Older carpets in Churchtown semis and bungalows
Churchtown is mostly mid-century housing: semi-detached houses and bungalows from the 1950s and 1960s, on quiet roads between Dundrum, Rathfarnham and Milltown. Many have been in the same family for decades, and so have some of the carpets. You'll find patterned wool Axminsters in front rooms and halls, plainer carpets in the bedrooms, and a stairs carpet that has been walked on since the house was new.
Older carpets can still clean up remarkably well. Wool-rich Axminsters in particular were made to last, and a busy pattern hides a lot. Wool needs a suitable solution and controlled moisture, so we test a hidden corner before we start. The video on this page is from one of our carpet jobs in Churchtown.
Before a sale
A lot of our Churchtown work comes before a house goes on the market, often after a parent has moved into care or passed away. The order that works best:
- Clear the house of the furniture and belongings that aren't staying. Our house clearance page for Churchtown explains how that's handled, gently and at the family's pace.
- Do any repairs or painting. Dust and drips belong before the clean, not after.
- Clean the carpets in the empty rooms.
- Book the estate agent's photographer once the carpets are dry.
Empty rooms clean faster and photograph better. Our guide to preparing a property for sale covers the rest of the list.
Sometimes the honest answer is that a carpet is past cleaning, and the estate agent may prefer it lifted to show the boards. If we think that from your photos, we'll say so before you spend anything.
spotless.ieBefore visitors
The other common reason is a family occasion: Christmas, a big birthday, relatives coming to stay. Here it's usually the hall, stairs and front room that matter. Book a few days ahead rather than the day before, so the carpets are fully dry and the furniture is back where it lives by the time people arrive.
Bungalows: one level, quicker work
Bungalows are straightforward: no stairs, and every room off one hall. The hall is the hardest-working carpet, running from the front door to the kitchen and the bedrooms, so we finish there and nobody walks across the cleaned rooms on the way out.
In a two-storey house with a stairlift, we clean around the rail with the hand tool. Everything is reached except the small patches under the rail's supports, which can't be done without removing it.
If someone in the house is unsteady on their feet, plan the day with them in mind. Damp carpet itself isn't slippery, but damp socks or slippers carried from the carpet onto a tiled kitchen or bathroom floor can be. Keep a dry route open to the kitchen and the bathroom, and leave the cleaned rooms until they're dry.
Armchairs, beds and the rest of the house
Older homes often have a favourite armchair that has seen as much use as the carpet in front of it, and a spare bedroom with a mattress that hasn't been turned in years. Both can be cleaned on the same visit, with a hand tool on the same machine. Fabric chairs get a care-label check and a colour test first; some older upholstery shouldn't be wet-cleaned, and we'll say so rather than risk it.
Getting the house ready for a sale or a visit? Send a photo of each room, the hall and the stairs, and we'll come back with a fixed price, usually the same day.
What to expect from an older carpet
- Lifts well: general soiling, dust, food and drink spills, and traffic lanes in the hall
- Improves but may leave a mark: old tea and coffee rings, and stains treated with household products over the years
- Stays as it is: burns from the fire, bleach marks, sun fading by the window, and worn pile on the stairs
Pets in an older house usually mean a favourite spot by the fire or the back door. Surface soiling there lifts well; old accidents that reached the underlay can leave an odour, and we'll tell you if that's likely.
If the house has been empty for a while, check the electricity and water are still connected. The extractor needs a socket and a tap.
Churchtown, Dundrum, Rathfarnham and Milltown
We cover all of Churchtown and the roads around it, including Windy Arbour, Goatstown, Milltown, Rathfarnham and Dundrum. Most houses here have a driveway, which makes the day easy. For Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar, see our Dublin 6 overview. Sofas and mattresses can be done on the same visit: see upholstery cleaning and mattress cleaning.
Ciprian, who will most likely be the one cleaning, did his Prochem training in 2018, and Spotless is fully insured. For the full service, see carpet cleaning in Dublin.
