Carpets make any home snug and relaxing but their upkeep can be a major chore.
After all, if you spill your beer on a tiled floor, a quick mop up will soon fix things.
But spill your beer on a carpet or rug and unless you take drastic action immediately, your floor's going to be smelling bad pretty soon.
And the longer you leave things, the harder that stain is to remove.
But really nothing can compare with carpets so let's look at some carpet cleaning tips so you can enjoy them without too much hassle.
Firstly, regular vacuum cleaning of your carpets is essential.
You should try to vacuum clean all your carpets at least once a week.
This will prevent the build up of dust, grit and other residues that cause damage to the fibers of your carpets and rugs.
If you have the time, you should run your cleaner over the frequently used carpet areas even more often, every few days if possible.
This is especially important for areas where children play or your pets gambol.
It sound like a lot of effort but you'll be rewarded with carpets to be proud of - that look better for longer.
Vacuum cleaning is an art in itself but it's important to be thorough and make several passes especially when cleaning deep pile carpets.
The next thing you can do is to apply soil retardants.
A soil retardant is a chemical finish that helps the fibers of your carpet resist dirt, liquids and other substances that can seep into and contaminate your carpets.
This treatment makes the upkeep of your carpets much easier.
Finally, you need to give your carpets a regular deep cleaning with a steam vapor cleaner.
These cleaners blast scalding steam right to the roots of your carpets and eradicate the most stubborn dirt, stains along with the dust mites that can cause miserable allergies for your whole family.
Carpets are wonderful and taking care of them need not be difficult.
Just follow these few simple tips and they'll reward you with years of use.