This may sound obvious, but the #1 thing you can do to keep your carpet looking its best is vacuuming.  Not just occasional, quick vacuuming, but thorough cleaning with a high quality machine.  Studies have found that about 75% of foreign matter in carpets can be easily removed by regular vacuuming.

•  Regular vacuuming should be done once per week, and if possible, more often in high traffic areas.  The longer dirt stays on the carpet, the more attached/ground in it gets.  It also can actually cut the carpet fibers, creating that dark traffic lane that everybody hates.

•  About once a month, you should do a more thorough vacuuming, using a crevice tool to clean baseboards and other areas the vacuum misses.  It is also highly recommended that you vacuum your fabric upholstery monthly to help reduce soil buildup.

•  For high traffic areas, such as hallways and around furniture, it is recommended that you vacuum slower and make passes in two directions to get up as much dirt as possible.

•  Most carpets sold in the last 20 years have some sort of protector applied to them during the manufacturing process.  This protector not only helps the carpet resist stains and make spills easier to clean, but it also allows vacuuming to remove considerably more dirt and dust.  Many people do not realize that this protector wears off over time due to traffic, vacuuming and cleaning.  Maximum Carpet & Restoration highly recommends you have us re-apply a protector at your next scheduled carpet cleaning.  We use ScotchGard, the most recognized and trusted name in carpet protectors.