How Can You Tell When It’s Time to Replace Your Carpet Instead of Cleaning It?

Carpet brings warmth, comfort, and style to our homes, but it has a finite lifespan. Regularly cleaning and taking care of it can prolong its life but eventually even the best carpet cleaning done by experts will be unable to bring your carpet back to life.

Below are six surefire signs it might be time to go to a carpet store for replacement instead of booking yet another cleaning.

Stubborn stains that won’t budge

We’ve all been there — the time a glass of red wine gets knocked over, a pet has an accident or a child draws an artistic masterpiece with markers directly on your living room carpet. Although many stains can be removed with timely intervention, others remain despite your best efforts to clean them.

If furniture-rearranging is your new solution to covering up those stubborn stains, it’s probably time to consider replacement. Many modern-day carpets have stain resistance technology built into them, making them more forgiving of life’s unavoidable spills. When shopping for new carpet, prioritize those that come with built-in stain protection that’s part of the fiber, not just treated topically.

Persistent odors that linger despite cleaning

Carpets are like sponges, absorbing pet odors, food spills, smoke and the day-to-day dirt of life. Over time, those odors can seep deep into the carpet fibers, including the padding underneath.

Ask about smell removal: When even professional cleaning won’t remove lingering smells, it can be a good sign that contaminants have reached a critical mass that simply cannot be removed.

Getting small stains out is a starter ability, though this is especially true in pet friendly homes or simply more humid areas where mold and mildew can grow underneath the carpet surface. Fresh new carpets will clear out old embedded odors and not only do them, but also improve your home’s air quality.

Visual signs of wear and matting

Places with high foot traffic are the first to wear out — hallways, entryways, and the space in front of your favorite couch. No amount of cleaning or fluffing will restore crushed, matted or frayed carpet fibers in these areas to their original look.

High-quality carpets are made to last and can often stand up to foot traffic without wearing out, but even the most expensive carpeting will be subject to the daily grind. When you see clear paths through your rooms or spots where the pile remains flat no matter how much you vacuum or how many professional treatments you have done, start shopping for replacements.

Persistent odors that linger despite cleaning

Carpets trap allergens, such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen and other microscopic irritants. Although routine vacuuming removes a lot of this material, older carpets can still trap allergens deep in their fibers and backing. If family members show increased allergy symptoms, have persistent coughing, or have respiratory problems that appear exacerbated at home, it may be that your aging carpet is part of the problem.

Newer hypoallergenic carpet varieties are engineered to hold fewer allergens and be cleaned more deeply. Foams such as these can actually benefit indoor air quality when new carpet is installed & lower amounts of particulate matter in indoor air when used in conjunction with higher quality air filters & regular maintenance.

Your carpet is more than a decade old

Most residential carpets, even those with good care, are built to hold up for 5-15 years, based on good quality, fiber composition and the level of activity in the home. When carpet is reaching its tenth year, its old now and you are probably starting to notice a number of signs of aging – colors fading, backing loosening, rippling, or stretching.

These issues create a trip hazard and signal that the carpet is nearing the end of its useful life. Contemporary manufacturing processes have made carpets that boast better durability, colorfastness and stain resistance, and will likely perform better than older installations, so replacing them is a good investment.

Hidden damage beneath the surface

At times the best reasons to change out carpet aren’t seen right away. Over time, the padding underneath your carpet compresses and loses its cushioning effect and insulation properties. Moisture can seep through to the subfloor, where it may lead to mold growth or damage to structures that cleaning will not fix.

If your carpet feels less cushioned underfoot, makes crunching sounds when walked on, or has areas that feel uneven, these may be signs of problems beneath the surface that need a complete carpet installation rather than surface cleaning.

Advanced carpet technologies worth considering

Carpet options today are a far cry from even a few years ago:

• Fibers that are solution-dyed to resist fading and bleaching
• Life-of-the-carpet, built-in stain and soil protection
• Backing that can be resistant to latex spills reaching the padding
• Antimicrobial treatments for stopping the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria
• Recycled content or renewable resource eco-friendly materials

Not only do they deliver improved performance, they also give you superior ease of maintenance and longer lifetimes compared to older carpet technologies.