When moving out of your home or apartment, there are many things that you need to cross off of your to-do list. Moving out can be expensive, but we’ve figured out how to keep the costs to a minimum. Aside from moving out your belongings, you might not get your deposit back if you leave the carpet a disaster. Cleaning the carpets before you move out should be a priority so that you are prepared for the move-out inspection with your landlord. Read these 5 tips below about how and why to keep your carpet clean during your move:
1. Keep your security/cleaning deposit: Depending on the cleanliness and size of your carpeting, and the amount you paid for your cleaning deposit, chances are it is much cheaper for you to rent a professional carpet cleaner than to lose your cleaning deposit. Rug Doctors are available for rent and can be picked up from a variety of locations. To get out harder stains, you can buy stain removers.
2. Show your home with clean carpets: If you are planning on showing your home to sell it, buyers are more likely to purchase if your carpet is already clean. If you have problem or traffic areas in your carpet, you can easily remove spots or traffic stains with a professional carpet cleaner. If you have one really bad spot, rearrange the furniture to temporarily cover it.
3. Give it time to dry: Make sure the carpet is fully cleaned and dry before you set down furniture. Professionally cleaned carpets can take anywhere from 8-24 hours for the carpet to completely dry. Putting furniture back onto a wet carpet can not only damage the furniture, but longevity of the carpet as well.
4. Keeping the carpets clean during your move: To preserve your clean carpets, put lots of sturdy paper & carpet film protector during your move. Then have two crews (or do the move in stages if you don’t have enough people), one outside to move everything from the truck to the house, then the second crew (in clean shoes) to stay inside moving everything from the entry-way to the appropriate rooms.
5. Look for any remaining stains: After you have moved out all of your furniture and belongings, it is much easier to find stains and traffic marks on carpets. Moving out furniture can sometimes bring mud and dirt onto the carpet, so cleaning the carpets after the move ensures you get a perfectly clean carpet. By removing any lingering stains and releasing any smells that may remain in the carpet, you can be sure that you won’t lose your cleaning deposit with a carpet cleaned this thoroughly.
Have you tried cleaning your carpets before moving out? Did you get to keep your cleaning deposit? Were you able to sell your home with clean carpets? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!