Cleaning Carpet
Vacuum your carpet weekly if the dining room is used daily - twice a week if there are young children in the home. Formal dining rooms only need attention every other week or when they are used.
Clean with 1/3 cup food grade distilled white vinegar per gallon of boiling water. Carpet shampoo leaves a sticky residue that attracts dirt causing the carpet to soil in short order.
Remove old shampoo mixing one-half cup vinegar per gallon of boiling water. Rinse with hot water. Vinegar reactivates the shampoo already in the carpet and extracts the residue out of the carpet along with the dirt. Your carpets will feel soft and stay clean much longer.
See my Stain Removal Guide to remove carpet stains. My book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning covers speed cleaning and a very thorough stain removal guide.
Did I remind you to remove your shoes as soon as you enter your home?