Thank you to Bissell for providing me with a carpet cleaner and cleaning products for review. All the opinions expressed in the blog post are honest and 100% my own, based on personal experiences with the products.
The carpeted areas in our home tend to need frequent upkeep to keep them looking their best. There are several things you can do to help keep carpets cleaner, longer…even if you have pets. The good news is that most of them do not require extra effort on your part. Making a few minor changes in your home and habits can make a major difference in the cleanliness level. It may take a little time to learn new habits, but you will notice the results, fast!
If you have indoor pets (especially dogs), your carpets will need to be cleaned more frequently. Read on for even more special tips for pet owners that will reduce the amount time they have to spend cleaning the carpet.
1. Put rugs on both the outside and the inside of entryways to your home.
Most of the dirt that enters our home comes in on our shoes. Minimize the amount of dirt brought into your home by placing rugs both outside and inside every entrance. Rugs will catch dirt and give people a place to wipe their feet.
2. Make a “No Shoes in the House” Rule.
If you really want to cut down on tracked-in dirt, make a “No Shoes in the House” Rule. This really works at my house. I even trained the kids to take off their shoes before walking into the house. Now they no longer bring in mud, dust, dirt, snow, etc. I have a basket next to our front door where everyone can put their shoes.
3. Vacuum as often as possible.
Homes with high traffic, children and pets will need daily vacuuming.
4. Invest in a home carpet cleaning system.
Buying a carpet cleaner will save you money in the long run vs hiring a professional carpet cleaner two to three times per year. Owning a carpet cleaner is also convenient for the times you need to shampoo a small area or room. You can quickly pull your unit out and get the job done.
The best carpet cleaner for Pet Owners is one with specialized pet cleaning features. I have a dog, so I like to clean with the BISSELL ProHeat 2X Select Pet Cleaning System. This easy-to-use carpet cleaning machine has a built-in heater to heat tap water 25 degrees warmer in order to maximize cleaning power.It also has a rotating brush that lifts the dirt your pet tracks in from your carpet. The Deep Reach Pet Tool helps you clean pet stains from stairs, upholstery and other hard-to-reach places. I have had many major successes at lifting stains completely out of my carpet.
5. Protect carpets against future stains by using deep cleaning treatment.
I shampoo my carpets using BISSELL deep cleaning formulas with Scotchguard. The Scotchguard adds a layer of protection to your carpet so when the kids spill something or the dog tracks in mud, it is protecting from stains.
The first time I used my Bissell carpet cleaner, I was not even trying to get the horrible stain (pictured above, left photo) out of the carpet. The stain had been there for months, and I assumed it would be there forever. I shampooed the carpet like normal (without even using a stain pre-treatment) and was immediately WOW’d by the results. The stain is barely visible in the second photo. I love that I can get professional results cleaning my carpets with a BISSELL carpet cleaner.
Helpful tips for pet owners to keep carpets cleaner:
Limit the number of areas where you allow your pets to roam indoors.
You will spend less time cleaning the carpets if pets are restricted to certain areas.
Protect your carpet with area rugs or runners.
If your pet has an accident on the rug, it will be easier to clean up a rug than the carpet.
Brush your pet’s hair outside, not indoors.
Brushing your pet outside prevents shedding indoors on carpet and furniture.
Wipe your pet’s paws with a towel before letting them come inside.
Clean your pet’s paws before they come inside to prevent them from bringing in dirt.
Most carpets need a deep cleaning every 6 months. Regular carpet cleaning will help carpets stay looking newer for longer. It also helps reduce the number of allergens in your home. Check out the complete line of BISSELL vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners and supplies at www.Bissell.com
How often do you vacuum your carpets? How often do you deep clean your carpets? Do you have any tips for how to keep carpets cleaner, longer? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
fastline media says
Thank you for your useful carpet steam cleaning tips, yes carpet steam cleaning keep your carpet last longer
Jasmine@Ozcleaningsolutions says
Nice Article. Very helpful. I think I should start doing more often vacuuming in week at Home.
Jack helmen says
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this idea. It’s very helpful to me for my house cleaning.
Thanks again..!!!!!
Nicole says
Hi Jack! So glad that you find this helpful. You’re welcome. 🙂
Amanda @ Paul's Carpet Cleaning Melbourne says
Thanks for sharing your opinion! I agree that having pets at home makes the carpet cleaning a lot more difficult. I for instance, have a cat, and every time I clean a spot, the cat arrives to check what I’m doing, and sometimes creates a new stain on the carpet while checking. So limiting the access of pets to the carpet would definitely help us take a better care of it.
Silas Knight says
You have some great tips here for keeping the carpets clean. We definitely need to do better when it comes to vacuuming, we only do it once a week. Our dog doesn’t shed very much, but she still does so we will do better at this, thanks!
Kayla Rogers says
I didn’t realize that high traffic areas required daily vacuuming! With so much cleaning to do on top of work, school, and family time, it can be difficult to get all the cleaning. I think I may hire a cleaning service to help me out once a week!
Nicole says
It can be hard to stay on top of things – I totally understand that! I think if you can hire a cleaning service, that would be a huge help around the house. Thanks for stopping by! –Nicole
Petunia Evans says
I know that our carpet has struggled in staying clean in the summer, so I’m very happy to find this article! I have never had the “no shoes rule” in my home, but I think I’d like to try it out! I also like the idea to put rugs near the entrance so that they can catch all the dirt. Thanks so much for this advice!
Nicole says
So glad that you found this advice useful, Petunia. Thank you for your kind comments! –Nicole
Petunia Evans says
Of course! Thank you for your great post!
Nash Rich says
I really like what you said about making the rule of no shoes in the house. I grew up in a “no shoes in the house” family, and I think it made a big difference. I now enforce it in my apartment. My mom always put rugs in the entries too, and even though we take off our shoes, it still helps. Thanks for all the info!
Nicole says
The No Shoes rule saves me so much trouble cleaning the floors, too. We’ve been doing it for so long now, it’s finally become a habit for everyone to take off their shoes right at the front door. Your mom’s idea for entry rugs is a good one, too. I have to have an entry rug during the winter because everyone is bringing in snow on their boots. It’s a big industrial rug, so it isn’t pretty – but it gets the job done. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and for your comments. –Nicole
Elsie Cole says
Keeping your carpet clean can definitely be a lot of work. However, it is well worth it to have a clean home. It is a really good idea to not allow shoes in your house. That can really help keep dirt and mud off of your carpet. I also like the idea of having mats for the entrances and exits of your home .
Veronica Marks says
I am actually terrible at vacuuming, so I am glad for the reminder of seeing it on this list! I always remember to vacuum while my daughter is asleep, and so I wait because I don’t want an angry baby on my hands. However, that usually results in me forgetting until she’s down for the night!
Andre Beluchi says
Nicole, the tip that you mentioned about limiting the areas from the pets sounds like an interesting tip. It’s something that I should probably look into since there are areas in my house that my dog tends to walk around. Well those areas are mainly the kitchen and living small living room that’s located at the front door of the house. Each time the dog enters he usually leaves the carpet filled with dirty paws that a deep carpet cleaning work is needed to be done.
Kevin says
Avoiding shoes inside is one answer. It definitely helps to prevent germs and dust from piling up over time. But it really is not realistic if you have 12-year and 14-year old sons in the house who seem to solemnly vow to make the house dirty.
Apart from that, great tips.
Nicole says
Haha! I can totally relate to having boys who vow to make the house dirty. It’s all we can do is try our best. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comments, Kevin. Have a great day!
Chelsey says
I really like those Bissell spot bots. Those look like they are easy to move around and use. I want one for our house! Especially after the mess my little guy made this morning.
Nicole says
I want to try one of those too. They look convenient for when you have a mess, but don’t necessarily want to shampoo an entire room. Hope you didn’t have too hard of a time cleaning up your little guy’s mess. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! –Nicole
Wendy Cartright says
These are really awesome tips for keeping the carpet clean! I will have to try vacuuming every day so that the dirt doesn’t have a chance to build up. I have a really old rug in my dining room that can’t be vacuumed regularly or it will fall apart. I may need to hire a carpet service to clean the rug for me.
Jordan Baker says
My mom instituted the “No Shoes In The House” rule when I was a girl. It was very frustrating, but I must say that it worked. I will undoubtedly incorporate into my own home. After all, I don’t want to vacuum all the time or deal with mud on my carpet! http://www.mcswaincarpets.com/products/carpet-catalog/
Veronika Dalton says
I need to be better about vacuuming my carpets more often. And asking my guests to take their shoes off. Have you seen that study about the kinds of bacteria that come in to your home and live in your carpet, just from wearing your shoes indoors? It’s gross!
Nicole says
Yes, I see those studies about all the stuff that comes in on your shoes and it totally grosses me out, too! Our guests are good about taking off their shoes. I have to remind the kids sometimes. It really helps keep my floors cleaner, that is for sure.
Veronika Dalton says
I think I’m going to stop at Tai Pan Trading Co and browse their basket selection again, because all we’ve got collecting shoes right now is a cardboard box. And that just looks… cluttered.
Nicole says
I use a big basket for shoes – and also limit people to the number of pairs of shoes they can keep out there. I have seen people hanging coat hooks a few inches off the ground and then using them to hang shoes. I’ve thought about trying that but then I figure no one would take the time to hang their shoes up. The basket is the easiest solution for us, I think.
Veronika Dalton says
I think the basket suggestion would work best for me too!
Cora Hoffman says
Great tips. The most useful thing is vacuuming often. If it is possible you could use deep cleaning every month.It works. Greetings!
bryan flake says
Out of all of your advice, I love the no shoes on the carpet rule the most. It makes so much sense to take off your shoes and leave them by the door. Growing up, we had some family friends that instituted that rule in their homes. Those carpets were immaculate.
Nicole says
I think out of everything we do, taking our shoes off at the door is the most effective way to keep most dirt and debris out of the house. I can tell when we have had rule-breakers over. haha Thanks for stopping by!
Dolph Hoover says
This is very informative. I remember my best friend a few weeks back who screamed at the rest of us at the front porch of their house just to remove our shoes ecause they had a new rug. I’ll most likely apply it in our house too
Jane Fox says
Thanks so much for the pet tips! I have a dog and a cat, and I’m always looking for ways to keep them from destroying things. I like the idea of using area rugs, so I’ll have to look into that. Right now my carpet is an absolute mess, and as I’m going to be selling it soon, I think I might need to call in a professional cleaning service. Hopefully they’ll be able to make it presentable again, and then I’ll implement your tips!
Yasmin says
These tips are incredibly helpful! Brushing your pet and cleaning it’s paws after a walk help really much to keep the carpet cleaner! Lovely post!
Best Regards, Cleaners Up Ltd. !
endoftenancyhousecleaning says
Very good tips! Keeping carpet clean is not that hard! Just make sure that you vacuum every second day and use steam cleaning! It is great for carpets! Lovely post! Thumbs up!
Julie Wood says
Pets really do make a mess of the carpet and I have a steam cleaner like this one and it really shampoos the carpet great and makes it look brand new. I try to get all the dog hair up off the rug before I use the rug shampoo, but I can not get all of it off. I steam clean the carpet every other month!
DEBRA GIFFORD says
I always wondered about the Bissell carpet cleaner so I appreciate this review. I love your tips about having your children take their shoes off at the door. All the years I was married and throughout my kids growing up years, they knew that everyone’s shoes came off at the door, including Mom & Dad’s, and their friends. Best tip to keep the outside dirt where it belongs!
Aimee Trader says
I will have to check out the products with scotch guard. We have light tan carpet in our living room and we have 3 small children. I find myself steam cleaning at least twice a month.
Janet W. says
We try to make it a habit to not wear shoes around the house unless we are coming or going. It definitely helps keep down the germs, too.