Do you ever get tired of the monotonous task of taking your shoes off when you enter and putting them back on when you leave? Although it may seem pointless, it is doing your carpets more good that you might think. First, there are the obvious reasons: shoes track in dirt and mud, it’s polite in other people’s homes, and it’s just plain more comfortable! In addition to the dirt that gets tracked in, there is much more unseen damage that happens slowly over time. As we all learn in school, the way we see color has much to do with the light that is present and what colors a particular object reflects. This concept plays a large role in the appearance of your carpet. Many times a carpet can look very dirty, but cuts and abrasions by dirt, small rocks and shoes can make it look even more dirty than it actually is. The reason it looks dirty is that when the fibers are damaged, light cannot properly reflect in order to give the intended appearance. In fact, this should be a much bigger concern even than spilling juice or wine, because 79% of the damage done to carpet is done by dry soil!
Taking your shoes off in your home, particularly if you have carpet, is one of our strongest recommendations. Just like many other things in your home, carpet is an investment that you want to last for as long as possible and not wearing shoes indoors will go a long way in prolonging the life of the carpet. Besides, who doesn’t like the feeling of warm, soft carpet on their feet?
