Originally posted on https://domesticationsbedding.com/how-to-keep-carpet-clean-even-with-kids-and-pets-in-your-home/

 

Do you have kids and pets? Does your home play host to parties and events?

If you agree to any of these, you run the risk of horrendous spills and stains on your carpets. These messes can turn into a real disaster and some people simply cover them up with furniture or a rug.

You don’t have to go through this kind of ordeal. Follow our tips below and learn how to keep carpet clean no matter the situation:

1. Don’t Wait to Clean

The first rule is to treat stains as quickly as you can. Don’t wait to clean them up later because the stain could soak into the fabric of your carpet. Most stains require you to blot them with a cloth and this won’t work if the stain dries up.

2. Ground Rules

You can avoid the headache of carpet stains by laying a few ground rules for your pets and kids. These don’t have to be too complicated:

• No running with food or drinks
• Eat or drink in designated areas
• No pets on the couch or carpet
• No shoes in the house

Don’t expect pets or kids to always follow the rules. That said, you can still train your dog to avoid restricted areas and expect them to follow most of the time. Kids can get reckless but constantly reminding them ensures they avoid getting the carpet dirty as often as they can. For wilder pets and younger kids, you might want to follow our next piece of advice!

3. Keep a Designated Play Area

Always assign a designated play area for your kids and pets. Telling them where to go might not work, especially if they’re too young to understand. Instead, let your kids and pets know where to go by placing their toys in one room, a place they can let loose and play.

If you have to, install kiddie pens. These are like fences meant to keep kids and pets within safe zones. This not only keeps them safe but also helps train your pets to stay away from rooms and carpets they’re not supposed to walk or sit on.

4. Regular Cleaning

Maintain a cleaning schedule. If you can, always clean your carpets, rugs, and mats at least once a week. This removes all the dirt and debris lodged between the threads.

This is important because dirty carpets could cling to stain more. It’ll be harder to blot out a stain and apply cleaning solutions if you also have to deal with too much dirt. Keep in mind, dirt itself can also ruin your carpet!

Schedule a day or two for deep-cleaning. You should do this at least once a month. This prevents older stains from standing out and can keep your carpet looking brand new at all times.

5. Use Mats!

Most stains come from three sources:

• Spilled food and drinks
• Pet or kid vomit, pee, and poop
• Dirty shoes

Our previous tips cover the first two sources. For dirty shoes, you should always have mats present wherever there are external doors.

Don’t place only one mat! Make sure you put one mat outside and then another mat on the other side of the door, inside the house. This guarantees people can properly shake off the dirt and debris on their shoes.

Use toddler rugs for places your kids frequent. You can put these on top of a carpet to protect it from milk spills, vomit, and other potential stains caused by young children.

6. Different Stains, Different Solutions

Don’t treat each stain the same. Don’t apply the same cleaning solution to every spill or mess on your carpet. Learning how to keep carpet clean also involves learning different techniques for different stains.

For red wine, blot out as much as you can with some cloth and then apply salt. The chemical reaction helps remove the stain. For something like spaghetti, it’s best to soak up the stain and then use a carpet cleaning chemical.

Always have more than one kind of cleaning product at the ready. Don’t rely on only one product. As mentioned, different stains require different chemicals so keep a few of them so you can treat a stain as soon as it happens.

7. Groom Your Pets

If you’re worried about pets ruining the carpet, make sure you keep them well-groomed. This doesn’t mean you have to cut their fur and keep it short; even pets with short fur shed. The goal is to keep their fur healthy, thus making it easier to clean whenever they do get on the carpet.

Regular grooming also removes dirt, debris, skin flakes, and dead fur. Now there are fewer things your pet can spread all over the furniture and carpets.

Of course, regular grooming won’t get you far when your pet decides to turn your carpet into its toilet bowl or puke-corner. For those issues, you’ll have to turn back to the tips mentioned above.

8. The Right Carpet Cleaner

Did you know some cleaners help remove stains? Some cleaners offer steam pressing, chemical application, deep cleaning, and heavy-duty suction cleaning.

Put these together and you can suck out stains, apply soap to wash the remaining stain off, and properly dry the fabric. The regular vacuum cleaning features can then focus on removing all the dirt and debris lodged into the fabric.

9. Call Professional Cleaners

If you want to get your carpet cleaned, you shouldn’t hesitate to call experts for the best carpet cleaning in Merdian, ID. Professionals not only have more experience and knowledge when it comes to dealing with carpet stains but they also have better tools and chemical solutions.

When in doubt, call professionals. You might ruin your carpet further by using the wrong cleaning solution.

Learn How to Keep Carpet Clean

Follow these tips to master how to keep carpet clean, no matter the type of spill or stain. If none of these work or when you’re not sure, call the professionals to get the job done for you. It might seem like a costly venture but it saves you money in the long run, especially when you consider the risk of ruining your carpet through DIY methods.

But taking care of your home doesn’t end here! We’ve got a myriad of other topics for you to read through. Check out more of our guides here to learn new tips and tricks today!