Question: My husband and I just bought a three-story house that has four sets of stairs. The main living space is on the third floor and has hardwood floors. For the rest of the house we chose a mid-priced beige Berber carpet.

After about two months of moderate use, our stairways already look blackened and worn with all of the foot traffic. We have discussed tearing out the carpet and redoing the stairs in wood -- an expensive option. Do you have any other suggestions?

Erika (name withheld by request) Los Angeles

Question: Our stair rug (New Zealand wool) wore very poorly. We are in the market to either pull up the stair rug and leave the hardwood -- although it becomes a noise issue -- or replace the rug. What is consideredto be the most practical type of rug for a staircase that gets heavy wear?

Linda, via e-mail

Answer: In almost every home with light-colored carpets the traffic pattern is obvious. And it's always a challenge to solve this dilemma attractively and practically.

Fortunately, there are several ways to solve this short of -- heaven forbid -- putting plastic runners down.

Start by choosing the right carpet for your lifestyle. Today's technologies have given many of the new carpets on the market inherent soil prevention properties. So if you're still deciding which carpet to buy, choose a durable carpet that's easy to maintain.

Basic carpet materials include nylon, polyester, olefin (a.k.a. polypropylene), and, of course, wool.

• Nylon is the most commonly used synthetic carpet fiber. It offers tremendous value, performance, ease of maintenance and brilliant colors, and hides soil and traffic well.

• Polyester offers easy clean up, brighter colors but has a tendency to fuzz and pill. Polyester lacks the durability of nylon.

• Olefin is extremely popular in Berbers and level loops and is highly stain, static, mold and mildew resistant. However, its resistance to matting and crushing is not as good as nylon.

• Wool is a natural yarn, is soft, luxurious, expensive, offers great bulk, performance, and an elegant look,but will pill and fuzz if not maintained properly.

 

MAINTENANCE

Good maintenance is critical to both appearance and longevity. Before you make your final decision about a carpet, give serious consideration to your ability to maintain it.

Whether it's a newly installed carpet or one that's been in place for a short while, here are a few basic, easy steps to keep your carpet's original beauty for a long time.

First, keep it clean. Soil is either spilled, tracked in or air borne and its regular removal is critical to the carpet's well-being. If not properly vacuumed, dry soil and oil-based soils bind together on the yarn, causing a matted, "resoiling" condition.

Second, preventive measures should be part of your household routine.

Carpet professionals say that vacuuming is the most important step in caring for your carpet. In rooms with light traffic, vacuum the traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area at least once a week. Areas with heavier traffic require more vacuuming.

When vacuuming, move the machine slowly to give it enough time to do its job. Three passes is usually fine for light soiling, but five or more passes may be necessary for heavily soiled areas. Change the vacuuming direction occasionally to help stand the pile upright and reduce matting.

An inexpensive machine can remove surface dirt but usually does not have the suction necessary to effectively remove the deeper dirt particles embedded in the pile. Carpet manufacturers recommend vacuums with a rotating brush or beater bar that vibrates the carpet pile and mechanically loosens soil for removal by the vacuum.

Change the vacuum cleaner's bag frequently. Replaceable paper bags do a better job of trapping small particles than cloth bags. Check the bag often and replace it when half full. As the bag fills, its pores clog, decreasing the suction of the vacuum and reducing its efficiency.

Clean up spills immediately! They're inevitable, but quick removal reduces the likelihood of staining. Use clean, warm water or a general-purpose detergent spotter to clean most spills. If the stain persists, contact a maintenance professional.

Schedule regular carpet cleaning by a trained professional. Carpets should be professionally cleanedwhen soil is barely noticeable to eliminate soil bonding and to restore the color's brightness and vacuuming efficiency.

There is no one perfect method for cleaning all carpets. Professionals use a variety of methods, including hot water extraction, dry absorbent compound, rotary shampoo, bonnet/spin pad and cylindrical foam shampoo. Service professionals know which is the best method for your carpet.

The most obvious way to help your carpet survive the test of time and family is to mitigate the problem early with preventive maintenance.

Start outside by minimizing the first sources of carpet soil. Keep sidewalks and garage floors as clean as possible.

Create "soil barriers" with door mats and entry area rugs to help collect soil before it can be tracked into the house. And get the family to wipe their feet on them!

Where possible, incorporate small, darker area rugs into the design of high-traffic areas. They'll serve as additional protection for the carpet. These barriers should be cleaned frequently to be most effective. Let's not even discuss removing shoes before entering - few people will be happy with this approach.

And, as difficult as this may be, reserve specific areas for eating and drinking to help confine sources of spills, difficult soil and dirt.

You've now learned how to live happily with carpets, even light colored ones. If you do the recommended maintenance you'll keep evidence of traffic flow to a minimum and your carpets will look terrific for along time to come. Even on stairways!

 

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