July 13, 2016 by Ryan
Personally, I love carpet in my house. There’s something about it that makes a house feel a little bit more like a home. Many Americans though, struggling to keep carpet clean, have traded in their carpets for hardwood and rugs.
For those who have carpet, you probably know how easy it is for dirt and stains to start showing up. You might be thinking it’s impossible for carpet to stay clean but I’ve got 6 quick tips that I think can really help keep your carpet looking like new.
Leave Your Shoes at the Door
This is the number one rule, the rule of all rules. The first rule of Fight Club is… you leave your shoes at the door. A recent study found that families who wear shoes inside the home were tracking in drastically more harmful bacteria, some of which in the study were found to be drug resistant!
We get a lot of rain in Mississippi but even on dry days, you never know what you might be bringing onto your carpet. Leave your shoes at the door and you won’t have to worry. Your carpet will thank you. Simply, you can’t keep carpet clean without leaving shoes at the door.
Purchase a Quality Welcome Mat
A welcome mat is a cheap solution for catching some of the dirt and grime that would otherwise be tracked inside. It’s a memo as well as an invitation to your guests. I keep a clean house and please feel free to help me keep it that way!
You must purchase a decent matt, though. If you buy a slab of cloth for $2.50, you can expect it to do next to nothing. Pick up a decent mat that has some version of prickles or spikes/straw to get in between the cracks of shoes. Amazon Bestsellers
Purchase a Decent Vacuum
The difference between a good vacuum and a cheap one, can be months or years on the life of your carpet, which saves you money in the long run. If you can afford a Dyson vacuum, they are simply the best: Dyson Website
Clean Spills ASAP
Now, this might sound obvious, but consider the meaning of “ASAP”. Every second counts once a spill occurs. Every second that passes is more time for your carpet to absorb the substance. Quickly get a wet rag/towel on top of the spill to soak up what you can. Then use your favorite spill/stain remover spray and get to work. Remember to soak as much as you can before you start to clean/scrub.
BONUS: So you’ve missed the spill and a big ugly stain in now on your carpet. Here’s a safe and effective tip. Sprinkle baking soda over the stain and let it sit for at least an hour. Mix a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and baking soda in spray bottle and spray generously before laying a towel down to soak up the stain. Especially stubborn stains might require you to repeat the process.
Rearrange Your Furniture Periodically
Not only is it boring to never rearrange your furniture, it’s tough on carpet as well. The places you walk the most, the places you eat the most and even indentions from the heavy furniture will always be in the same places. If you rearrange once in while, all those spots get reset and the abuse on your carpet gets spread more evenly. Plus it’s more exciting. Shake things up, make a change once in a while and keep your carpet clean!
Keep a Regular Cleaning Schedule
Cleaning your carpet regularly is essential to it’s life and cleanliness. The truth is, no matter how good our habits, dirt and grime will always build up in our homes. Cleaning your home weekly – bi-monthly is critical to keeping the dirt at bay. Now, we all know cleaning is a big job. We are all busy and don’t always have the time to clean as much as we would like.
My advice is to alternate the schedule. You can clean your home once a week without cleaning your entire home once a week. Alternate the stuff that isn’t critical so you aren’t cleaning quite as much. Make a list to keep track of everything and you should be just fine. There is one more option.
Hire Simply Clean! Simply Clean Oxford always cleans the entire house. We have a really thorough checklist which means we are likely to clean in nooks an crannies that haven’t been hit in a while. Set up recurring cleans with Simply Clean and save money every time we come. You can set the appointments, provide us with a credit card and a method of entry into your home and you will literally never need to worry about cleaning again. Keep carpet clean and keep your entire house clean! Wouldn’t it be nice? It’s possible!
