Remember the day when you tidied the house in the morning and it stayed tidy all day?
No? Me neither. However, I have been told that this is how my house USED to be BK (before kids).
Although I doubt my house will ever resemble a display home anytime soon, it is possible to keep some sort of semblance of sanity, even when we’re adding pets and kids to the mix.
So rest assured mumma, keeping your carpets and furnishings clean is easier than you think with a few clever tips and tricks.
1. Set up an attack zone for snacks
Kids gotta eat, right? But they don’t need to eat all over the house. We try to have all meals at the dining room table to avoid messes on the couch. But, this doesn’t always work, especially if it’s snack time and Teen Titans GO is on.
Instead, set up a table of snacks in the corner. On the tiles. Or outside even … away from all things fabric-y, expensive and pretty.
2. Or your could think portable…
You could always attach a portable bucket to the front of their bodies. This should also keep the food off your carpet during meal and snack time.
Individual food trays should work too. We often use the lids off storage baskets as individual TV trays.
3. Add a mat to your entrances
It sounds so simple but it’s really a winner! Reduce the dirt coming inside your home by using a mat to remove dirt, sand or mud from shoes before they track it in too far.
4. Keep cleaning supplies close by
Make sure you have a stack of baby wipes, clean cloths or a stain remover on hand for quick stain action. Remember, the sooner you get to the stain, the more likelihood you have of removing it.
5. Fix indented carpets with ice cubes
Another handy carpet hack is to use ice cubes, great for naturally fluffing up carpet where furniture has dented. Ice cubes are also awesome for removing wax from carpets.
6. Reconsider craft time
Hide all the glitter! And the paint, glue, beads, slime, play doh, confetti and anything else that will explode all over your floors. And most likely leave an annoying spot stain for later.
Move craft time into the backyard. Or garage. Or, better yet, the next door neighbour’s house.
7. Place LEGO (bricks up) all over your super expensive rug
Hopefully it will deter them from attempting to walk over it. Or park their bums on it. Because once you feel the pain of a LEGO brick in your foot, you know to stay away. Or at least tread lightly.
Or use homework to keep them off the carpets.This won’t work for kids who actually like homework but another surefire way to ensure your kids don’t go anywhere near your brand new white rug is to place a pile of homework on it. I do this with my son. Works every time.
Laundry that needs folding might also do the trick. Kids tend to avoid all chore-related activities.
8. Supply the whole family with adorable ‘indoor’ slippers
Leave them in a line-up at the door and make it part of the routine that, if you come inside after playing outside, you put on your nice, clean, indoor slippers. And keep your grubby feet hidden inside them and away from the carpets!
You can even get slippers for pets! But it’s probably a lot easier to convince the kids to wear them. After all, you can bribe kids with chocolate. Dogs, not so much.
9. Invest in a no-pee product
Pets have a special ability to pee on your nice, soft rug. But there are products that are designed to remove offensive urine odours and stains such as Britex Urine Remover.
10. Add double sided tape
Another easy way to keep cats away from your carpets and other fabric furnishings is to add a piece of double-sided tape to the area. Cats hate sticky things and will soon to stay away, or risk being pawsitively stuck!
11. Create a cosy nook for your animals
Both the cat and the dog have convinced me that they should be allowed in the house. But only in their designated areas. The dog has a mat on the floor that she can mess up as much as she likes. It’s easy to wash and hide in the closet when guests come over.
The cat has a designated cat mat too but he mostly ignores my requests and sleeps anywhere he damned well pleases.
12. De-fuzz with dishwashing gloves
This is such an easy way to get rid of fur in between vacuums. Simply put on a pair of wet dishwashing gloves, run your hand over the pet hair on your couch and voila! The fur will stick to your glove and vacate your beloved lounge. Lint rollers also do the trick.
13. If all else fails, buy heaps of throw pillows
Stain? What stain? All I see is a perfectly placed pillow. Which happens to be right in the middle of the lounge room.
Kmart has pillows for like $5 each. I swear we have about 15 of them on the couch alone. I just really like pillows, okay…
14. Or, better still, consider a portable spot cleaner
Portable spot cleaners are a godsend for parents, grandparents, pet owners and pretty much anyone who has kids or pets cycloning around on a regular basis.
We came across Rug Doctor’s Portable Spot Cleaner for families last month and are beyond excited about it!
The cleaning machine acts like your own personal spot cleaner, removing stains and intrusive spots within minutes. You don’t have to bring out the chemicals or hire a steam cleaner every time you find a muddy paw print or cordial stain. You can simply pull out your Portable Spot Cleaner and away it goes!
Rug Doctor’s Portable Spot Cleaner to the Rescue!
There’s plenty to love about Rug Doctor’s Portable Spot Cleaner. It comes with two times the suction power compared to leading portable cleaners, a retractable handle and carpet-friendly wheels, plus a removable tank for easy filling and emptying.
Use it in the house or in the car and remove unwanted spots from your carpets, rugs, couches, mattresses and more.
The Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner is currently available for just $275 through Appliances Online.
But be quick – these portable devices are selling like hot cakes! Turns out, a lot of us have issues with children, carpets and cats who won’t stay on their designated mats. Good to know it’s not just me!
Stop stressing about spot stains (and buying ALL the pillows from Kmart) and get yours today.
