If you have Berber carpet in your home, you probably selected it for a reason. Berber carpet is made of short, packed loops. This type of design makes Berber carpet hide footprints well. It also ensures its durability. You can safely install Berber carpet in high-traffic areas and not worry about the carpet wearing out from use. But then you already know and love it for those reasons, right?

Since Berber carpet is so dense, it is resistant to dirt and provides ample cushion underfoot. However, Berber carpet is not going to resist all dirt and stains. Just like any other carpet choice, the cleaner you keep it, the more you maintain it, the longer it will last.

The first thing to remember is to address any spills as soon as possible. Like any other carpet, if a stain is left untouched, it will set into the carpet fibers. Prevention is always the best way to avoid stains, so try to keep food and drinks away from your carpet.

You can also instill a “no shoe” policy in your home, asking guests to remove shoes at the front door. This will prevent outside dirt from being tracked on to your carpet, grinding its way into the fibers.

Vacuum your carpet on a regular basis to remove dirt and debris before it works its way into the carpet fibers. Since Berber carpet is so dense, if the dirt is worked into the fibers, it can be very difficult to remove it.

Berber carpet is made of small loops. When vacuuming your carpet, use a vacuum that does not have a beater bar – you know, the spinning bar on the underside of the vacuum that has bristles and kicks up the dust and dirt. This beater bar can actually catch on the loops and pull them out or flatten them, ruining the look and feel of your carpet.

Finally, have your Berber carpet professionally cleaned at least a couple of times each year. This will remove any ground-in dirt and debris and sanitize your carpet. Just make sure that your carpet is dry before walking on it again because a wet carpet will attract and hold dirt and dust.