Caring for High-Traffic Areas in Carpet

Whether you put the best efforts into staying on top of routine carpet care between cleanings, or you take a more relaxed approach; there are some areas of your carpet that will show wear before others. These are high traffic areas, areas of the floor where that get more foot traffic than others. Examples of high traffic areas include: stairwells, hallways, and pathways through commonly used rooms like the living room. 

Because of the higher use, these high traffic areas tend to look dirty or matted and unsightly, but there are some things you can do to care for these areas.  

Re-arrange Things 

You can easily re-direct traffic in high use rooms, by simply moving the furniture around. Ideally, for the health of your floors, you should move your furniture two to three times a year to keep the high traffic areas from forming.  

Change Your Steps 

If you have a stairwell in your home it is most likely the place of highest traffic. When people use the stairs they most often step right in the center of them and it causes visible signs of wear. To help prevent higher wear in the middle of stairs make a conscience effort to walk on the sides of the stairs. If you have small kids in your home make a game out of stepping in a different spot.  

Up Your Cleaning Game 

Areas of higher use need more frequent vacuuming than those that get very little. Ideally, all carpet should be vacuumed at least once a week, but high traffic areas should get more attention than that. For example, it is a great idea to give the hallway or entry of your home an extra vacuuming whereas your guest room is probably good with a once a week cleaning.  

Area Rugs 

Invest in some high-quality area rugs to help protect your floors. An area rug in a high traffic spot in the home is like a book cover for your carpet. Remember making book covers for your textbooks on the first day of school to prevent them from being damaged? An area rug does the same thing, it covers the carpet and takes most of the wear and tear, it is a floor protector. Area rugs are also easier to replace should permanent damage occur.  

Professional Cleaning 

It is very important to have all carpets in your home professionally cleaned at least once a year, especially high traffic zones. If the level of traffic in high traffic areas of your home are high enough your carpet cleaner may suggest more frequent cleanings. With time dirt gets deep down into the fibers where a vacuum can’t reach and only the work of professional cleaning equipment will do.  

For professional carpet cleaning in Lake Stevens and surrounding areas make an appointment with All Kleen.