How Long Should You Stay Off Carpet After Cleaning
After your carpet undergoes a thorough, Non-Toxic Carpet Cleaning treatment, you’ll be ready to entertain with a sparkling new rug for your home. It’s great to get a fresh, clean carpet back from the cleaners, but if you don’t take the necessary steps to protect your carpet from harm after your cleaning, all that hard work and expense could end up being in vain. If you’re using a cleaning service that allows you to stay in your home during the cleaning, you might be in for quite a bit of a wait while your rug dries. Because of this, it’s important to keep off your carpet while it’s still damp. But how long is long enough? Read on to find out.
Avoid Walking on a Damp Carpet
It might seem obvious, but in the hours after your carpet is freshly cleaned, you’re going to want to avoid walking on it at all costs. Even if your carpet is a bit damp after a few hours, try not to walk on it. This is primarily a safety measure for you and your rug, but it will also help maintain your rug’s cleanliness and make the cleaning process much easier in the long run. When you walk on your rug before it’s fully dry, not only do you risk bringing dirt back onto your newly-cleaned carpet, you also create the potential for that dirt to get caught and trapped in your rug’s still-moist surface, creating a chance for mold to pop up. Basically, as long as your rug still has moisture in it, the less contact you or anyone else in your home has with it, the better.
Keep Furniture Out of the Way
Protecting your carpet from dirt and mold is important. However, protecting your furniture from rot and rust is just as crucial. Once your rug is cleaned, you might want to start moving your furniture back into place before the carpet has had a chance to fully dry. This is a mistake. Most home rugs can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day to dry through completely. You don’t want to move your furniture back into place any time before then. Moving in furniture when your rug is still wet could result in serious damage on contact.
If Possible, Seal the Room Off Entirely
Sometimes, the best way to avoid contact altogether is to make your living room or den a no-go zone, at least during the time it takes for your rug to fully dry. This is especially important if you live in a house with a bunch of other people, pets, or small children who are likely to track a lot of dirt into the room. If the room has a closing door, keep it closed. If not, find creative ways to seal off the space so that everyone knows not to enter. Once your room is sealed off, creating the proper atmosphere for drying will also be easier. You’ll be able to open windows and ventilate the room while keeping it at a warm temperature that’s perfect for drying.
