It seems like carpet are magnets for stains, and once they’re there, it’s so hard to ignore them. A carpet stain can make an otherwise pristine home look dingy and dirty. While there are ways to remove stains in your carpet, the easiest way to avoid this is to simply prevent them in the first place. Here’s some of our best tips to help you avoid getting stains in your carpets.
Don’t wear shoes inside.
Do you know what’s on your shoes right now? It’s easy to step in something without realizing it and inadvertently bring that onto your carpets. A mat at the door can help prevent this, but the best solution is just to avoid having shoes on the carpets at all. Set up a shoe rack at the entrance to encourage your family and guests to remove their shoes. In the winter, put out a rubber mat so the snow and ice doesn’t melt onto your carpets.
Be careful with pets.
If you have a dog who comes indoors, make sure he is clean before he does so. If he’s gotten into mud, make sure to wash him down before he comes inside so he does’t track the mud everywhere. One of the most genius things we have seen is a small dog shower installed in the mudroom of a home. That way you can quickly rinse your furry friend off before he walks on your carpets and gets them dirty. Also, make sure that your pet is trained to do it’s business outside, and gets out when it needs to. A doggy door can prevent accidents indoors.
Watch out for wax.
Wax in carpet is a common but difficult to remove stain. Be careful of candles. Make sure that they are not dripping and cannot be easily tipped over (this is also a fire hazard, so it’s extra important!) Also watch out for wax-based products that can melt. Crayons left on the floor seem innocent, until they get hit with direct sun from a window and melt all over your carpets. Be mindful of wax based products to ensure they don’t melt into or stain your carpets.
Don’t eat or drink in carpeted rooms.
When possible, avoid eating in the living room or other carpeted rooms. The couch is the worst offender because it’s not a solid surface, so definitely avoiding eating anything that can spill on the couch. The biggest problem is usually drinks. Don’t allow your kids to drink colored drinks outside of the kitchen, or have them use cups with lids that can’t spill. You might think that adults are more responsible, but wine and coffee stains are some of the most common carpet stains. Try to keep all food and drink off of carpets.
Apply carpet protectant.
If you can’t completely avoid spills, make it easy to wipe them up. Carpets that are left unprotected can absorb spills so quickly that even your best efforts to remove them are fruitless. Chem-Dry’s unique protectant provides a “window of opportunity” for you to remove common household stains. Chem-Dry Protectant creates an invisible barrier that helps keep stains (like fruit punch) from becoming a permanent part of the carpet fiber. While no carpet is bulletproof, Chem-Dry Protectant gives you a fighting chance.
You can get carpet protectant applied when you get your carpets cleaned. Conclusive testing shows that Chem-Dry Protectant provides better soil protection than competing protectors because only Chem-Dry uses an innovative co-application process compared to our competitors who post-apply their protectors after cleaning. When you choose to add protectant to your Chem-Dry carpet cleaning, the protectant is actually added directly to our cleaning solutions and applied as your carpet is being cleaned. This co-application process means it coats the entire carpet fiber, from the tip to the base, as your carpet is being cleaned, not just the tips like with our competitors.