9 Secrets to Having Clean Carpet Many people prefer the softness of carpet over other floors such as hardwood, but fear that carpet is too high-maintenance. However, with just a few simple preventative measures – most of which require little to no effort – carpet can continue to look good year after year. Keep in mind, too, that many of the below suggestions also apply to help keep a wood floor in good shape. Leave Your Shoes at the Door… This should be obvious, and yet tends to get overlooked often. However, think about where you have walked in your shoes, and what is likely to have transferred to your soles from the ground. Wearing your shoes around the house – or even just dashing across your carpet because you already have your shoes on but forgot your keys – puts everything that is on the bottom of your shoes onto your carpet. All of the dirt, grime, and who-knows-what else from the outside world is now in your home, and on your carpet, where your children play, pets