It is the second post in our fall maintenance series. In our last post, we discussed how you could maintain your HVAC system and prepare it for the upcoming weather. Today’s post is about carpet cleaning.
Fall is the peak time for calling your favorite carpet cleaner and getting it deep cleaned. But that’s not all. There’s a lot more you should know and do to make the most out of your carpet. Although the following tips will help you no matter what’s the season or time, these tips are indeed essential to know in the fall.
How to keep your carpet clean?
1. Double up your vacuuming efforts:
First of all, you need to be regular at vacuuming. Instead of doing it once a week or whatever frequency you have been following till date, you need to do it every day. It’s the best way to keep allergens and dust at bay.
Read our complete guide to vacuuming to become an expert at this home cleaning task. Bear in mind that it’s a dusty season and hence, one swipe wouldn’t get the dirt off. Use multiple swipes over one area for thorough cleaning and also, spend a couple of extra minutes on the corners where dust builds up over time.
2. Take advantage of back-to-school time
Fall begins with the biggest respite for moms. Kids go back to school, and you finally get some time for yourself. At the same time, your house breathes a sigh of relief (imagination!).
Utilize this time to dust the entire furniture. How does it help in keeping the carpet clean? All that dust finally ends up on the floor and hence, keeping the rest of your house clean is as vital as keeping the carpets clean.
3. Prepare for holiday season
It’s the reason why you can’t just sleep through fall. The next season would be too hectic, and no one will be ready to focus on the home maintenance tasks then. Rather, act at the right time and wrap up all the duties in the early fall.
Holiday season is the high-traffic season and to prepare for it, you require deep cleaning of your carpet. Hot water extraction/steam cleaning is the best carpet cleaning method for deep cleaning, but it requires professionals. Get some money out of your annual home maintenance budget and schedule carpet cleaning as soon as possible.
After that, you can use our incredibly detailed and informative post on how to keep your carpet clean and dust-free to maintain your carpet in a new-like state until the next season.
4. Pay extra attention to stains
Stains are the biggest worry of a carpet owner. It won’t be for you if you act smart and quick. Use our spot removal guide to find out how to treat different kinds of stains.
The thumb rule behind proper stain removal is to act immediately and use an appropriate cleaning solution, as it varies with the type of stain. You also need to understand that even if you need not panic after spilling that cup of hot chocolate. You must be calm while treating the stain. Be gentle on your carpet and never rub the stains.
5. Make some new rules for the family members
Understand that it isn’t possible to achieve success unless you make yourself disciplined and follow some rules. To be able to keep your carpet clean, you require rules. You need to push everyone in your house to follow these rules.
Keep a doormat and a shoe rack just at the entrance of your house and insist that whosoever enters your house doesn’t bring the shoes inside. By doing so, the amount of dust and allergens that enter your home on a daily basis reduces manifolds.
Restrict your pets from walking on the carpet after their daily walk. Make it a ritual to clean their paws just before they enter the house. Dog hair is another problem that is a big issue for carpet owners. Our post on how to keep pet hairs off carpet will help.
6. Use baking soda to get rid of bad smell
A dirty carpet is something we can bear if we choose to just not look at it but a carpet that smells bad is a catastrophe. You feel horrible, and the whole atmosphere of your house degrades. What’s the solution? It’s simpler than you had imagined.
Grab a can of baking soda and sprinkle it all over your carpet. If there’s a particular spot that’s releasing all that bad smell (we’re not accusing your pet of peeing on the carpet, actually!), sprinkle the soda over that area. You can also brush over the carpet a little to let the powder set in.
It can be easily removed using a vacuum and wouldn’t leave stains, so use it generously as a thin layer isn’t going to provide you good results. Leave it on for a day or two and then vacuum the carpet with a powerful machine.
Smell the area carefully and see if the odor is gone. If it’s just light smell, it will go else you will need to repeat the process again. Another thing you can try is applying vinegar to the affected areas, let it set for 15 minutes and blotting it off using a soft white towel. We’re using a white towel to reduce the chances of stains.
Use water to again clean the area. Make sure you let the area dry completely, use a ceiling fan or table fan to facilitate the process.
That’s it. Follow the tips mentioned above to have your carpet cleaning tasks completed for the fall. Here’s a to-do list to help you recall everything you need to do.
To-do list for clean carpets in the fall
- Schedule the annual carpet cleaning work in early autumn.
- Include regular vacuuming in your daily home cleaning schedule.
- Follow the no-shoe policy inside your home.
- Keep a shoe rack, mat and disinfectant just inside your front door. You’ll also need a mug full of water to wash the pets’ feet.
- Shop for the stain cleaning solution you might need and keep it in close vicinity to your carpet.
- Treat your carpet for the bad smell.
We hope you enjoyed this post. Don’t forget to check our last post in the fall maintenance tips series. Tell us if you found this helpful.
