February began with the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, seeing his shadow and reminding us that winter is far from over. With winter weather comes a unique set of tasks for your property. Snow removal, HVAC maintenance, and landscape winterization to name a few, but have you thought about what winter does to your carpets? The damp winter weather can wreak havoc on these areas. 

When it snows, salt and other deicers are used to decrease the risk of slip and falls outside on your property. These deicers are then tracked into your building and onto your carpets. Once the snow starts to melt, you run into the issue of mud. 

Overall, your carpets could really take a beating. When winter does come to an end, you can have your carpets deep-cleaned, but the ongoing damage could have some long term effects. So in the meantime, consider these preventative measures. 

Depending on the amount of traffic your property sees, it may be effective to cover the carpets with a plastic cover, just until the harshest winter weather calms down. As the property owner, you can keep a close watch on the weather forecast, ensuring the carpets are covered before a big storm hits. You could remove the plastic when the forecast shows calmer weather. Of course, even with a cover, moisture and dirt could spill over the edges, so you will probably still benefit from a good carpet cleaning once or twice a year.

Even if you plan to have your carpets completely cleaned sometime soon, you should spot clean immediately following any mess. If someone walks in with particularly muddy boots, don’t just ignore the mud. It will eventually get tracked into other areas of the building, and add to potential carpet matting.

Instead, let the spot dry, then vacuum up as much dirt as possible. Combine warm water and dish soap and blot the area with a sponge. Continue this process until the dirt is no longer visible. While this process doesn’t eliminate the dirt for good, it will help the appearance of the carpet, while avoiding any serious staining. You will still need to have your carpets professionally cleaned to remove any dirt from the deeper layers of the carpet. 

While it won’t completely stop the dirt and debris from being tracked in, keeping up on the exterior maintenance of your property can help decrease their presence. Make sure the snow is cleared from all walkways and parking lots outside your building. If you need to use a sufficient amount of deicer in a particular area, place cones to warn pedestrians and clients to avoid that spot. If there are any repairs that need to be made to avoid mud running over a sidewalk, schedule them ASAP. If there’s not currently snow on the ground, consider laying wood chips down in areas that are otherwise muddy.

It’s also important to keep up on the maintenance of your drainage systems. This includes the roof gutters, and downspouts, as well as any drains that are in your parking lots or sidewalks. Be sure they are all clear of debris and functioning well, so you don’t end up with pools of water and sludge for people to walk through before entering the building.

At Servico, we are committed to ensuring fresh, clean carpets with our meticulous cleaning process and attention to detail. Turning your dirty carpets into pleasant-smelling areas free of dirt is what we do best. Call (248) 294-0166 or email us today to schedule a cleaning or to learn more about our services.