoe dirt and an “inside mat” for after the shoes have been removed, as well as another mat or surface on which shoes are lined up and stored by the entrance) gives dirt several opportunities to take a pass on your gorgeous carpet.
Secondly, when it comes to protecting carpet from stains, it’s a good idea to decide where in the house food will be allowed. If you’re going to allow eating and drinking in a carpeted room, restrict it to certain places in the room, perhaps near the entrance closest to the kitchen. You can then regularly spot-check these areas for stains, spills, or crumbs. A discreetly hidden hand towel can be kept in the vicinity for any spills. Better yet, if possible, confine eating to the kitchen. (This also makes sense as a method of weight control, if that is a concern, because studies show that dieters are more likely to overeat if they are distracted from the food they’re eating by television. If meals are confined to the kitchen, there’s less to distract, and it’s easier to notice those feelings of fullness that we ignore when we’re following the latest complicated, hair raising plot twist on “Lost.”)
Protecting carpet from stains is also a matter of intelligent furniture placement. Don’t put furniture that will hold spillable objects, or potential sources of dirt (that computer printer that constantly jams and has to have its ink filled innards exposed to the room; that desk full of art supplies) near a carpet. Put a cheap mat down near these pieces of furniture instead. Keep the dining room uncarpeted if possible. Be happy with a hard wood floor (they’re trendy as anything nowadays anyway). If you live in the more polluted part of a major city, or in one of the pollen infested regions of the Southeast, think about having your carpet professionally cleaned every so often. And you will also need to think about special cleaners for removing the toughest, most recalcitrant, most intransigent carpet stains. And there are also carpet treatment products that help keep stains from setting in, with all natural options among these products as well.
And, in its turn, the home is also full of smaller long term investments. Think about it: Your every item of furniture, your television, your major appliances, your books, and your decorations are all expensive purchases that, with proper care, will bring you many years’ use. And not only use, but convenience, enjoyment, and even, in some cases, shared memories and family bonding times.
For this reason most homeowners make a point of protecting these valuable investments. They purchase homeowner’s insurance, install expensive home alarm systems, and lock the doors every time they go out. But as they do all of these necessary things, they sometimes forget one of the largest such investments of all -- the investment beneath their feet. They forget about the importance of protecting carpet from stains.
What’s especially sad, in such cases -- as anybody knows who has ever done a walk-through of a beautiful home in which mottled, stained, dirty carpet has been allowed to mar the overall optical effect (and bring down, possibly, the house’s price) -- is that protecting carpet from stains is not that hard. It only requires a bit of foresight, some know how, a bit of basic knowledge about fabrics, and, for emergencies, some non abrasive, all natural stain remover kept somewhere close at hand.
The first potential threat to your carpet’s health, and the first possible way of protecting carpet from stains, is to consider whether your home will be a shoes-off home. There are reasons to go either way, but one easy way to eliminate a lot of possible dirt on your expensive carpets is to tell visitors (and yourself) to remove shoes on entering the residence. Having mats on both sides of all entrances (an “outside mat” for the worst, caked on shoe dirt and an “inside mat” for after the shoes have been removed, as well as another mat or surface on which shoes are lined up and stored by the entrance) gives dirt several opportunities to take a pass on your gorgeous carpet.
Secondly, when it comes to protecting carpet from stains, it’s a good idea to decide where in the house food will be allowed. If you’re going to allow eating and drinking in a carpeted room, restrict it to certain places in the room, perhaps near the entrance closest to the kitchen. You can then regularly spot-check these areas for stains, spills, or crumbs. A discreetly hidden hand towel can be kept in the vicinity for any spills. Better yet, if possible, confine eating to the kitchen. (This also makes sense as a method of weight control, if that is a concern, because studies show that dieters are more likely to overeat if they are distracted from the food they’re eating by television. If meals are confined to the kitchen, there’s less to distract, and it’s easier to notice those feelings of fullness that we ignore when we’re following the latest complicated, hair raising plot twist on “Lost.”)
Protecting carpet from stains is also a matter of intelligent furniture placement. Don’t put furniture that will hold spillable objects, or potential sources of dirt (that computer printer that constantly jams and has to have its ink filled innards exposed to the room; that desk full of art supplies) near a carpet. Put a cheap mat down near these pieces of furniture instead. Keep the dining room uncarpeted if possible. Be happy with a hard wood floor (they’re trendy as anything nowadays anyway). If you live in the more polluted part of a major city, or in one of the pollen infested regions of the Southeast, think about having your carpet professionally cleaned every so often. And you will also need to think about special cleaners for removing the toughest, most recalcitrant, most intransigent carpet stains. And there are also carpet treatment products that help keep stains from setting in, with all natural options among these products as well.
Of course, sometimes, despite your best efforts at protecting carpet from stains, spills will occur. Here are some things to remember: Blot the spill, rather than trying to soak it up with a towel. Pressing the towel into the stain merely presses the stain, in turn, into the fibers of the carpet. Let the towel rest on the spill and gently soak it up. Do not press, and do not use heat, as this causes the molecules of the spill to bond with the carpet.
About StainHotline.com
StainHotline.com, operated by The Casite Company, offers safe, environmentally friendly stain removal and upholstery protection products.For stain removal products to help with leather stains, carpet stains, wine stains, ink stains, and for odor removal, please visit http://www.stainhotline.com.
StainHotline.com, operated by The Casite Company, offers safe, environmentally friendly stain removal and upholstery protection products.For stain removal products to help with leather stains, carpet stains, wine stains, ink stains, and for odor removal, please visit http://www.stainhotline.com.
