Did you recently move to Claremont or move within the city? Because it’s great when you finally move into a new house. A fresh start is always an exciting thing, and a new environment can be both intimidating and thrilling.
Parts of moving can be nerve-wracking, though. What kind of problems does the house have? What did the previous owner do, and what were you not told?
It can be disheartening to get to your new house and find that the carpets are terrible. Don’t worry, though, because there are ways you can expertly clean your new floor.
Here’s a summary of how to do a move-in carpet cleaning:
1. Spot treatment
To begin your move-in carpet cleaning, you need to do what you can to clear away individual stains. The steps you take in this process depend heavily on what kind of stain is there.
You can get commercial carpet shampoos for this or try scrubbing some baking soda into the stain. A solution of 3 parts water 1 part white vinegar can also be effective against stains. If you have a gum stain, freezing the gum with ice in a bag and then scraping it off should work.
Try to get as much of the stain out as possible. If you leave residue, you risk carpet wicking, meaning it might return after deep cleaning.
2. Vacuum
Next, you need to vacuum the carpet. Make sure to vacuum up any residue left over from your spot treatment, and vacuum as thoroughly as possible.
If you can, use a HEPA-strength vacuum. These are the best vacuums available for picking up small bits of carpet soil and microbes in your carpet. If you don’t have one for your move-in carpet cleaning, you can still use another vacuum, but HEPA is ideal.
This pre-deep-clean vacuuming is good at cleaning up surface residue on the carpet so the deep clean can get deeper into the carpet fibers.
3. Deep clean
The next step for your move-in carpet cleaning is a thorough deep clean.
The best way to do this is through a steam cleaner. You can rent one from the store and attempt to figure it out yourself or hire a professional carpet cleaner.
Run the steam cleaner across your carpet thoroughly and make sure you get every spot. Run the machine over it multiple times to ensure you get those deep stains that you can’t necessarily see.
Steam cleaning machines can reach deep within the fibers and pull up soil embedded inside. You might not even be able to see this grime, which is why deep cleaning is so important.
4. Dry
Now you need to make sure your carpet dries completely.
This process might take a while. Dry times can vary a lot, but you must allow the carpet to fully dry to ensure that mold and mildew don’t start to grow.
To help with the drying process, try opening all your windows and doors for a while. You can also get a couple of fans running. Ensure the carpet is then fully dry before moving on to the next step of your move-in carpet cleaning.
5. Second vacuum
Finally, go over the carpet with one more vacuuming.
Doing this is important because it picks up any residue left by the steam cleaner. This residue is sticky and therefore attracts dirt pretty easily. Your carpet might start looking dirty again soon if you don’t do this afterward.
Once again, try going for a HEPA-strength vacuum. Also, make sure the vacuum’s filters are clear, or else you might not be cleaning as well as you think you are.
Once you finish vacuuming, that is it, and your carpets should now look great. Try to keep them that way by taking your shoes off at the front of the house and cleaning up any spills as soon as possible. Also, be sure to get them deep cleaned at least once a year.
But for now, just be glad that you’re done with your move-in carpet cleaning.
Conclusion
Getting a new house and finding that the carpets are terrible can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are ways to get a solid move-in carpet cleaning.
If you don’t want to do all of that yourself, you can always use professional carpet cleaning services to do it for you. It takes a lot of time, after all.
Hopefully, after following these steps, you’re more ready to call your new place a home.