5 Tips to a cleaner carpet in the winter

The winter months are here and that can make it difficult to keep your carpets clean! Winter means two things: cold weather and school holidays. As the weather grows colder and wetter it’s natural to spend more and more time inside. Keep your house or apartment nice and clean by following these 5 tips to a cleaner carpet in the winter months.

1. Take Shoes Off Before Entering The House

The winter months can provide many challenges to keeping your carpet clean, especially with the changing weather. Our shoes or boots can track in lots of dirt and leave our carpets in a mess quickly. Snow in the south or rain in the North means more water brought in, some of which can make it much further than the front door.

One easy way to combat these potentially dirty things is to stop them from coming inside. That means taking off your shoes as soon as you walk into the door. You may also want to look into buying a separate shoe mat to store your wet shoes by the door. If you have a separate entrance way, like a garage or wet room, enter there and keep your shoes off of the carpet all together. The easiest way to keep your carpets clean is to keep the contamination away from your carpet!

2. Vacuum Often

As the winter months bring cold weather we tend to hang around inside more often. Just the simple act of staying inside means your carpet will see more dirt and dust. To combat this it is best to vacuum your carpets often. How often? At least once a week but depending on how dusty your house is, sometimes you may need to vacuum two times a week to stay on top of the dirt. I am a bit more particular so like a daily vacuum.

Not every vacuum cleaner is the same and it’s always recommended to vacuum with the right tool for the job. When looking for a good vacuum cleaner you will want to be aware of some features to consider. First, some vacuum cleaners only use suction to clean while others use a motorized brush which will be more effective at picking up dust. Another feature to look at is if the vacuum uses a bag or not. If you need to empty a bag-less vacuum you may have dust fly around your newly vacuumed carpet when you dump!

3. Deal With Stains Quickly!

It’s inevitable that a stain will come up, no matter how hard you work to keep your carpets pristine. The key to keeping your carpet nice and clean is to deal with any spills or stains immediately. The longer the spill sits on the carpet, the more likely it is to set into the carpet and leave a stain. Be aware of any stains and clean them up as soon as they happen.

Carpets are all made of different materials and stains come from a variety of sources. When dealing with a stain it is crucial to know what you are facing. Learn about the best ways to combat each type of stain and know what types of cleaners will work with your carpet. The last thing you want to happen is to clean up a stain and have your cleaner leave a residue or other stain.

Check out one of our stain removal tricks blogs here

4. Have A Carpet Cleaning Kit On Hand

When that inevitable stain does appear you will want to have a set of cleaning tools on hand to immediately deal with that stain. What should you include in your carpet cleaning kit? Everyone should have some brushes and cleaning cloths on hand to dab or scrub any stain. You will also want to have some stain removers or other carpet cleaning chemicals or solutions. Be sure to test any cleaner before you use it on your carpet as it may have some undesired effects.

There are many homemade carpet cleaning solutions which you can use to remove stains. Some common homemade cleaners use vinegar, salt, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda to help remove stains. Some lesser known stain removers are WD-40, paint remover, and even beer! Remember: It’s always best to know what stain you are dealing with and the best way to remove it, not all stains are the same.

5. Deep Clean Your Carpets

The last tip to cleaner carpets during the winter is to have your carpet professionally cleaned. A professional carpet cleaner will deep clean your carpets to pick up all of the built up dirt, stains, and dust in your carpet. A professional carpet cleaner does a few things. First, we will use a special pre-treatment which will break up any set in stains. Secondly, we use a high-pressure water hose to spray hot water on the carpet. This will work with the pre-treatment solution to further break down and dirt. Finally, we will use a commercial vacuum to suction away the cleaner, water, and dirt from your carpet. Your carpet will be a little damp for a few hours but it will soon be dry and clean! Quicker if you've got a good fireplace or heat pump.

It is suggested to professionally clean your carpet at least once a year. With the higher use in the winter having a professional clean your carpet before the winter months come will give you a clean home. Or you may want to clean your carpets near the end of the season to get rid of any accumulated dust and dirt.

Visit our site today to get a FREE quote

https://www.cleanrite.co.nz/request-a-quote-carpet