A lot of people choose to have a shoes-off policy at home. All footwear is taken off at the front or back door so that shoes don’t make it into the lounge, dining room and the rooms upstairs. If you have rugs at home then this is definitely a good strategy to put in place.

So why should a shoes-off policy work for your rugs? Well, in the first instance it keeps them clean. It doesn’t take long to clean rugs using a vacuum cleaner put if you can save yourself a job by keeping them clean in the first place that has to be a good idea.

Also, dirt from the bottom of shoes is often harder to clean off fabrics than your usual dust and crumbs. Shampooing your rugs is something you only want to do from time to time when it is really necessary.

Other than cleaning rugs, there is the wear and tear that inevitably comes from wearing shoes around the house. Regularly contact with shoes designed for outdoor use takes its toll on the fibres of rugs, even thick wool rugs that are ordinarily hardwearing. Bare feet, socks and slippers don’t do anywhere near the same sort of damage over time.