If you want to keep your carpet looking like new at all times, you’ll have to develop a few habits. In fact, some of the habits will involve everyone that lives in or enters your home. Let’s face it, carpet can easily get dirty if you don’t take care of it consistently. Fortunately, the six tips below can help you maintain carpet that looks and smells good.

1. Vacuum Regularly

It almost goes without saying that you should vacuum your carpet regularly. In fact, some experts recommend that you vacuum daily because carpet collects dirt, dust and dust mites. Even if you don’t allow anyone to wear shoes in your home, your carpet will still get dirty simply because life happens and it’s impossible to keep your home clean all of the time. However, vacuuming daily can help to ensure what falls onto your carpet doesn’t stay there.

2. Use Carpet Protection

There are many ways to protect your carpet in high traffic areas, but the most practical method is to simply use a rug that will take the brunt of the traffic. It can feel like a nightmare when you notice that certain areas of your carpet are stained and seemingly ruined. Sometimes it is in fact ruined and you’ll have to replace it prematurely.

3. Remove Shoes

There are some cultures that require every guest to remove their shoes before entering a home. To some degree, it’s part of a ritual and tradition. However, even when family members don’t follow it for ritualistic purposes, they recognize the benefits of removing shoes before entering a home. It simply helps to keep the carpet clean. Even when you wipe shoes off on an exterior rug before entering a home, they will still have dirt in the crevices of the shoe. Removing shoes before entering a home is a habit that everyone should develop.

4. Try Baking Soda

Baking soda mainly serves the purpose of keeping your carpet from smelly odors that are sometimes inevitable if you have a large family. To use baking soda, simply sprinkle it on the carpet before vacuuming and let it sit for a few minutes. There are baking soda products with fragrance, but you don’t necessarily have to use that kind. You can use the original baking soda to get rid of mild and even tough odors in your carpet.

5. Deep Clean

The standard is to deep clean your carpet at least twice a year. There are times when it’s hard to detect whether your carpet is dirty and you need a professional to come in and clean it even when it may not look dirty. Why? Because sometimes the dirt and dust is embedded in the carpet and the only way to tell is because it has started to look dull.

6. Empty Vacuum Canisters

These days, most vacuums have canisters that you have to empty instead of bags that are replaced. If your vacuum has a canister, make sure you empty it on a regular basis. You don’t want to make the mistake of spreading old dirt and dust around your home. This will also help to ensure your vacuum cleaner works well.

These are six easy ways to keep your carpet looking new. It’s simply a matter of making a commitment to getting it done daily. If you have a large family, you can create a schedule so that everyone can participate in housekeeping activities. If you simply don’t have the time or desire to vacuum, you can always purchase an automatic vacuum cleaner and allow it to get the job done for you. These devices are becoming more popular than ever, partly because the prices have gone down and the effectiveness of the technology has increased.