how often do you clean your carpets?

[WildRose]

Was just flicking through channel and stopped at QVC were the lovely woman told me that I should clean my carpet every 3 month
EVERY 3 MONTH??????????????

I get someone on to do it every year (2 adult children and a cat as well as me and husband, plus all thier friends, so my carpets need it), I do that because its so much bl***y work that it used to leave me totally exhausted and I was wondering what the hell I was doing with my day off. Am I just a slob or do people really clean their carpets every 3 month? I thought once a year was a lot?

 

[LilacTree]

I clean my living room carpet every 3 months or so but thats mainly because we have 2 adult kids and 2 dogs (and the carpet is very light beige)

I clean my stairs and bedroom carpet less frequently. And by less frequently, I mean once in the 4 years we've been here. Dirty girl In my defence, the dogs aren't allowed upstairs and we do remove our shoes before going upstairs.

 

[Brissles]

I learnt a LONG TIME AGO that once you start cleaning new carpets frequently you have to keep doing it. I hired a machine and carpets came up beautifully clean, BUT within a few months they needed doing again. This is because once the Scotchguard protector is washed off, then carpets become dirtier a lot lot quicker. This is something few makers of carpet cleaners tell you, because they want you to buy their product. However, there are products on the market that can re-protect the carpet, and also of course if you have them professionally cleaned they can be re-Scotchguarded.

 

[Loveinamist]

Do what we do, do not allow shoes into the house. I warn visitors, even the vet, they had to remove them for health reasons. I do not want spit, dog dirt, mud etc. trodden into my house.

 

[JR's Ego]

Referring to shampoo washing? Absolutely ONLY once a year and only in the summer.

I made the massive mistake of carpet shampooing in the winter - the carpet rotted before it dried, and as mentioned before it strips carpet protection

As much as these sellers say they leave rug 'almost dry' they dont

I find for great sanitizing (but not shampoo brightening) a whip around with a steamer once a month works wonders, so steaming is my cleaning of choice UNLESS animals are (ahem) ill, or I put a bottle of red wine to my face & miss my mouth (a frequent occurrence)

 

[JR's Ego]

Do what we do, do not allow shoes into the house. I warn visitors, even the vet, they had to remove them for health reasons. I do not want spit, dog dirt, mud etc. trodden into my house.

Snap - but people HATE this request, they assume the home owners are stuck up snobs -- Lol maybe I am. who cares !!

 

[Loveinamist]

Snap - but people HATE this request, they assume the home owners are stuck up snobs -- Lol maybe I am. who cares !!

Your home, your rules. I have never had a problem requesting this. I bet it is just jealousy (or they know they have smelly feet) 'cos they don't have the gumption to request it in their own homes. I do provide a variety of slippers! :rock:

 

[petpixie]

I've got wooden and tile flooring with rugs. I steam clean the rugs and stair runner once a year or so but with 2 dogs, 3 cats and 2 grandchildren I'm forever spot cleaning.

 

[Toril]

When I first moved in, I cleaned the carpets downstairs because the previous owners had a dog and I could smell 'dog.' The carpets downstairs are also cream and the first clean certainly spruced them up. Since then I've done them about every three months and, although they look clean before I get the Vax out, I'm always surprised/horrified at the colour of the water I tip out and that's despite the fact that I don't wear shoes when I'm indoors. Slippers are more comfortable to chill out in.

I've never asked friends or workmen to take their shoes off, and would never insist that they did, but many visitors automatically remove them because they do it at home, while some spot the carpet and say "oh I'll take my shoes off - you've got a cream carpet." Even when I say it's alright to leave them on, they happily remove them.

 

[JR's Ego]

In my case - I do notice that the ladies are more ready to slip shoes off, as they more or less can do it with one toe. The gents are little more reluctant I guess because of all the rigmarole of unlacing. Nothing more annoying however than dark shoe marks on cream carpets - the worst offender being shoe polish, and loose soil. I will end my moan by saying not just carpet injury! I have also been victim of stiletto heel dents in my wood floor - and they are there for good

When a heavy set lady approaches house with tiny stiletto heels I pray to God she will remove them as the wood is left with little nail-hammer dents

ok end of topic digression

 

[Loveinamist]

And agin, your house, your rules. Be brave. Do they have dents in their laminate, I bet not!

 

[Queen Bee]

I'm the opposite to everyone in this thread it seems. I hate peoples feet and would feel grossed out if they were to remove their shoes on entering my home. I don't want someones feet sweating into my carpets!

I wouldn't dream of asking anyone to remove their footwear on entering even if I didn't mind the sweaty feet thing, I feel its wrong to invite people into your home and treat them as though they're clodding filth up your hallway. Any visitors to my home wipe their feet on the doormat outside and i've never yet had someone much up one of my carpets.

I feel really uncomfortable visiting homes where i'm asked if I mind removing my footwear and often i've said, well actually I do mind so i'll just keep them on. I've not been refused entry into anyones home and if they cared more about their carpets maybe getting a stain, than they do my friendship, then thats more of a sad reflection on them.

In answer to the original post, I have very pale cream carpet up my stairs and landing and a huge cream rug on my wooden living room floor, I prob shampoo once a year and do the odd spot clean if something is spilt or one of the cats is ill.

 

[rainbowdottie]

I would prefer people to take their shoes off in my house...............I just get embarrassed asking............I just "hope" that they will - and most do.

That said it never occurs to me to take my shoes off when visiting :doh:

 

[Scouser]

I treated myself to the Bissell Little Green Clean Machine. I bought it from the Bissell website. I keep it with solution in all the time. It's great if a messy or pissed visitor starts flinging drink/food/mud on my pale carpets. It's a little instant washer that really works. It really silences the stain perpetrator as well. They watch in disbelief as I whizz it out of the cupboard and zap the stain in an instant (this usually causes them to buggar off home so job done!)Actually, I really bought it because my old cat is a bit accident prone these days (sounding like DF with her vom references) i have a full size Bissell shampooer but this little machine is great. My daghter borrows it for her stair carpet. Think it's sold by Lakeland now too.

 

[Mr-F]

Just like Queen Bee, I'd never DREAM of barking orders at my friends/family/people as they step inside the door.

If you have dripping muddy shoes then fair enough, leave them on the mat. All else is fine with me. If there were to be a small mess, 10 minutes with the Bissell, 30 minutes to dry. Job done.

Surely if any area has that much high traffic, a hard floor would be more suitable in the first place.

I don't have any medical issues as to why I wouldn't take my shoes off, and have perfectly normal hygiene, but I do get offended if asked. Its a very aggressive first thing to be greeted with. Luckily most people I visit care more to speak to me rather than shout orders at me

I spot treat my carpet with a Bissell. Works fine & dries quick. Not sure about all this nonsense of carpets taking years to dry. They will if you use tanks and tanks of water in one room!

 

[boffy]

dog mess on the street makes me ask people to remove shoes that grosses me out. i have my grandaughter toddling around and i dont want her toddling in faeces just me...i have carpet in the hall,stairs landing,bedrooms and lounge all costing a lot of money

 

[stratobuddy]

My son lives in Sweden where it is normal practice for everyone (residents and visitors) to take their shoes off just inside the door, where there is an area to leave them.

BTW Their front doors all open OUTWARDS so do not take up space in the entrance when opened. Seems a good idea to me. The downside is that I came home late one night, used my key, but couldn't open the door.

Eventually I had to wake someone up to open it, only to discover I had been pushing it instead of pulling!

 

[madaunty]

I have never cleaned our carpets.
OH does it.:mysmilie_17::happy:

 

[Queen Bee]

dog mess on the street makes me ask people to remove shoes that grosses me out. i have my grandaughter toddling around and i dont want her toddling in faeces just me...i have carpet in the hall,stairs landing,bedrooms and lounge all costing a lot of money

do your friends and family often carry dog dirt into your house? Most responsible adults (which i'd hope your visitors are) would wipe their feet before entering your house and when doing this would notice if there were dog dirt on their shoes.

we all have carpeting that costs a lot of money, sofa's and electrical items too but how far do you go? I have a cream leather sofa that can absorb dye from dark trousers, It was my choice though and i've yet to ask a guest to remove their trousers before sitting on it.

 

[bags]

do your friends and family often carry dog dirt into your house? Most responsible adults (which i'd hope your visitors are) would wipe their feet before entering your house and when doing this would notice if there were dog dirt on their shoes.

we all have carpeting that costs a lot of money, sofa's and electrical items too but how far do you go? I have a cream leather sofa that can absorb dye from dark trousers, It was my choice though and i've yet to ask a guest to remove their trousers before sitting on it.

Fancy can you imagine being on a first date .........

:blush: