Autumn can be a wonderful season in many ways. There are the golden leaves, the wonderful sunsets, the fun of October 31st and November 5th and the approaching anticipation of the festive season.
However, if you are thinking of getting a new carpet right now, you should be asking any prospective supplier just how robust it is with the challenges of this season in mind.
Apart from wear and tear caused by footfall and furnishings, the biggest challenge to a carpet is likely to be its capacity to withstand stains and mess. Can it be cleaned easily without leaving lasting damage or shortening its life?
True, stains can occur at any time from things like spilled drinks and pets having ‘accidents’ as you try to house-train them, which is where using smart methods like soaking with water or white wine vinegar, blotting rather than rubbing and using salt to soak up moisture will help get carpets looking good as new.
However, autumn brings extra challenges such as accidentally walking fallen leaves into the carpet, or, worse still, treading in something a dog left that was under the leaves.
As the weather gets colder and wetter, that will also bring more mud into the house on shoes. This is especially true when you have been out in the dark, not least on a muddy field watching fireworks in November.
The Spruce advises oxygen-based bleach can be used on very bad mud stains, unless it is a wool carpet, in which case hydrogen peroxide should be used. As ever, blotting is vital and so is vacuuming to remove the debris as it dries.
Come the winter, things won’t be so bad. Fallen leaves won’t be so ubiquitous, people will go out less in the cold and if it actually gets wintry enough to snow in these days of climate change, the white stuff shouldn’t cause too much mess.
Therefore, it is definitely autumn when the biggest challenge will come. Make sure your new carpet can stand the test of time.. and grime.