Are you furnishing a new home or selecting modern decor for your current home’s makeover? If so, I know that choosing carpet is a significant project and concern. We can all easily identify our color, fabric, pattern and texture preferences for new floor coverings. If we have small children, we most likely shop for durable carpet weaves that are colorful and that resist stains and fading.
If we have pets, we probably opt for smooth, tightly woven carpets that hug the floor rather than shag rugs. Although these styles can add warmth and casual cheer to a room, they also attract an animal’s chewing and pawing. After eliminating styles that may not survive your household’s lifestyle, you can make your favorite new carpet selection.
The Expected Lifespan of Carpets Today
How long does carpet last with regular everyday use?
We often think of our favorite carpets as permanent items of decor. Yet most carpet sellers and textile specialists list ten years as the average lifespan of most carpets. Of course, this can vary based on carpet fabric, wear-and-tear and how you take care of your carpet.
How to Determine the Lifetime Expectancy of a Carpet
How long does carpet last for long-term use and attractiveness?
The lifespan of a carpet depends on several different major factors. The carpet fibers are affected by your local climate, where your carpet is placed and whether or not it gets heavy use. Carpet designers, manufacturers and sellers estimate the average life expectancy of most carpeting at eight to ten years.
If you have young children in your household, carpets in rooms where they gather and play may need replacing within three or four years. Dogs, cats and other pets can also play havoc with the well-being of your home’s carpeting. If you have any long runner rugs covering floors in busy hallways or home entryways, they may need replacing frequently.
The majority of homeowners today report that their carpets last from three to five years. After five years, the fibers show signs of fading, breaking or thinning. Carpet colors, designs and patterns do not fade evenly, so your rug may streak and discolor in heavily used areas.
Even if you clean your carpet with highly recommended cleaning agents, dirt can become trapped within the fibers. Some odors are also difficult to eliminate completely. These factors may encourage you to replace your carpeting even before the end of its best days.
Yet you can extend the life of any carpet by giving it the right kind of care. Even regular vacuuming can make a big difference. If you vacuum your carpeting in high-traffic areas of your home, you can extend its useful and attractive lifetime significantly.
Also, if your carpeting becomes stained, by applying a good quality stain remover quickly, you can often remove the stain. Of course, much modern carpeting is produced to be stain resistant. This helps greatly in the maintenance of your rugs, although regular cleaning is still necessary.
Extending the life of your carpet today is really up to you. The more care you take in cleaning and maintaining your carpeting, the longer it will last. By using them carefully, you can preserve the vibrant and bold or soft and subtle aesthetics of your carpets indefinitely.
Historical Notes of Interest About Carpeting
Animal skins and furs were first used to cover the ground in caves and tents in early civilizations. Later, these early rugs were placed on the floors of simple houses for warmth in cold climates and during wintry weather. Sometimes they were hung along walls to serve as insulation.
Later, elaborate carpets and tapestries were used in Rome, Greece, Egypt and other regions as decorative or ceremonial items. Today, carpets are items of major importance in home and commercial design and decor. They are essential elements in the interiors of our living spaces and workplaces.
The earlier users of carpets as decorative items prolonged the lifespans of these colorful, woven rugs by brushing their surfaces. They brushed both sides of these carpets and washed them gently. These rugs were then hung on racks in the outdoor air to dry to let their natural fibers of wool, linen or flax dry evenly.
Life Expectancy for Various Types of Carpets Today
How long does carpet last when made of different materials?
The life expectancy for different types of carpet fibers can vary significantly. Estimated lifespans for the major carpet varieties on the market today are as follows:
- Wool Carpets. Carpets woven of natural wool are given the highest ratings among carpet types in use today. Natural wool wears very well for long-term use when it is well maintained. Carpet experts advise that finest quality wool carpeting can last for 15 to 25 years, but it must be professionally cleaned and repaired.
- Nylon Carpets. All quality carpeting made of nylon is durable and should wear evenly and well. Nylon fibers can be cleaned with home rug cleaners and spot removers. They can also be thoroughly cleansed and revitalized by professional carpet cleaning, which can extend carpet life to 12 or 15 years.
- Polyester Carpets. The structure of polyester carpet fibers does not give them the long-term strength and durability of nylon. When nylon carpet fibers become worn or crushed, the rug is difficult to refurbish and restore. Your carpet will most likely never again have its former showroom attractiveness.
- PVC Hardback Carpet Tiles. These durable tiles often wear well for about seven years. They are easy to install or remove, and myriad desirable colors, textures and patterns are available. One great advantage offered by these tiles is that if one or two are damaged, you only need to replace these tiles.
- Non-PVC Hardback Carpet Tiles. These carpet tiles generally have a lifetime of five years. This is due mainly to the thin carpet padding of these tiles. This tiling is meant for use in heavily foot-trafficked areas that normally require frequent carpet replacement.
- Carpet Tiles with Closed-Cell Cushion Backing. This sturdy cushion support results in long-term wear for these carpet tiles. The cushioning lends support and protection from excess wear and pressure to the upper layer of carpeting.
- Carpet Tiles with Open Cell Cushion Backing. Carpet tiles with open-cell cushioning allow for resilient bounce-back of carpet fibers following compression. This feature ensures ideal durability for your carpeting. These tiles can provide good wear and look fresh for ten years or more.
Cost Range for Purchasing and Cleaning Different Carpeting
As expected, wool carpets are the most expensive type to purchase, clean and maintain. They require professional cleaning to remove stubborn stains without damaging the wool fibers and colors. If wool carpeting tears or wears through in spots, these areas must be rewoven by experts.
The cost of buying and maintaining nylon and polyester carpets is generally about the same. Most of them can be cleaned at home or by commercial cleaning crews in offices. Rug cleaning and maintenance services can often repair these carpets for a reasonable fee if damaged.
Carpet tiling of varied types is sold on the consumer market at a wide range of prices. However, you can easily locate good quality, affordable synthetic carpet tiles in many different styles and designs. Carpet tiles are also relatively easy and cost-efficient to clean and maintain, and home cleaning is usually sufficient.
How to Clean Your Carpet to Prolong Its Beauty and Lifespan
With proper use, cleaning and ongoing care, your favorite carpeting can last much long than you think. It can also maintain its original beauty, freshness and vitality. To ensure that your carpet continues to provide ultimate fashion and functionality, you can follow the advice of textile experts:
- Regular Weekly Vacuuming for Carpet Maintenance. Vacuuming your carpet each week provides good general upkeep of its fibers. This removes normal dirt and debris and calls your attention to any stains or damage that may occur.
- Be sure to vacuum using a HEPA filter (High efficiency particulate air filter). It is designed to remove 99.7 percent or more of accumulated dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and other small-to-tiny airborne particles. Your weekly vacuuming will remove germs and debris while enhancing your carpet’s appearance.
- Professional Cleaning and Care. Schedule ongoing thorough cleaning and revitalizing of your carpeting by a professional carpet maintenance service. How often you should have your rug professionally cleaned depends on how heavily it is trafficked. However, carpet experts recommend overall pro cleaning every six months.
Best Carpet Cleaning Products to Keep Your Carpet Vital and Fresh
Ideal cleaning and maintenance products to ensure your carpet’s continuous vital, fresh and attractive appearance include the following:
Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner
This PowerSpin pet brush roll provides twice the amount of cleaning power than the leading lightweight cleaner. Its HeatForce feature delivers fast, efficient carpet drying after cleaning. This product is compact, lightweight and easy to use for thorough carpet cleansing of high-traffic areas.
Pros
- Best lightweight product for heavyweight results.
- Fantastic carpet cleaner and maintainer.
- Keeps my older carpets looking brand new.
Cons
- Noise level of this machine is somewhat high.
BISSELL JetScrub Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner
The superior spot and stain removing product from Bissell rids carpets of the toughest pet stains with its Clean Shot Pretreater. It removes embedded dust and dirt using heavy-duty suction and its XL Dirt Lifter Power Brush. This high-power product offers 30-minute carpet drying when set on Express Clean Mode.
Pros
- This machine cleans carpets like magic.
- This model cleans thoroughly and is easy to store.
- This carpet cleaner is lightweight and offers easy use.
Cons
- It is difficult to clean stairway carpeting with this machine.
Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner with Paws & Claws Carpet Cleaning Solution
This cost-efficient PowerDash carpet cleaner from Hoover provides double the cleaning action of other popular brands. It cleans thoroughly and evenly, safeguarding your carpeting with antimicrobial protection. After removing stubborn stains and streaks, this highly effective cleaner gives your carpet lasting stain-resistant protection as well.
Pros
- This powerful cleaner eliminates tough stains.
- The stain-resistant carpet treatment is very helpful.
- This product keeps carpets looking and smelling fresh.
Cons
- This carpet cleaner is not available in some popular stores.