The carpeting throughout your home can last many years before you should even have to consider replacing it. This investment should be protected and if you avoid the common mistakes made when caring for carpeting, it will last you as long as you need or want it to. Here, you'll learn about the most common mistakes and tips to avoid making them.

Vacuuming Mistakes

You wouldn't think that you could mess something up that is as seemingly simple as vacuuming, but you can. If a carpet is not vacuuming properly, the dust and dirt gets pushed deeper and deeper into the fibers of the carpet and eventually causes the carpet fibers to break down and look awful.

When you vacuum, make sure that the beater brush isn't positioned too low. It is mean to just brush the top of the carpeting, not dig down into it.

Don't vacuum the same direction every time that you run the vacuum. You need to change directions, stroke lengths and the speed in which you push and pull the vacuum. If you use the same pattern each time, you will miss a lot of the dirt and dust that is deep in the carpeting.

Run the vacuum at least once a week on low-traffic areas and three times a week for those areas that are walked on constantly. The more traffic, the more abuse the carpet will sustain, so you'll have to work hard to keep the dirt from settling deep in the carpet.

Cleaning Mistakes

The most common mistake when it comes to cleaning is utilizing those home carpet scrubbers a few times each year. These machines tend to leave way too much moisture in the carpet after you're done cleaning. This means that you're not getting the carpet clean where it counts – deep down. As the carpet dries, you will likely begin to see spots seeping up from deep within the fibers. This is called wicking and can be a real challenge to battle.

Instead of saturating your carpet with a machine yourself, have the carpet professionally cleaned at least once each year. The machines that the professionals use are far better than any machine that you're going to buy at a store. The crew is trained to use it properly and will not leave your carpet soaking wet when they're done.

Instead of using chemicals to treat spots – use one cup of white vinegar mixed with three cups of water. Spray the spot and use white cloths to blot the spot until it comes up. You won't have to worry about any chemicals remaining in the carpet when you're done which can cause the carpet to become discolored.

Talk with a company like A Steam Pro Carpet Cleaning to learn more about keeping your carpet looking its best for years to come.