As long as they are removed on a daily basis, it will help to minimize the damage to the carpet. Maintaining and keeping a clean carpet is more than just healthy, as it can also help to prolong the life of the carpet. If you have just laid the carpet, you are already aware of the expenses involved with doing so. Therefore, you should always consider the following: - Several rental companies offer cleaning equipment that is similar to what the professionals use. The equipment should have enough vacuum power to allow the carpet to dry within 12 hours of cleaning. You should always avoid rental units found in retail and grocery stores that don't have the power to extract the cleaning solution from the carpet fast enough, as it can actually damage the carpet due to over wetting. Carpets made of olefin is also a great choice for high traffic areas as it is very strong and easy to clean. Polyester is another good carpet as it is easy to clean and repels water based stains. Polyester is known for the look and feel of wool, although it is much less expensive. The color consideration is also important. Beware of the machine made synthetic carpets that some dealers will tell you are antique carpets. Below, are some tips to help you when buying antique carpet. 1. You have to remain careful and thoughtful while analyzing each piece of antique carpet. 2. You'll also need to try and understand the age and origin of the carpet that will in turn give you a much better insight about the overall quality of the carpet. After you have applied the solution, use paper towels to blot then allow it to dry completely. For a second option, you can use detergent solution made of hand soap or dish soap. The combination is one quarter of a teaspoon detergent to one quart of water. You should always make sure the soap doesn't contain bleach or lanolin. Before you begin to put the carpet down, you should always estimate how many pieces you will need, and then call around to find a store that has enough samples for the room. Although the samples will range in size at different stores, the average is 18 X 18 inches. If you use pieces that are the same size, you'll find things to be much easier.