It's a good idea to have your carpets professionally cleaned on a regular basis when you have dogs in your house. You want your carpet cleaner to do the best job possible so your carpets are clean and smell fresh. There are things you can do to ensure the cleaning contractor is able to do an effective job. Prepare your home and carpet in advance by following these tips.
Move Your Dogs To A Safe Place On Cleaning Day
The cleaning contractor will be going in and out of your home and may even need to leave the doors open part of the time. Remember to put your dogs in a closed room before the cleaning process gets underway, so they don't wander out the door. Plus, you'll need to keep them off the carpet until it's completely dry. If possible, leave your dogs with a friend or relative to eliminate your pets' anxiety over the disruption to their normal routine.
Clear Out The Room
It's best to get as much stuff out of each room as possible. That includes things like lamps, coffee tables, chairs, tables, and anything that is light enough for you to move to another part of your house or the garage. Place valuables or delicate items in a safe location. Some carpet cleaning services will move furniture around, others won't, and some will charge extra for it.
Find out what to do about heavy furniture such as the couch, entertainment center, china cabinet and beds. Try putting furniture moving discs under the legs of heavy pieces, so they glide across the floor more easily, and you may be able to move them yourself. Remove long drapes, or pin them up so they don't touch the floor and interfere with the cleaning machine. You want to clear out the room as much as possible, so the cleaner can reach areas of your carpet where your dog may hide or make messes, such as behind the couch.
Vacuum The Floor
Once the rooms are cleared of excess clutter, vacuum the carpet thoroughly to suck up as much dog hair as you can. You may also want to clean the baseboards at that time, since they'll be easier to reach with furniture out of the way. That will get rid of hairs that might fall on your cleaned carpet. Also, check for stains as you vacuum, so you can point them out to the carpet cleaner. You can shine a black light on the carpet to illuminate old urine stains. Tell the contractor the location of all the stains you find, so he or she can use the right cleaning solution to get them out.
Discuss Using Safe Cleaning Products
Since your dogs spend a lot of time on the floor, you want the cleaner to use products that are non-toxic. If one of your dogs has allergies or respiratory problems, be sure to let the cleaning service know. Cleaning services have different options, such as steam cleaning or dry cleaning. Plus, there are various cleaning solutions that can be used to clean and freshen your carpet without leaving behind chemicals that harm your dogs.
By taking time to prepare your home in advance, the contractor can clean your carpet better, so hairs and dog smells are removed from hidden places too. You may even save money if you do part of the work yourself such as vacuuming and moving the furniture. For more information on carpet cleaning, contact a company like Doug's Rug Spa.
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