Carpets

Vacuum at least once a week, and more often in high-traffic areas, to stop dirt working its way into the pile. For spills, blot rather than rub, working from the outside of the mark inward to stop it spreading. Most stains lift with a mild carpet cleaner and a clean cloth, but check the manufacturer's care label first, particularly for wool or wool-mix carpets, which need gentler treatment than synthetic fibres.

Steam cleaning is a good option for a deeper every year or two, or after a spill that's had time to set in. Vacuum thoroughly beforehand so the steam isn't pushing loose dirt further into the pile, and start on the lowest heat setting, working up gradually. Some carpet types, particularly natural fibres like wool, can be damaged by excessive heat or moisture, so it's worth checking suitability before you begin.

Read our guide to cleaning and maintaining carpet.

If you’re fitting a carpet yourself, it’s crucial to get the measurements spot on.

Start by measuring the widest point, across the width and the length. Include any alcoves, doorways and window bays. Add at least 10 cm to your measurements to allow for fitting, trimming and any room irregularities.

Read our full guide on measuring rooms for carpet and flooring for more details. You can also check out our blog on how to fit a carpet.

The general consensus for carpet lifespans is that they can last anywhere between five and 15 years, depending on a number of factors, including:

• Carpet Type: Generally, materials like nylon and wool tend to last longer due to their tough fibres.
• Quality: The higher the quality of your carpet, the more likely it is to last longer.
• Maintenance: Keeping on top of maintaining and cleaning your carpet can go a long way to keeping it looking its best for longer.
• Foot Traffic: All rooms experience wear and tear, but higher and more regular foot traffic can shorten the lifespan of your carpet.

We offer a range of carpet sizes to fit anywhere from bedrooms to living rooms. Popular options include 4m x 4m carpet, perfect for medium-sized living rooms or bedrooms, and 5m x 5m carpet for larger open-plan areas or master bedrooms.

To get the perfect carpet sizes, start by measuring the room to find which length and width would best suit it. If you need some help with choosing the right size? Contact one of our experts for some advice.

Here at Online Carpets, we sell carpets online across the UK at competitive prices, though we don't install or fit flooring ourselves. Although our customers often have to arrange a third-party fitter, they typically save a significant amount of money overall compared with a traditional store.

To find a fitter, our customers usually use one of the following two websites:

• NICF - The National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers

• Yell - Search for a carpet fitter.

Both of these websites allow you to search for carpet fitters in your local town or postcode area.

Both wool and synthetic carpets have their unique advantages. 100% wool carpets are a luxurious, natural, and sustainable choice, offering exceptional softness and durability. They’re also naturally flame-retardant and have excellent insulation properties. Synthetic carpets, such as those made from polypropylene or polyamide (nylon), are highly stain-resistant, easy to clean, and generally more affordable, making them a practical choice for busy family homes. If you’re wondering how they feel, wool, thanks to its natural, fibrous composition, is often known to feel softer. That said, synthetic carpets do an excellent job of mimicking that softness, so both are fantastic options. 

Carpet prices vary significantly depending on the size of the room, the type of carpet you choose, and the cost of underlay and fitting. At Online Carpets, we offer a wide range of options to suit every budget, from our great-value cheap carpets starting at just £3.75m² to our luxurious deep-pile Saxony carpets. Here’s a rough guide to how our prices work: 

• Cheap: budget carpets typically start from around £3.99 per m² – a good option for low-traffic rooms or rental properties

• Quality: mid-range carpets generally sit between £10 per m² to £15 per m², and are suitable for most family homes

• Luxury: top-of-the-range (often deep-pile Saxony and 100% wool carpets) are usually upwards of £15 per m², reaching £34.99 per m² or more, offering the longest lifespan and the softest feel underfoot
  

As an example, a 4m x 4m bedroom is 16m². Carpet alone would cost up to £159.84 in the budget tier, £160 to £240 in the quality band, and from £240 in the luxury band. Underlay is an extra cost, and fitting is arranged and paid for separately, so ask your fitter for a quote.

To estimate your own room, measure it and use the price calculator on the product page.

Regular vacuuming is the single most effective thing you can do, and once or twice a week in high-traffic areas is usually enough to keep dry dirt from working its way deeper into the pile. Blot spills as soon as they happen rather than rubbing, and use a cleaner appropriate for your carpet type (always check the product label before using bleach-based cleaners). A good quality underlay will also protect the carpet from beneath and significantly extend its lifespan. For a deeper clean, steam cleaning every year or two is recommended for most carpet types, though always vacuum thoroughly first and check that your carpet is compatible.

It depends on the backing of the carpet you've chosen. If you're going for an action (hessian) backed carpet, you'll need underlay underneath it to absorb the impact of everyday footsteps, keep noise down, and stop the carpet wearing unevenly over time.

If you've picked a felt-backed carpet, it has some cushioning built into the backing itself, so it can go down without underlay in a lower-traffic room like a spare bedroom. For halls, stairs, and landings, though, we'd still recommend underlay underneath, as those areas see far more wear and the extra support makes a real difference to how long the carpet lasts.

Gel-backed carpets is the one range you don't need underlay for. They're designed to be laid straight onto the subfloor. The only thing worth knowing is that on a harder subfloor like concrete, some customers still add underlay just for extra comfort underfoot.

Whichever backing you go for, our underlay comes with a tog rating, which measures how much warmth it holds in. For most homes, something in the 2 to 2.5 tog range works well. If you have underfloor heating, choose a lower-tog underlay so the carpet and underlay together stay within your system's limit.

Yes, carpet works well with underfloor heating. You will simply need to keep the combined tog rating of your carpet and underlay within your heating system's recommended limit. Going over it can reduce the heat reaching the room, make the system work harder and cost more to run, and may affect your warranty. A low-tog underlay helps keep the total down, and the manufacturer's guidance will confirm your heating system's limit.

Explore our underfloor heating carpet underlay.