It is that time of year when we're all doing our spring cleaning. Have you noticed your carpets have seen better days and realised the winter hasn't been kind? It's okay... all of us have the same problem! At this time of year, all carpet cleaning companies get busy. We are all rushed off our feet, from carpets to upholstery and rugs.
All the Christmas parties and the wet, cold weather won't have helped but fear not. This article will cover how long you need to leave a room to dry and what you can do to hurry it along a little. Also, in the end, there will be links to other helpful articles and a free downloadable E-Book about caring for your carpet, so remember to read to the end.
After you’ve invested money and time in cleaning your carpet, you’ll want to ensure it stays clean. Whether it was cleaned with a do-it-yourself or cleaning system by a professional service, keeping it nice will be vital to you! So, knowing how long after carrying out the carpet cleaning you can use the room is a valid and essential question.
It is essential to give the carpet enough time to dry before allowing pets or kids to play on it, walk on it, or replace the furniture you’ve moved. Using the room too soon can track dirt into the still-wet carpet. Moving furniture back before the carpet is completely dry can dent the fibres or leave stains or rust from furniture finishes.
Ideally, it is better to keep pets, children, and heavy traffic off the carpet for at least 6-8 hours after cleaning it. If you have to go through the room you have cleaned to get to a different section of the house, wait for half an hour after cleaning. Also, remove your shoes and wear a pair of clean, preferably white, socks to protect the carpet.
Professionals will place waterproof protectors on the furniture legs so they can replace the furniture straight after cleaning. Most companies recommend leaving these protectors in place for at least 24 hours. After that, you can take them off. If you’ve cleaned the carpet yourself, use the 24-hour guideline before replacing your furniture.
After cleaning your carpets, there are some things you can do to speed up the carpet drying process:
Open windows, doors or use fans to increase the air circulation in the room. This will help to evaporate the moisture in the carpet quicker.
Depending on the time of year… turning on the heating can help to speed up the drying process.
A dehumidifier removes moisture from the air… this can also help to speed up the drying process. So, if you have one, turn it on in the room for a while.
While the carpet is still damp, try not to walk on it as much as possible. This can help to prevent debris and dirt from getting trapped in the carpet fibres and slowing down the drying process.
It’s essential to follow any instructions the professional gives regarding drying time and any instructions they may have given you. If your carpet is still wet after a day or two, it’s a good idea to contact a professional to ask for additional advice.
Will your carpet dry better on a hot day rather than cold?
The colder weather means your carpets can have an array of moisture, dirt, mud, and other contaminates flowing in from outdoors. Most people think waiting for warmer weather is a better time to clean your carpet. That isn’t actually the case, though!
Despite the warmth of the summer months, your carpet will dry quicker in the colder weather. You see, when the air is cold and dry outside, the warmed air inside your home will take in moisture at a quicker rate. This will half the drying time. This is important because the longer your carpet stays wet, the more likely bacteria and mould can enter.
The one thing you’ll want to make sure of is that you don’t over-steam or over-clean your carpet. Once or twice a year is plenty. Otherwise, you risk doing damage to the fibres.
Edited and written by Tracey Gilbey, Marketing
For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please don’t hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901549 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Farthings Cambridge provides our Dry Cleaning service.
