Spring cleaning? Don’t forget your soft surfaces
For many, a spring cleaning to-do list usually includes things like deep cleaning in the bathroom and kitchen. These are the tasks that easily come to mind, partly because it’s usually quite visible as you walk around the home that it’s time to give these areas a good scrub. It’s no surprise why an attic or garage are the go-to places for stacks of random objects that go untouched for years– out of sight, out mind!
Another reason kitchens and bathrooms tend to get attention is because they are so frequently used. They come into contact with humans, pets, water, food, dirt and dust just to name a few. So deep cleaning should be done on a regular basis, not only for sanitary reasons but for health reasons as well. If not cleaned well, hard surfaces can easily attract mold and mildew that can cause all kinds of issues.
But what is often neglected are the areas of your home that are used even more frequently than the bathroom and kitchen and come into contact with the same exact things. The only difference? You can’t always see when these areas are dirty.
The areas in question are the soft surfaces of your home. Soft surfaces include things you can’t easily throw in the washer like carpet, rugs, drapes, and upholstered furniture. These surfaces can get just as dirty as the hard surfaces but are often overlooked because it’s difficult to tell when they’re in need of cleaning. And often if you can see that they need cleaning, the dirt, dust, dust, and allergens have already been affecting your home.
It’s likely that you’ve had your carpets or rugs cleaned before, but many people don’t get cleanings as often as they should. It’s recommended that you have your carpet professionally cleaned every 6-18 months. If you have many people living in your home and/or pets, you should probably go with the shorter end of that frame. Rugs can go a bit longer, possibly a few years between cleanings. Master Cleaners also offers rug cleaning in our state-of-the-art plant, allowing you to conveniently drop off and pick up without having to schedule an appointment in your home.
A word of caution when you look for carpet and rug cleaning services: While it may be tempting to hire a discount carpet cleaning service to clean your carpets and rugs, be aware of the risk that entails. More than 30% of the jobs we do at Master Cleaners are fixing mistakes from cleaners who did not use the right equipment, cleaning materials, or proper techniques. So saving a few dollars up front can cost you big time in the end.
A lesser known fact is that you can also get your upholstery and drapes cleaned the same way your carpet is cleaned. It may be tempting to just spray some fabric freshener on these items and call it a day, or only spot-clean as it is needed. But upholstered furniture can hold similar unpleasant things as your carpet does, like dust mites, allergens and other bacteria. It’s safe to say if you get your carpet cleaned, you should do the same for furniture and the other soft surfaces in your home.
So start this spring off right by giving everything in your home a cleaning – both the hard surfaces and the soft ones!