When several soft furnishings are cleaned in one visit, the order matters. Dust falls, so anything cleaned below a dusty surface will need doing again.
This is the sequence professionals follow, and it works just as well for a household deep clean.
Work top down
Each step is chosen so that debris from the next stage never lands on finished work.
- Curtains, blinds, pelmets and high-level dust first
- Upholstery, cushions and mattresses next
- Rugs — ideally lifted and handled separately from the fitted floor
- Fitted carpet last, once everything above it has been dealt with
Lift rugs before cleaning carpet
A rug left in place hides the carpet beneath it, and cleaning around a rug leaves a visible boundary once it is eventually moved.
Lifting rugs also lets the floor underneath dry properly, which matters if there has been any previous moisture problem.
Allow for drying between stages
Plan the visit so that the room can be ventilated afterwards and furniture is not put straight back onto damp carpet. Where a room must return to use quickly, low-moisture methods are the better choice.