To Keep Your Furnishings Cleaner . . . Stop Dirt at the Door

We love cleaning for you, but we know that some preventive measures you can take will keep your cleaned carpet or rugs cleaner
a little longer. So here’s some simple tips on how to stop dirt in its tracks.

1. Keep dirt on the rug or mat – Actually, what you want to do is stop the dirt in your tracks – specifically, on the soles of your shoes. There are other ways that dirt gets in – and in particular, you may be thinking of dirt that comes through the air and open windows – but what you bring in on your feet is of far greater significance. So use doormats or rugs at every entrance to your home, inside and out. Most of the grime in your home comes from the outside, the bulk of it coming in unnoticed on shoes that don’t appear to be either muddy or dirty.

2. Choosing the right size – Choosing the right doormat will reduce the time you spend cleaning and chasing down dirt. The size and placement is key. For a rug or mat to work thoroughly, it has to be longer than a typical stride. A mat should be long enough and placed so that both feet strike at least once, but the longer the better.

3. Floor mats also are a good idea – Floor mats also are a good idea near high-traffic or spill-prone spots such as the fridge, the bath and the toilet. Rugs or mats on wood floors in the walkway from the entry or kitchen clean indoor soil from your feet before the white carpet on your steps or entry to your Master bedroom. However, make sure they don’t bunch up or slide so you don’t slip or fall.

4. Doormats need minimal maintenance – Just take them outside occasionally and give them a good shake to remove the dust as
well as a once-over with the vacuum cleaner now and then. Vacuum the back (the dirt falls down – out) – then vacuum the front.

5. When mats or rugs are really grimy – When mats are really grimy, hose them down and scrub them with a squirt of liquid soap in warm water. Rinse and allow to thoroughly air-dry. If you have rugs, bring them to Chase for proper cleaning.

6. To reduce the dirt entering your house – To reduce the dirt entering your house, limit the number of entrances that are used. This way, you’ll cut down on the places where people and pets can walk dirt in. And if most people enter your house through a room that has an easy-wipe floor, most of the grime will never make it past first base and into the rest of your home.

7. Make your house a shoeless zone – Make your house a shoeless zone for everyone. Politely ask family members, guests and friends to shed their shoes just inside the entrance. Provide a decorative basket or some other receptacle where people can stash their shoes.

8. Design to reduce grime – It’s not every day that you buy new flooring, furniture, carpet or rugs. But when you do, choose the fabrics and surfaces wisely. Always think as you buy, “Will this increase the work I have to do around the home?” Also have carpet, rugs and other fabric treated with one of our quality fabric protectors when new or after every cleaning to help repel soil and spills.

9. Close your doors – Dirt just likes to travel. It’s happiest when it can roam freely all over your home, hiding in nooks and crannies where it’s most labor-intensive to find and remove. So stop dirt at the borders. That is, habitually keep your doors, drawers, cabinets, wardrobes and other barriers closed.

10. Smart tricks for pets – Any pet with easy access to the garden will bring plenty of the great outdoors in on its coat and paws. Keeping your dogs and cats clean, and taking preventative measures when you know they have got especially dirty, will reduce the amount of dirt they can bring into your house.

• Keep a clean rag by the door so that you’ll be more likely to remember to wipe off muddy, wet paws and claws before your beloved animal makes unsightly tracks through the whole house.
• Once a week, take your dog outside and give its fur a good going-over with the type of brush recommended for its coat. Do this well away from the house, so that the tufts won’t tumble back inside.
• The miracle way to lift pet hair from furniture and other surfaces is to wipe with a damp sponge or cloth. The hair will gather in clumps, and onto your cloth.
• Nothing beats your vacuum cleaner for pulling pet hair out of your rugs and carpets. If you have pets that shed a great deal, it could be worth purchasing a vacuum cleaner which has been specially designed to deal with fur. Consider grooming the carpet with a carpet rake prior to vacuuming to make it more effective.