Since the holidays are right around the corner, thankfully so is your neighborhood Carpet Exchange. We carry a tremendous selection of exquisite area rugs that will make your home feel special whenever your friends and family happen to stop by.

We offer some of the most coveted brands on the planet. Like Loloi area rugs. Nourison rugs. Couristan area rugs. And Oriental Weavers area rugs. Naturally, we also always have plenty of Karastan rugs for sale as well.

Since an heirloom area rug is something you will cherish for years to come, you know doubt want yours to last as long as humanly possible. So here are few helpful hints on how to help make that happen.

To keep your area rug longer, keep it clean.

Unlike other elements of your décor, your area rug actually gets walked on. Which means it can be susceptible to wearing out far faster than your favorite painting or that nouveau chandelier.

Making sure you keep your area rug clean is your first line of defense in your efforts to extend its overall life.

Vacuum regularly. Admittedly, lots of people think vacuuming kind of, well, sucks. But it’s important for you to do so often. While twice a week is considered ideal, at least once a week is an absolute must.

Not only will this make your area rug look better, if dirt is allowed to linger, the friction that creates can actually cause the fibers to begin to fray. Clearly, that’s not what you’re going for.

Clean up spills promptly. Hopefully, when you encounter a “whoops” moment, it’s not a glass of cranberry juice doing a back one and a half off the coffee table in your living room. But whatever you actually do spill, make sure you take care of it right away. Acting quickly will dramatically diminish the chances of getting a permanent stain.

One other quick piece of advice. When wiping up a spill on your precious area rug, don’t rub it. That can damage your rug. Instead carefully blot up the liquid using a dabbing motion.

Professional cleaning. If you truly want your area rug to last, you should have it deep cleaned once a year by a bona fide carpet cleaning professional. You and your rug will be glad you did.

Two more ways to lengthen the lifetime of your rug.

Use a good rug pad. Always, always, always utilize a high quality rug pad underneath your area rug. That will simultaneously protect your rug, the floor and and your investment. Plus, it will significantly reduce wear and tear.

Rotate your rugs annually. You don’t have to be an flooring savant to know that the parts of your area rug that are underneath a table or right next to the edge of a wall aren’t going to wear as quickly as the parts that are getting regularly tromped on.

So it’s also a good idea to rotate your rugs 180 degrees once a year. It’s a simple move that can make a big difference.

Still trying to locate that allusive heirloom area rug? Just drop by your neighborhood Carpet Exchange to see all the incredible options for yourself. We promise it’ll be worth it.