Should I have my carpet cleaned or just replace it?  I talk to people about this issue everyday.  You can restore the fresh look and smell of your carpet by having it professionally cleaned if it is less than 15 years old.

However, at some point, your carpet begins to look worn and old, and not even the best cleaning can resuscitate it.

In general, the lifespan of carpet is 5-15 years, depending on the quality of the carpet and padding and usage patterns. Usage patterns refer to the amount of traffic in a particular room or area. For instance, hallways tend to show more wear and tear than bedrooms, and a family of five will wear down a carpet much quicker than a single resident.

Having your carpet professionally cleaned will help you determine whether your carpet needs to be replaced or if it can last a few more years. After your carpet is cleaned, look for the following signs that your carpet and padding needs to be replaced: mold, worn or thin areas, and dirt and stains that cannot be removed. While you may be able to rearrange the furniture or use area rugs to cover stains, the presence of mold is a clear sign that you need to replace your carpeting and padding.

Aside from mold and obvious stains, there are other factors that will influence your decision to replace your carpeting.

Lifestyle: If you frequently entertain guests, a pristine carpet may be more important to you than if you have 3 small children and 2 dogs.Both the children and dogs are apt to drag dirt inside and create other messes, so you may be able to tolerate a few stains on your old carpet for another year or two before replacing it.

Budget: If you’re like most people, this is a matter of priorities. If you have enough money to replace either your carpet or the hot water heater that is frequently on the fritz, you should probably go with the hot water heater. If money isn’t an issue and you would like to freshen up your home with new carpet, there is no reason to wait.

Health Concerns: Allergens love to snuggle into your carpeting, so you may want to replace your carpeting more often if you or members of your family suffer from allergies.

Timing: If you’re planning to move in the near future, you may want to hold off on new carpeting unless the appearance is so bad that it will affect the sale of your home. Since many buyers may have their own preference on type of flooring, another option is to offer a flooring allowance that will give buyers the ability to make their own choice.

Lisa Shultz Owner / Manager

Anderson Carpet Cleaning is a family owned business serving the entire Eastside since 1996. Lisa is the proud owner and resides in Duvall with her two kids … and treats every customer as if they are family. Always a stickler for perfection, every carpet, rug or upholstered furniture cleaned by her company is backed with her promise that it will be done to perfection. To talk to Lisa you will immediately feel the extreme passion she has for her company to provide you with a “Red Carpet Experience!” Anderson Carpet Cleaning has five vans with the latest steam cleaning equipment for all residential cleaning needs as well a large “Fuso” truck which offers the ability to clean apartments up as high as the tenth floor! In keeping with the latest in environmentally friendly cleaning soaps and sanitizers, Lisa is always making sure that each product she uses is organic. In fact, she encourages her customers to use the waste water extracted from their home to water their plants and they will flourish!

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