Rearranging furniture can make an old room feel completely different. But there is one surprise many homeowners discover after moving a sofa, bed, or large cabinet: the carpet underneath may look noticeably different from the exposed carpet.

Sometimes it is lighter. Sometimes the surrounding carpet looks darker. You may also see furniture impressions where heavy pieces have been sitting for years.

This happens because carpet underneath furniture receives very little foot traffic and is exposed to less everyday soil than the rest of the room.

Once the furniture moves, those protected sections become visible.

That makes professional carpet cleaning worth considering when planning a major room rearrangement.

Cleaning the carpet after the furniture has been repositioned gives a professional cleaner access to areas that may not have been exposed for years. It can also help reduce the visual difference between previously covered and heavily used sections of carpet.

Furniture indentations are a separate issue. Carpet fibers that have been compressed for a long period may gradually recover, but some impressions can remain depending on the carpet construction, furniture weight, and how long the furniture stayed in one location.

Professional cleaning cannot reverse permanent wear or damage. However, removing accumulated soil can help homeowners better evaluate the true condition of the carpet once the room has been changed.

If you are planning to redesign a bedroom, family room, or home office, carpet cleaning can be a useful part of the project rather than something you think about afterward.

A different furniture layout may reveal parts of your carpet you have not seen in years.

For professional carpet cleaning from Chem-Dry of Tampa, visit www.chemdryoftampa.com.