We spend a lot of our time on it but it generally gets less attention than other areas of the house, our carpet!
If you’re getting your house ready for open homes you need to make sure your carpets are looking their best. Below is some carpet cleaning information to help you make the most of your snuggly underfoot tapestry’s.
What’s that smell?
Some smells are good, such as flowers or freshly baked bread. Some smells are bad, such as a smelly dog or worn sports socks. Everything that goes onto your carpets can leave a smell behind, pets being one of the main culprits.
Glade shake ‘n vac’ neutralises carpet odours and helps to fragrance the room. It is super simple and fast to use and comes with a sprinkle topper (like on talcum powder) for convenience. Simply walk around and shake it directly onto the carpeted area you think needs some attention, leave it a few minutes and vacuum it up. It does point out that you need an empty dust collection chamber or bag. I have friends with dogs who use this product and I have to say I haven’t smelt dog in their home, with indoor pets too. Choose from fragrances like ‘wild lavender’ or ‘essence of summer’. This product will cost you about $6 per a can.
‘No Vac’ is another easy to use product. This one markets itself as a sanitiser and deodoriser that lifts and destroys bacterial odour. Sounds great right? This one is a pressurised can and is a foaming product. Holding the can at hip height, you spray it onto the carpet in a side to side sweeping motion. It will foam up on the carpet and then disappears into the carpet leaving a pleasant smell behind. Best part about this one is there’s no vacuuming required; you’re all done in just a few minutes. Choose from Garden Breeze, Linen breeze or one especially for pets, costing around $7.50 per can.
Professional help
If you have stains on your carpets, or maybe you feel it’s time for a good thorough clean, call in the professionals. Find a list of all the cleaners available in our region here. You can get a rough quote over the phone so you know what to expect. You may not need this much attention in every room of the house, just the main areas such as the lounge and dining perhaps. They can also pay special attention to any stains you may have. Be sure to tell them about these stains over the phone so they know what to expect and then if they need any special equipment or products, they can be more prepared.
DIY
Us Kiwis, we love to DIY, and of course there are options available for this. RugDoctor might be what you’re looking for. You can hire these from various locations around the region, coming with full instructions to help you make the most out of your carpet cleaning. The website is great and has a calculator so you know how much you are looking at spending before deciding to go ahead. They ask you questions such as ‘How many rooms do you want to clean? Is the house empty? Do you have pet odour? Any specific stains you need to remove and what caused them?’ etc. This ensures you have the right products for the job and you don’t waste your time.
If you decide you prefer this way of cleaning your carpets, you can buy carpet shampooers from stores such as Godfreys, ranging in price from a few hundred dollars into the thousands, check out the link for a list of what’s current. They do need additional products to go with the machine, just like in your shower you need shampoo to wash your hair. These products are normally just a minimal cost on top of the unit itself.
Quick fix
Stick Vacuums are amazingly convenient and great for quick fixes. They do a brilliant job at picking up the big bits, the visible stuff sitting on the top. Unless it’s on the tiles or wooden flooring where you can actually see everything you want to clean, leave the rest of the flooring to the big vacuum that can get into all those nooks and crannies underneath the carpet.
Once your carpet has been thoroughly cleaned and ready for viewing we want to keep it as immaculate as possible. Shoes off inside and if your animal’s are lucky enough to be inside pets, be sure to use a deodoriser on the carpets. Happy selling everyone!
Brent Palmer – Professional Real Estate Consultant
About the Author: The above article on Lets talk carpets was written and provided by Brent Palmer, a local leader in the field of Richmond and Nelson Real Estate sales, marketing, advanced technology for home selling, and social media. You can contact Brent Palmer here, or at 027 544 9921.
He has helped many people buy and sell homes in the Nelson, Stoke and Richmond areas for years, and would love the opportunity to help you as well.
Thinking of selling your home? I have a real passion for helping people sell their homes in our Nelson and Tasman Region, as well as the marketing, social media & advanced technology for home selling that goes along with it. I’d love to have the opportunity to sit down with you discuss how we can work together to get you the best price.
I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Nelson and Tasman towns & neighbourhoods: Wakefield, Brightwater, Hope, Appleby, Redwood Valley, Mapua, Stoke, Tahunanui, Atawhai and of course, Richmond and Nelson City. Connect with Brent on Facebook and pretty much everywhere else.
Know someone who needs help with real estate? Be rewarded and REFER them here
