The Carpet Guy: Take Simple Steps to Protect and Care for your Carpet

Caring for your carpet is similar to taking care of yourself. Annual visits to your doctor, a proper diet, exercise, all lead to good health and hopefully, an extended life.

The same is true for your carpet. An annual professional cleaning, vacuuming, spot cleaning, and catching dirt before it enters you home, all helps to keep your carpet and home healthy, and extend the life of your carpet.

Catching dirt

Most dry soils, approximately 70 percent, that are brought into a home are deposited within the first 10-15 feet. Using mats outside and inside, help reduce the amount of soils brought further into the home. Removing shoes upon entering the house also helps. Change filters in your heating and air conditioning unit regularly. This also helps to reduce the indoor air pollutants and dust particles that enter your home.

Vacuuming

Regular vacuuming, at least weekly, will help remove the soils that made it past your mats. It will also help remove the dust, pollen, pet dander, and all other particles that settle into your carpet. Regular vacuuming is an often overlooked key function of extending carpet wear life, which means saving you money. Another simple trick is to vacuum your carpets based on the amount of people and pets you have in your home. Two adults, two children, and one pet would equal vacuuming five days per week. Always use a vacuum with a Hepa filter if at all possible and make sure to change the bag/clean the canister often.
 

Clean spots and spills

When a spill occurs or you find a spot, clean it quickly. Don’t wait. The longer spots and spills sit, the harder they are to remove and some may become permanent. Use caution when using products to remove the spots and spills. Be careful they don’t harm or damage your carpet. Some products sold in retail stores need to be rinsed extremely well, otherwise, the spot will return. The reason for this is because the product leaves a slight sticky residue, which allows for rapid re-soiling. Other products have strong bleaching agents. The spot will be removed, but so will the color in your carpet. Read and follow the instructions carefully. If you have questions, call a professional.
 

Professional cleaning

Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12-18 months. If you have a relatively new carpet, failing to clean professionally within this time frame may void your warranty. 12-18 months is the industry guideline to get the most wear life out of your carpet and to maintain its health and appearance. Of course, each home is different and may require more frequent cleanings based on number of occupants, pets, smokers, etc.

For more information, contact Chuck Roberts at Roberts Carpet & Upholstery Care at 413-458-9399 or Robertscf@aol.com. Roberts Carpet is an authorized Von Schrader Associate specializing in  low moisture cleaning using certified Green Seal approved products with a 100 percent risk-free guarantee.

Williams College Lone Suitor for Development of Water Street Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
11:15AM / Thursday, April 16, 2026

Williams College hopes to replace the current Facilities Services building on Latham Street and use that space for a new  athletics complex. 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — If the town accepts an offer from Williams College, a 1.27-acre lot that long has been eyed as a possible venue for housing and economic development instead will find a use similar to its history.

 

The college was the lone respondent to the town's request for proposals to purchase and develop 59 Water St., a dirt lot known around town as the "old town garage site." This was first reported Wednesday by Greylock News. 

 

If successful, the college plans to use the former town garage property for the school's Facilities Services building. Or it could be turned back into a parking lot.

 

Williams' offer includes a $500,000 upfront payment and a 10-year agreement to make $50,000 annual donations to the Mount Greylock Regional School District according to the proposal unsealed on Wednesday afternoon.

 

If it closes the deal, the college said it will explore development of a three- to four-story Facilities Services building with "a structured parking facility providing approximately 170 spaces."

 

"[I]f site constraints impact our ability to develop both structured parking and the Facilities Services building, our backup proposal is to develop the parking structure with approximately 170 spaces, also with capacity to support institutional and public needs," the college's proposal reads.

 

The college's current Facilities property at 60 Latham St. has an assessed value — for the .42-acre lot only — of $113,000 and an annual property tax bill of $1,606, according to the town's website.