Maintaining clean interior textiles can be a challenge if you have kids. The most simple and effective way to keep dirt, sand, bacteria, food and drink spills, and the like off of your carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture is to establish some rules for kids. Here are some suggestions.
Keep clean.
Instruct your child to wash his or her hands or take a bath or shower right away after sticky, dirty, or otherwise messy activities. After all, dirt that goes down the drain will not end up on your carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture.
Don’t track dirt into the house.
Removing shoes at the doorway can make a world of difference in how much dirt and grime gets ground into the fibers of rugs and carpeting.
Eat and drink in designated areas.
Keeping food and beverage consumption confined to the kitchen, dining room, or other areas where there is hard surface flooring can limit the possibility of spills, splatters, and crumbs soiling your interior textiles.
Put away toys, games, and other clutter.
Let’s face it. You are probably going to be less likely to vacuum often if you have to pick up a thousand toys before you can vacuum. Instruct children to play with one toy at a time and to put the toy away before moving on to some other activity. If things get out of hand, give children a basket to gather any belongings and then put them where they go while you vacuum. If items are quickly cleared away when you decide it is time to vacuum, then vacuuming won’t seem like such a chore.
Report spills and help clean them.
Although you probably cannot count on a child to thoroughly clean spills, you can use spills as an opportunity to teach your child proper cleaning techniques and how to be responsible. For specific instructions on cleaning spills, see our free, downloadable Carpet and Interior Textiles Care Guide.
Regular Professional Cleaning
No matter how quickly you clean up spills and accidents or how often you vacuum, regular professional carpet and upholstery cleaning is an essential part of your strategy for maintaining clean, fresh, beautiful interior textiles. Professional cleaning achieves a deep-down clean that simply is not possible with regular cleanups and vacuuming.
This is one of a series of articles written and published on behalf of Surface Care PRO Partners.