If you’re a new homeowner, you’re going to want to show off your new digs to friends and neighbors by throwing a proper housewarming party. Even if you’ve already owned your home for a while, it’s always nice to invite a few guests over and while the night away over a few glasses of harm. There’s no shame in having a party every so often, as long as your rug doesn’t see the worst of it. When it comes to opening your house to a few guests, there’s always a chance of risking a nasty wine spill on your brand new rug. But never fear: If you’re worried about a party-related mess, here are a few ways to protect and clean your carpet with or without using a carpet cleaning service.
Have a Strict ‘Shoes Off’ Rule
There are no sure-fire ways to make sure your carpet doesn’t get any stains during a party. What you can do, however, to eliminate the likelihood of a dirty carpet is to explain to your guests that they have to remove their shoes before entering your home. That way, you’ll at least be making sure that your carpet isn’t constantly exposed to dirt and mud tracks through the course of the evening. If your party involves kids, this rule is doubly important. Think about creating a ‘kids space’ and an adults-only realm to keep your carpet even better protected from stains.
Make Certain Areas Off Limits
Your party guests have no intention of roaming every room of your house, nor should they. If you’re worried about your carpet and want to keep it out of harm’s way, think about making certain areas of your home off limits to guests, especially during larger parties. Even designating a smaller room as the coat room and storing your rug there is a great way to make sure no harm comes to your carpet. Having your rug out of harm’s way will do more than just prevent nasty wine stains. It will help relax you so that you can keep your mind on other things, like being a great host and throwing a memorable party.
Set Down Coasters Everywhere
The easier you make it for people to respect your home furnishings, the harder it will be for stains to show up on your couch, your coffee table, or your beloved rug. If you have to pepper your home with coasters and set makeshift garbage cans down at every turn, so be it. Making sure no one has to hold onto paper plates or used napkins for too long won’t just ensure that your upholstery stays litter-free, it will free up guests’ hands for more important things, like holding their drink and making sure it doesn’t spill everywhere. Setting up your house to be party-ready will also create a mentality that will make guests less likely to leave food and drinks everywhere.
Use Protective Liners
If you’re planning on having a big gathering at least a few times out of the year, you should definitely invest in covers for your upholstery and inexpensive rugs to place on top of your main living room carpet. Although it might give your home a bit of a funky look, it will do wonders for protecting your rug from harm if the night gets wild. If you’re still worried about your rug getting stained, keep a carpet stain removal kit on hand so that you can be prepared for anything. Make sure you have some bleach, a gentle cleaning soap, and a few spray bottles of green cleaner within reach so that you can attend to any new stain quickly. Whatever you do, don’t let your stains go untreated for too long. Remember, wine stains are way tougher to remove the morning after, so being prepared helps!
Invest in a Stain Protector or Absorbent Seal
Even if you’re not planning a party, having a solid stain protector on hand is a necessity if you really want to make stains a thing of the past. If you have a stain protector spray or a stain-resistant rug, you’ll be able to clean stains using little more than a paper towel and a spray bottle of water. It doesn’t matter what ends up on your rug after a night of partying. Even the toughest stains, like those caused by wine and dirt, will easily pool up for quick removal with a stain-resistant rug surface. If you’re someone who gets paranoid by the thought of stains, this is one of the easiest investments you can make to ensure that your stint as a party host remains stress-free and fun.