3 Tips for Shampooing Your Carpet in the Winter

Spring and summer are the ideal times to shampoo your carpet because you can open the windows to encourage the carpet to dry out quickly. But if it's winter and your carpet is badly in need to shampooing, you don't have to put the chore off for months. Here are some tips to ensure the best results if you have your carpet shampooed in the winter.

Be extra careful to suction as much water out of the carpet as possible.

If you're shampooing the carpet yourself, make sure you go over it a few extra times on suction mode. Also be sure not to spray any more water than is necessary on the carpet as you're shampooing it. The "boost mode" on most carpet shampooers is best avoided in the winter when drying out the carpet has to be your priority.

If you're hiring someone else to clean your carpet, ensure that they use high-powered suction equipment. Most house cleaning companies do, but it never hurts to double-check.

Turn on your dehumidifier and fan.

After you are finished shampooing the carpet, turn your thermostat fan setting to "on." This should cause the fan to operate constantly even when the heat is not kicked on. This way, the air will continually circulate through your home, helping to rid moisture from the air in the room where the carpet is shampooed. If you run a dehumidifier in the basement, it will remove the moisture from the air throughout the day. Keeping the air a bit drier will cause the carpet to dry out faster.

Don't put the furniture back in the room too soon.

When you're cooped up inside in the winter, it can be tempting to put furniture back into place sooner so you can roam about the home more freely again. But in the winter when drying is your main goal, you have to be extra careful not to put furniture back on top of moist carpet. Otherwise, you might end up with mold in your carpet and on the bottom of your furniture. A good guideline is to wait at least 2 days or even longer if you don't have a dehumidifier. Feel the carpet in a few different spots before deeming it completely dry.

Shampooing your carpet in the winter requires a bit more attention to detail when it comes to drying. However, if you work with a carpet cleaning company, they should be able to advise you as to exactly what to do to dry the carpet out quickly and prevent mold growth.