Carpet Cleaning Tips for High Traffic Areas

Carpeting in occasionally used rooms and areas is easy to clean and maintain. For those high traffic areas, such as main hallways and carpeting that starts within the first 10 feet of a doorway that opens to the outside, it can be more difficult, especially when it hasn’t been deep cleaned in a while and regularly maintained.

Follow these cleaning tips, and kiss away the stress of seeing your carpeting suffer from high foot traffic:

Clear Dirt, Debris & Dust Daily

Investing in a quality vacuum is a critical part of cleaning and maintaining your carpets – no surprises there. These days, though, vacuums can cost you the same as a used car, and with the ongoing economic crisis from the pandemic, every penny matters.

If your existing vacuum cleaner isn’t picking up all of the dirt and debris from your carpets, which may be especially apparent in the high traffic areas, then try using a lint roller. Lint rollers are a cheaper option than tuning up your vacuum cleaner or buying a new one. Whatever you choose, make sure to make it a daily practice!

Spills & Concentrated Stains

Spills should be tended to as soon as possible. In the event they aren’t, and then end up as concentrated stains or spots on your carpeting, different from the general run-down, discoloring that occurs in high traffic carpet areas, then try a DIY stain removing method.

Mix 3 parts of water with 1 part of white vinegar, and apply the solution to the area of the spill or stain. Meanwhile, plug a hand held iron in and let it heat up. Once the solution has soaked, cover the affected area with a towel, and iron over the towel. The heat and pressure from the iron will pull the stain, loosened by the solution, from the carpet into the towel.

For Those Run-Down, Faded Areas

Carpeting in high traffic areas is noticeably more run-down and faded looking than carpeting that’s closer to walls or in corners, or in low traffic areas. The combination of constant usage and contamination of these parts of your carpeting are stubborn to traditional methods of maintenance.

Baking soda is a surprisingly effective way to clean and liven up the high traffic areas of your carpet, except you’ll have to conduct the cleaning in early or late hours, or overnight. When expecting little to no traffic, spray a mixture of baking soda and water to the affected areas, let soak for a little, and then liberally apply baking soda (powder) over the same areas. Let it sit for a few hours and soak up the remaining dirt and stains.

When all else fails, think about hiring a professional to steam-clean your carpets. Some professionals charge by the hour or by square footage, and if you manage to clean and maintain your low traffic carpeting, then getting the high traffic areas professionally cleaned may not cost as much as a full carpet cleaning commitment.