Published on 12, July, 2020
As a result of having some work done in my house last month, which required items several items of furniture to be moved, I decided it was time my carpets had a long-overdue and much-needed deep clean with a carpet washer. This is something I used to do a few times a year, and hope to get back into the habit of.
I opted to start with my son's bedroom carpet, well aware that it would likely require repeated deep cleaning. The last time it was done must have been a good 10 years ago, and there's a heck of a lot of deeply embedded dirt that has built up since then.
When using a carpet washer, one ideally wants the dirty water collected to end up looking reasonably clear. However, I think it could be a while before I begin to feel the end goal is in sight, as despite several washes, the dirty water being collected resembles the colour of mud. Admittedly, a slighter lighter shade than when I started cleaning the carpet a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping that once I've got my son's bedroom carpet as clean as I can get it, regular vacuuming (by him) and less intensive carpet washing (by me) will be enough to prevent it from getting into such a filthy state again.
I have a list of outstanding tasks that I want and need to do around my house and garden, so if cleaning the carpets can be crossed off the list, it will give me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can muster enough physical energy to tackle the rest. When I moved into my house 22 years ago, I took pride in it. However, repeated bouts of depression and physical health issues resulted in it getting neglected and looking rather unloved. I am now on a mission to see if I can rectify that.
That is relative to tree cover and such, you definitely don’t want to be to one who does nothing about their gutters during late-autumn, when they live under a pine tree canopy..
Despite owning ladders, I'm no good with heights. Unfortunately, the majority of my windows require me to clean the exterior from the inside and can involve me feeling like I need to be a contortionist. Not ideal, as I'm rather prone to bouts of shoulder and back pain.
Has it been more than 4 months since I cleaned my windows? Er, yes, most certainly. I shall now retreat to stand in a corner and feel suitably ashamed for neglecting my windows.
Having a small bucket in which keep your squeegee and your microfibre and your scrim, tidy and calculated and minimalist, using non of it for anything other than that one zen-session you have every month or three..
Because a probably cleaned window only starts to look dirty after a few months and only badly-needs cleaning after 4..
And it’s actually such a peaceful and mindful experience, just wiping the window being mindful of the soap to water ratio, buffing the window to total perfection as peaceful and calmly as is required..zen..
There is specialist window-cleaning soap, but it’s a little bit much, especially if you need the space..
Prepare yourself..
Unger 10” s-channel squeegee.
scrim cloth- one one those cheap white cloths (preferably the most over-used threadbare one you’ve ever seen). Or cheapo microfibre will do (which basically anything you’ll find on a shelf).
Unger ninja microwipe, you may a well get a pack of 5 (basically a micro fibre that I am guaranteeing).
Find the cheapest, cheapy-cheap economy dish-soap you can find. And add one squeeze to a bucket (basically a medium flex of the thumb).
method:
You do not want the water to be soapy to the point of lather, you know you’ve got the right mix when the water on the window is just-about not-beading. Dish-soap is bad for cleaning windows, because it cleans them too-well, so cheap I unconcentrated rubbishy dish-soap, makes for top-dollar window-cleaning soap.
Use the scrim to wipe down the frame then window, then squeegee the window. Then buff the window with the ninja microfibre until streakless and shiny.. then you’re done. Next window.
[side note] There is nothing more-satisfying than squeegeeing with a real squeegee, a window that someone else has painstakingly done-badly, which is anything other than what I described. Because you literally are just wiping-away all of the wasted-money that they spent on useless-chemicals, knowing that you’ve done one-hundred times better than they ever could’ve done with their bloated-inventory of expensive chemicals and gimmicky-equipment..
I have an upright steam mop that converts into a multi-tool handheld steam cleaner, so that's what I tend to use for cleaning windows, along with a whole host of other household cleaning jobs.
Out of curiosity, what would your suggestion be? I know I've got a window squeegee somewhere, and possibly a couple of chamois leather cloths too.
You need a signpost to the equipment that’ll do best..? It fine if you don’t, I just happen to love cleaning windows, provided I have the right gear..
To be honest, although I have a home, it can be a struggle to find the space to store my cleaning equipment. This is partly because the house I live in was built in an era when the likes of carpet washers, steam mops, etc, didn't exist.
I'm sorry to read about your ladder mishap and the demise of your window-cleaning business. You have just reminded me of yet another thing I need to add to my never-ending list of household tasks... cleaning my windows (inside and out).
As much as I like the look of laminated floors, I don't think one can beat carpets for helping to keep the heat in during the colder months of the year... unless one happens to have underfloor heating, that is or isn't susceptible to feeling the cold.
Gosh! Your gran had her carpets for a long time, but I'm guessing she would have been part of the 'make do and mend' generation... When things were bought to last and every effort was made to ensure they were well-cared for.
Optmium household cleaning art, is my jam, it’s totally a special interest of mine. I’ve not got a home to collect all that equipment, I used to run a window cleaning business for a short time, I found inner-peace whilst squeegeeing windows.That is until I let it all go, a ladder that is.. though a window..
My floors are all laminated; now. My Gran never changed the carpet; from when the house was built, in 1978, until 2018, when the lamination took place.
My new home's floors were already laminated.
Thank you for your kind wishes. I'm at an age where my body tends to protest when I'm not kind to myself, so I do try to pace myself.
Your family home sounds gorgeous, and I can fully understand why you have struggled to keep on top of the housework since your mother's death. Similar to you, I had a breakdown after the death of my father in 2019 and found it difficult to function. I am sure that when you feel ready, you will be able to restore your home to its former glory.
Good luck with your mission. I hope you can get it how you want but remember to be kind to yourself. Life often gets in the way and you're only human, so it's understandable that sometimes things have to wait.
My family home was lovely. An old 18th century house with thick red carpets, wooden antique furniture all polished and glistening. I was born in 97 and by then the house was very special to me and my mum adored it she kept everything polished and looking clean. After she died I tried to keep everything the way it had always been but began to struggle and have since been in a depressive breakdown and struggle mentally. I'm hoping one day I can get back to the house and have it looking nice again.