Summer in Connecticut is here! It’s hotdog and hamburger season (with lots of ketchup!) It’s time for strawberry margaritas, blueberry pie, and smores. Unless you’re keeping your family and guests outdoors all summer, chances are many of these things will also wind up on your rugs and carpets. You may also find that since it’s barefoot season, your floor coverings have taken on the distinct odor of feet. Eww.
The following are some tips to help you keep your rugs and carpets clean, even through the busy, sometimes messy summer season.
Take your shoes off.
Many other cultures do it, but Americans are less likely to remove their shoes when they enter a house. It’s a wondrous way to keep carpets clean, however. When a majority of the people come through your home shoeless, it can greatly reduce the amount of grime, dirt, grass, allergens, germs, and moisture that gets tracked into your carpet fibers. Provide a selection of inexpensive slipper-socks for visitors. Make sure everyone in your family has a good pair of indoor-only slippers.
Regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning.
Regular vacuuming removes dust, dirt, and allergens from your rugs and prevents excessive wear on the carpet fibers. Occasionally sprinkle some baking soda onto the carpet before vacuuming. Vacuum at least once a week and more often if you’ve entertained recently, and use a spot cleaner to remove any dropped food, dirt or liquid.
Use area rugs and runners.
If you are getting a lot of traffic through your home in the summer, consider buying some runners for high-traffic areas to protect the carpet underneath. Runners in hallways year round can reduce carpet wear in this high traffic area. Putting doormats at entrances gives residents and visitors a place to wipe shoes off before they enter. (Though continue to hope that they’ll actually take their shoes OFF.)
Encourage kids to play outside.
They may be the Digital Generation, but outdoor play is important to their development. Encourage kids to spend more time outside, and make a rule that any messy toys or art projects must happen outdoors.
Hire a professional carpet cleaner.
While all these things can help, they’re no substitute for a professional carpet cleaning. Hire Always Clean to clean your carpets at least twice a year to keep them fresh, extend their lives, and protect their beauty. We service customers in New London, Middlesex, and New Haven counties. Contact us for an estimate!
