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There’s nothing like a freshly-cleaned home at the start of spring. After the cozy comfort of winter turns into what can only be described as cabin fever, most of us just want our spaces to match our mindsets—which is to say, eager for a reset. The only problem with this transition is that it takes work. A lot of work. Sure, some of us have no problem washing dishes, scrubbing surfaces, and doing loads of laundry. Those are tasks that have to be done regardless of the temperature outside. But the bigger obstacles, like mowing lawns and emptying gutters? Yeah, it’s much harder to get motivated to do those.
As it turns out, there are certain spring cleaning to-dos that Americans would rather not check off themselves, so much so that the pros are often called in instead. A recent report from Yelp found that the number one hated chore is carpet cleaning, leading a list of 10 that includes window washing, home organization, and junk removal. (Grass and gutter work is unsurprisingly part of this list, too.) If you agree, just know that even the experts are with you.
“It’s a daunting task! When you look at a carpet that is covering the floor space of an entire room, you know you are signing up for a big project,” says Shaunach Talley, head of product and innovation at Betterware U.S. “The key to keeping it manageable is to vacuum regularly, spot clean as needed, and bring in the professionals when you need a total refresh.”
Nevertheless, if you’ve chosen to forego the route of hiring a pro for now and want to do the most hated chore yourself, more power to you. Here’s how Talley recommends cleaning carpets.
The Tools You’ll Need
Making sure that the fibers in your carpet are deep-cleaned will require more than just a few double-backs of your vacuum. In addition to a vacuum, Talley would pick up a Squeegee Broom for short-pile carpets to get at the dust and potential pet hairs hiding in your carpet, as well as a Slim Squeegee Tool for all the yuck hiding between the edge of your carpet and the baseboards. In between this deep-cleaning project, which Talley says should happen every 12 to 18 months without kids and pets and six months to a year with them, she would use microfiber cloths and a carpet cleaning solution for spots as well as a rotating squeegee brush for bigger messes.
“With regular vacuuming and timely spot cleaning, you can keep your carpet looking tip-top,” she says.
Her Best Technique
It should be noted that even Talley would hire someone to clean her carpets, since an expert steam cleaning helps with the longevity of the material. “While I prefer to bring in a professional, I have washed carpets myself using one of two methods: by renting a steamer, and also by simply using a dishcloth,” she says. Here’s how she would get it done:
Do the prep work.
Talley starts by removing any furniture and decor that would get in the way, and then slowly vacuums the perimeter. “I want the vacuum to suck up as much dust and debris as possible,” she says. After, Talley does a spot treatment on any small stains.
Use a steam cleaner.
At the helm of a rented steam cleaner, Talley slowly creates a path through the room, making sure that each pass slowly overlaps. “Once I’ve cleaned the entire carpet area, I leave it to thoroughly dry before walking across it or placing furniture and decor back into the room,” she says. Sometimes she’ll place box fans in the space to speed up the process.
Scrub the carpet.
Next, Talley grabs two bowls and a dishcloth, and fills one bowl with water and the other with a cleaning solution. “After soaking my clean cloth with my solution, I wring out all excess moisture and then use it to remove all surface dirt without soaking the fibers,” she says. She’ll do this process twice, using the bowl of water to rinse out the dishcloth in between, working until no dirt is visible on the dishcloth. “While this method is much more time-consuming, it is definitely easier to stop and start as time allows,” Talley notes. She’ll let the carpet dry again, and the project is through.
“Despite the daunting nature of carpet cleaning, it can be as easy or as hard as you make it,” she says. “Creating a weekly cleaning routine helps break the task into easy stages of maintenance, which aren’t terribly time-consuming or difficult.” Using her tips, you may be someone who might not hate this task so much after all.