Carpets and Christmas celebrations certainly aren’t a match made in heaven. When people are enjoying the trappings of the festive season, caution and cleaning tend to go straight out of the window. And if you have expensive carpeting in your home, this could be a Christmas recipe for disaster.
Some of the food and drink that is ubiquitous in homes at this time of year can cause some pretty serious stains on carpet — so take a few precautions this Christmas.
1. Limit food to the kitchen
If at all possible, try to limit food in your home to the kitchen and dining area. The more people move around your home with festive treats, the greater the risk of stains on your carpet. Apply this rule to snacks such as chocolate, mince pies and gingerbread too.
2. Place a thick doormat at each entrance
The average home experiences a huge increase in visitors during Christmas. While this is part of what makes this time of year so special, it also raises the possibility of dirty feet on your carpets. Rain, frost, ice and snow aren’t friends of carpet, and when they’re mixed with dirt and spreading salt they can cause real damage. Protect your carpets by placing thick mats at every entrance. Better still, ask people to remove their shoes as they enter.
3. Use rugs and runners
There will be areas of your home that experience high footfall at Christmas. Hallways, reception rooms and natural pathways are particularly at risk, and if you have carpet in these areas some real damage could be caused. Prepare your home by adding rugs and runners to these areas. You could even make them part of your festive decorations by choosing items with Christmas motifs.
4. Install blinds
The sun at this time of year remains relatively low for most of the day, and that means it can shine in your home and onto your carpet for longer. Over the course of a few weeks, this can cause carpet to fade, so use blinds to keep out direct sunlight at key times of the day.
5. Use furniture coasters
If you’re planning parties or asking family around at Christmas, there’s a good chance you’ll need to reorganise your furniture to make more space. But temporarily moving large tables, chairs and sofas will leave you with indentations in your carpet once your items return to their original position. If you move furniture on carpet, use furniture coasters for the feet. And if you have indentations to deal with, you can often get rid of them with melting ice.
6. Use protective sheets
If you’re planning raucous parties in your home this Christmas, expect food and drink to end up on the floor. You can give your carpet total protection by completely covering it with sheeting before you receive your guests. Then, all you need to do during the cleanup is throw away or clean the protective sheeting.
7. Organise a deep clean
It’s important to keep vacuuming your carpets regularly throughout the Christmas period. However, no amount of vacuuming will remove stains, dirt and grease. This is why it’s always a good idea to schedule a deep clean for your carpets when the festive season is over. You can either call in the professionals, or use a steam cleaner for the job. You’ll need to clear the room of furniture, however, and the job will take a few hours. So choose a time when you know your home will be empty.
The last thing you’ll want to be doing at Christmas is worrying about damage to your carpets. Taking these precautions should reduce the chances of your carpeting becoming stained or damaged during the festive season, so start planning now.
