Foot traffic, dirt and dust, ketchup or wine, pet messes, stains galore! These and many more can cause your once-immaculate carpet to look like a war zone; in order to restore your floor to its days of beauty and cleanliness, the best practice is to have it professionally cleaned from time to time.

But, you might think, “How do I prepare for carpet cleaning?” This is a question many people have, so you are certainly not alone.

Professional carpet cleaners are practically miracle workers and can have your soft floors back to their pristine original condition in no time at all. But, before the carpet cleaning services arrive, you will want to guarantee that their work goes off without a hitch.

If you’ve been wondering exactly how to prepare for a carpet cleaning company, worry no more. Here’s what you need to do, broken down step-by-step.

How to Prepare for Carpet Cleaning at Home

You want to get the absolute best possible value out of your carpet cleaning experience. With that in mind, here is a checklist of 6 steps to complete as part of your professional carpet cleaning process.

Step #1: Vacuum the Carpet —

This is arguably the most important step of all, which is why it gets top billing here. Before a carpet cleaning technician arrives at your home, you need to vacuum every carpet that they will service: clearing off the surface-layer dust before a professional cleaner’s service sets the stage for them to work on the grime and grunge that’s often embedded much deeper into the carpet fiber.

Step #2: Move Furniture —

In order to clean the entire area of your carpet(s), your pieces of furniture (floor lamps, ottomans, plant stands, tables, etc.) need to be stored in another room to make way for the carpet cleaning equipment. This goes especially for heavy items like dresses or couches — if your carpet cleaners have to move the furniture themselves, you may be charged an extra fee.

Step #3: Store Away Valuables —

Even though they won’t likely “get in the way” of a carpet cleaning by the pros, you will still need to move and store away any breakable items, valuables, or other tsotchkes. Professional cleaning services will all have the necessary liability insurance, but you should still go the extra mile and check that nothing has the chance to be broken.

Step #4: Clean Children’s Rooms —

This won’t come as a surprise to the mothers and fathers out there, but some of the dirtiest carpets in the house can turn out to be in the kids’ rooms. Because of this (and the fact that you may not go in your children’s rooms all that often), make sure to vacuum their floors as well and pick up any toys, dishes, or clothes that could otherwise get in the way of a proper cleaning.

Step #5: Power & Water —

For people that are moving in (or out), you probably have a whole lot on your mind. If you have carpet cleaners coming, you need to add one more thing to the list, though: contact the local municipalities to turn (or keep) the power and water on, because they will need both to do a thorough and proper job on your new (or old) carpets.

Step #6: Pets —

Last but most certainly not least: put away your pets. Ensure that your cats and dogs and rabbits and gerbils are safely secured in a separate room during the entire carpet cleaning; this protects both the pet and the carpet (as well as the professional carpet cleaner!).

Other Helpful Clean Carpet Tips and Tricks

Apart from the above list, one thing some people don’t consider is how the carpet cleaning company will access their home. Your front door needs to be easily accessible, so that the technicians can bring in their equipment and get everything set up (an available parking space wouldn’t hurt either).

If you have particular traffic areas or problem areas in your home that have weathered a bit more than the usual amount of dirtiness, let your technician know. The same goes for stains and pet urine, as they will be able to focus on these spots with extra precision.

Hang up any drapes or curtains that may touch (or approach) the floor with pins or rods. Not only can they get in the way of your carpet cleaning, but they can also hold dust and dirt themselves.

Finally, in order to be extra careful, you can always clean your baseboards beforehand as well. This will ensure that your carpets don’t get dirty again as soon as the cleaning is completed.

Carpet Cleaning Professionals

Now that you know how to prepare for carpet cleaning, get in touch with your local pros at Carolina Kwik Dry to take care of all your carpet cleaning needs.