Many households have a rule or tradition of taking off shoes before entering the home. This practice has more benefits than just cleanliness. It can reduce the carpet wear from shoes that does more damage than you may realize.
Look at the damage that shoes can cause and you may begin to implement a no-shoe policy in your home today.
Ground in Dirt
When anyone walks on the carpet in your home while wearing regular shoes, any dirt on those shoes will be forced into the carpet. The more walking done, the more forcefully the dirt is pushed into the carpet. Even reasonably clean shoes will force existing debris into the backing of your carpets.
Sneakers with unusual tread patterns are one example of how the pressure from the sole of the shoe will vary as someone walks on a carpet. Areas with deeper tread depth will push further into the carpet. High heeled or stiletto shoes are equally bad. The small point on the heel will dig deep. Most house slippers have softer soles that do not offer the same pressure.
Unusual Substances Tracked Into Your Home
Next consider the carpet wear from substances that can be tracked inside your home. Anyone can accidentally step on a discarded piece of chewing gum. Getting gum out of your carpet is an adventure and often involves pulling away some of the carpet fibers in the process.
Asphalt is another material that you really do not want adhering to your carpet. Unfortunately, it can be easy to get small pieces stuck into the treads of a shoe. Once the asphalt finds its way into your flooring, it is not inclined to move on. This material will not only stick, it can also stain.
Shoes also pick up traces of gasoline, antifreeze and oil that drips from vehicles. Fertilizers or pesticides used on lawns travel into your home on the bottoms of your shoes. These chemicals are not only harmful to your and your family, they can stain and damage your carpeting.
Abrasion to Carpet Fibers
Your carpeting becomes damaged from the soles of shoes and the materials that shoes bring into your home. Sand and small pebbles have sharp edges and are abrasive. As you walk across your carpet with shoes, these materials grind against the carpet fibers and break them.
You must avoid allowing anyone to wear sports cleats or spiked sole shoes inside your home. Cleats, like the type worn for football, soccer, and golf, will tear up your carpeting quickly.
You can reduce the majority of carpet wear from shoes by simply placing mats at front and rear entry points to your house. Have a place where family members can remove their shoes. If you need, keep a supply of slippers handy next to your mats. Vacuuming alone will not remove all the debris that comes into your home on the bottoms of your shoes. The Carpet and Rug Institute suggests a deep cleaning every 12 to 18 months. If you have a lot of foot traffic, you may benefit from more frequent cleanings.
No matter where you are in the Atlanta area, let Zerorez® take care of your carpet cleaning for you. The Zr Clean™ cleaning process gets rid of the deep down dirt without leaving your carpeting soaking wet. There is no sticky residue left behind to attract more dirt to the carpet fibers. Zerorez® leaves nothing behind but healthy, clean carpeting.
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