Flooring is such an important element of your home, but it’s often overlooked when you’re preparing to put your home on the market.
Focus inevitably falls on the living area, and the bathroom and kitchen.
Owners will spend thousands of dollars improving these areas but neglect what is right under their feet.
Yet, when buyers walk through your door for the first time, your flooring will contribute significantly to their first impression.
Wooden floors are by far the most popular surface because they don’t trap dust, but carpet is still prevalent, especially in bedrooms because of their warmth.
Carpet is not cheap, of course, and it’s important to look after it properly, or it will degrade before its time.
You can double the life of your carpet if you maintain it properly. The biggest problem is the fact that dirt trapped in the fibres grind down carpet fibres with each footstep.
If you’ve ever wondered where all that micro-gritty-dust comes from when you vacuum, it’ll be a mixture of the dirt and filaments of broken carpet fibre.
Here are seven tips to keep your carpet in tip-top condition:
- Vacuum Regularly: High traffic areas should be vacuumed at least twice a week. Consider buying a carpet rake to tease out the detritus.
- Clean Equipment: Always clean your vacuum beforehand. If the filter is dirty or the bag is already full, your vacuum will struggle to perform properly, leaving dirt in the fibres and placing unnecessary stress on the motor.
- No Rush: Vacuuming may be one of the world’s dullest tasks, but you’ll compromise your work by rushing it. The best results are achieved by being slow and methodical.
- Doormats: At each entry, place a doormat so everyone cleans the bottom of their shoes before entering. Even better, adopt the Asian practice of the “no shoes inside” rule.
- Water Solution: For synthetic carpets, many manufacturers suggest hot water extraction as your primary cleaning method. This requires equipment that can be rented. It lays a detergent on the carpet and then applies a hot rinse.
- DIY Tip: These machines can leave behind a lot of moisture. We suggest one pass with the cleaning solution and several more to assist drying. Still, the carpet will need several hours to dry properly. Open windows to create an airflow and hasten the drying process.
- Steam Clean: You should go down this path once every 12-18 months. Ideally, it’s best to hire a professional carpet cleaner. But it can be a big job, necessitating the removal of furniture so the cleaner can achieve the total coverage.