The Central Coast Rainy Season Is Coming: Protect Your Carpets

Central Coast rain mostly shows up between November and March, and it comes in with the shoes. Wet, muddy feet at the door are the fastest way to age a carpet. A little prep in the fall saves you a lot of scrubbing later.

Before the rain starts

Get a fall cleaning done now. Going into winter with clean carpet means the mud that lands on it in December sits on a clean surface and comes out easily. Mud on top of a summer's worth of ground-in soil is a different story - that is when spots turn permanent.

Set up the entries. Every door that gets used needs two mats: a coarse scraper mat outside and an absorbent mat inside. Add a boot tray and a basket for shoes. This one change stops most of the problem.

During the rainy months

• Blot mud, do not rub or scrub. Let it dry first, then vacuum up the loose dirt, then treat what is left with a little carpet spot cleaner and blot.
• Keep a stack of old towels by the main door for wet paws and shoes.
• Vacuum the entry area two or three times a week through the winter - more than usual.
• If a room floods or a leak soaks the carpet, act within 24-48 hours. Standing water in a carpet turns into a mildew and pad problem fast.

Water damage

If you do get a leak or minor flooding, get the water out and the carpet drying quickly. Small, fast responses (extract, dry, treat) are cheap. A carpet and pad that sat wet for a week is not.

After the rain

Book a spring cleaning for March or April to pull out the winter's mud, salt and grit before the dry season sets it in. Homes that clean carpet in fall and spring hold up far better year to year.

Call (805) 704-2301 for a fall cleaning quote, or book online. We serve San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande and the rest of the county.