How to Keep Your Carpets Clean (With Kids)

Keeping a clean house and carpets is challenging at the best of times but adding children and pets makes keeping on top of things seem impossible. This can create stress and even conflict for parents who often are also working alongside trying to maintain a household. Carpets are often a casualty of the daily household running, being walked on, spilled on, and laid on by humans and pets alike. As a result, carpets are seldom even a consideration, let alone a priority amidst the chaos of life. Between muddy shoes, toddler dinners, sick puppies, and sticky sweeties, carpets take a beating from the average family. But maintaining them need not be a stressor, and with a bit of time and effort, you can keep your carpets clean and have great flooring that can stand the beatings for years to come. In addition, your bank balance will be grateful that you’ve avoided replacing your carpets. 

Of course, different carpets and fibres need special care, so always check your manufacturer’s notes to maintain your specific carpet type before adopting any intensive cleaning regime. This is especially important for anything with multiple colours of pattern that have the potential to run. Consider:

• Are your carpets made from natural or artificial fibres? 
• What colour are they, and will any cleaning products affect that? 
• What style is the carpet, and how deep is the pile?
• Are they designed to be dry, steam, or wet cleaned?

To get you started, we’ve added some ideas and tips below to help keep your carpets in shape. But as mentioned, some cleaning tips only apply to certain carpet types, so check yours before you start with any chemicals or more natural cleaning agents. 

Have Carpet-Considerate House Rules

The first carpet cleaning idea is all about prevention. If things don’t get so dirty, there will be less to clean. Of course, a mess is unavoidable with kids, but setting ground rules that are followed will yield results. Carpet-considerate household rules might include:

• Remove all shoes as soon as you come through the door 
• Have indoor-only slippers for the cooler months
• Eat only in a particular area
• Only lidded cups are to be used in carpeted rooms
• Make a mess on any flooring, and it must be cleaned immediately (or let the adults know)

No doubt you can think of more for your house – whichever you decide, these simple rules will go a long way to keeping your carpets in shape. 

Use Rugs & Doormats

Having easily cleanable and easily removable floor coverings is an excellent option in a busy household. This may include doormats outside to catch dirt and debris at the front and back doors before it comes into the house. A thin rug under the pet door does the same job. Rugs and mats and other easily removable floor coverings, on the other hand, can be taken outside for shaking or beating, which can get a lot of the dust and debris that gathers on them out. Always ensure that any removable floor coverings you use are non-slip or appropriately secured to prevent tripping hazards.

Easy Stain Removal Steps

• The most crucial step in stain removal is not to let it sit. Cleaning a mess immediately is the best way to avoid it becoming a stain that causes long-term damage. It sounds so simple, but it’s an effective strategy, as once the stain sets, it’s much harder to clean.
• Never rub a spill or stain. Always blot the spill to draw out as much as possible with a towel or paper. 
• Depending on the substance spilt, baking powder may do the trick to draw it out – especially good if a nappy-less baby has had a whoopsie on the carpet. Baking soda helps draw out the urine smell. Let it sit for a while to absorb, then vacuum it all up, followed by a spray with some white vinegar and a rinse with warm water. Once again, don’t rub; dab.
• For mud and the like, dishwashing detergent to one cup of warm water can help. Then, use a cloth soaked in the solution to blot the mud stain until it’s gone.
• Have a good carpet cleaner available for everyday messes, especially the likes of spaghetti sauce or chilli. 
• Making sure to do a carpet shampoo every couple of months will help maintain your carpets and eliminate any lingering stains. 
• Substances like peanut butter and chewing gum are easy to remove by rubbing ice until it’s frozen. After freezing, the substance can be pulled off the carpet without smearing.

Get Professional Help

Sometimes there is nothing more liberating than throwing your hands up and deciding cleaning is not your bag. This is normal, especially with the busy modern lifestyle, family, and work commitments. A professional cleaning contractor can make all the difference to your life and schedule, ensuring the everyday cleaning is done, including dishes, kitchen and bathrooms, along with the big chores like carpet cleaning, stain removal and hard to get jobs like oven cleaning.

Life can get on top of you, and no matter how hard you try, there are never enough hours in the day to get to all the chores – like carpet cleaning. So, give a company such as Grease Gone a call when you need help or would like a regular domestic cleaner to lighten your load. With their dedicated cleaners on hand, you’ll have a sparkling clean house and never have to worry about ruined carpets again. 

There is nothing quite like coming home to a clean house – even if, you know, the kids will mess things up a little while later. Free your time and reclaim your stress levels with a regular deep clean; all you need to do then is the everyday bits in between, which will seem much more manageable with professional help on the rest of it. 

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