Preparing for Professional Carpet Cleaning

Preparing to have your carpets cleaned is not something that is particularly difficult to do, especially if you have great professionals taking care of you. Here are some tips for your next carpet cleaning appointment. 

Ask First

When you are on the phone setting up an appointment with a carpet cleaning professional, it is a good idea to know what to expect. Not every company is created equal and some companies provide more services than others. If you have ever lived in an apartment you know that sometimes having your carpets “cleaned” means that they came in and got the carpets a little wet, set out fans, and called it good. You should ask your carpet cleaners over the phone what their process is and what services are included or come at an extra cost. 

Tidy Up

If the area that you need to get cleaned has clutter all over the floor, then you should take some extra time to tidy up. Many professional carpet cleaning companies will move your furniture out of the room to ensure they get all the carpet, but other miscellaneous clutter is a nuisance. You should make sure that all your odds and ends are put away, so that you or the company can move the furniture quickly out, without having to wait while you tidy. 

Clear The Driveway

If you have a driveway, then depending on the equipment that the carpet cleaning company uses, it could be useful to clear it. Some carpet cleaning companies have equipment that they run from within their trucks and need to be as close as possible to your home. Even if the equipment can be run from within your home, it is nice to be able to park as close as possible to make carting equipment and chemicals in and out a breeze. 

Even if your driveway doesn’t have a lot of cars taking up space, clutter and children’s toys in that area can make it hard to navigate. If you have a professional cleaning company coming, it would be helpful to move all the clutter out of the way. 

Mark Soiled Areas

It should be pretty easy for a professional carpet cleaner to spot especially soiled areas, however, it could be helpful to identify what some of the really bad spills were and mark them. Some stains are treated differently than others depending on what they are caused by, so you could mark the areas and give a brief description to your carpet cleaner on the day of the cleaning. 

Have Plans

After the carpet cleaning has been done, it needs to dry with the aid of window ventilation and fans. It will take several hours to dry, and it should not be walked on while wet. So after your carpet cleaner leaves, you should try to make yourself busy somewhere else for several hours, or else you might find yourself secluded in your kitchen most of the day. Take some time for yourself and come home to a nice, clean home. 

There are some molds that you can deal with yourself and there are others that you should call a professional for. Green mold is usually pretty safe to deal with and this is the mold that you mostly find from food. You will see this in your pantry or refrigerator often if you don’t regularly clean out your leftovers. Black mold, on the other hand, can be very dangerous. If disrupted, it will release spores into the air that can affect your lungs if you breathe them in. These spores are especially dangerous for infants or seniors and you should seek help from a water damage professional if you see any black mold in your home. You can also contact a professional if you are having unexplained symptoms like asthma, headache, or respiratory problems, as these might be a sign of black mold within your home. Even if you cannot see the mold, it could be growing under the carpet or within the walls. A professional has the correct safety clothing and equipment to make sure the mold is dealt with safely. 

Prevention

Mold and mildew both grow when they have a dark, moist area that has “food” for it to feed on. The best way to get rid of both mold and mildew is to ventilate often. Keep airflow coming in and out of your home as much as possible and open doors and windows. Allow sunlight into your home when you can. Try to decrease the moisture in the air by getting a dehumidifier and use fans when the air feels damp. If you have a bathroom that has zero ventilation, shower with the door open and use a dehumidifier. Mold can grow under things and on walls, so even if you think you don’t have a problem, you could have one. Prevention is the best way to keep yourself free from water damage.