Do your carpets need to be cleaned?

Use this quick quiz to determine if carpets need to be steam cleaned. Answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’:

1. The carpets look dirty. (Appearance is the number one reason home owners have their carpets cleaned.)
2. There are stains on carpets that you cannot remove. (Professionals have special stain-removal products.)
3. Pets live in your home. (Dogs and cats walk in dust and shed dander, which can get ground into carpets).
4. The last time you cleaned your carpets was – you can’t remember. (The general recommendation is that carpets are cleaned once a year.)
5. The house smells a bit musty… and you can’t figure out why. (It’s possible that dirty carpets are causing the smell).
6. There’s a big event coming up in your home. (Whether you’re putting the house on the market or hosting a special occasion, the carpets should look their best).

If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions, it may be time to rent a carpet cleaner or to have carpets professionally cleaned. If you answered ‘no’, kudos to you. Keeping carpets clean is challenging at the best of times. Here is a quick checklist of tips from the professional cleaners at MOLLY MAID.

CARPET CLEANING TIPS

• Vacuum frequently to keep carpets clean. Keep filters clean and empty the vacuum cleaner bags before they get too full. Use a door mat and ask everyone to take off their shoes.
• Take care of spills straight away. Plain water will work for most; but a mixture of water and vinegar will work too. Spills will not become stains if you deal with them quickly.
• Never rub a carpet stain too harshly – this may set the stain even more or you may damage fibres.
• Cover a damp stain with an absorbent cloth, then put a heavy book on top of that and leave overnight – so the cloth soaks up as much of the stain as possible. (If you don’t do that, the stain may reappear.)
• If there’s mould or mildew on the carpet for some reason, clean it using a lemon juice and salt solution. Or, brush the area with a solution of 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide and 5 parts water. But do that on a hidden area first to make sure the carpet is not going to discolour and wear gloves.

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