With all of the shopping, baking, cleaning and planning you're doing for the holidays, having your carpet floors cleaned may seem like just one more thing you'd rather not have to worry about. However, getting your carpets cleaned now in preparation for the holidays can do more than simply make your home look more presentable to guests.

Here are three reasons to have your cleaned for the holidays:

1. Stain prevention
   With more traffic - and more food being consumed - in your home this season, the chance of spills increases dramatically.

Give your home a once-over and tend to winter preparation tasks and repairs before the year's first frost. "Getting the exterior of the home ready for the cold winds, snow and ice is critical for keeping Old Man Winter out and keeping it warm and toasty inside," says Reggie Marston, president of Residential Equity Management Home Inspections in Springfield, VA. By being proactive, you'll lower your energy bills, increase the efficiency and lifespan of your home's components, and make your property safer.