Party survival guide for clean carpets

One of the joys of holiday season is the socialising, but when it’s you who is hosting the crowd for the evening, you know there is a high possibility your home will come out a little worse for wear - and your carpet and soft furnishings taking the brunt.

You will be familiar with the adage ‘fail to prepare and prepare to fail’, and this is true for keeping your carpets stain and spill free during and after the party. So, to help you on your way, Christchurch Carpet Cleaning have collated some tips and tricks to take advantage of to minimise the havoc wreaked on your home.

Tip #1 - Emergency carpet cleaning kit

Plan for minor cleaning emergencies during the party. Spills and stains are going to be the number one emergency. Make ready a stash of paper towels to blot spills, salt to soak up the liquid to prevent it being absorbed by the upholstery or carpet fibres, and your choice of stain remover products on hand too. Only use products you are familiar with - this is not the time to be experimental and risk permanently damaging upholstery and carpets.

Tip #2 - Clutter free party space

You want to have your party in your natural habitat, nobody wants to party in a sterile room with no soul - but that does not mean you can’t prepare your home for a party by removing or rearranging household items. For example, make sure there is enough table space for people to leave their empties on and regularly mine sweep to remove them - tables overflowing with empty bottles and glasses is a disaster waiting to happen.

Tip #3 - Children zones

If there are no children at the party, guests will only be in the living areas. However, if children are attending, be clear about where they are allowed to take food and drinks i.e. not upstairs or in bedrooms.

Tip #4 – Be vigilant

Depending on the type of party you have had, there could be a multitude of stains: coffee, beer, wine, various foods, sauces, or even blood. Different stain types require different carpet cleaning treatment - identifying the cause is crucial to get the best clean carpet result. Keep alert to any hullabaloo about spilled drinks so you can act appropriately and in a timely manner.

Unfortunately, at parties’ spills and stains are often walked over by unsuspecting guests making identification tricky while grounding the stain into the fibres. The best way to treat a stain on a carpet is while it is still fresh when the spillage hasn’t been absorbed by the carpet or upholstery fibres, but typically stains and spills are not spotted until the next day aftermath clean up starts.

This is when you need a professional carpet cleaner.