Kilmainham, Inchicore, Rialto and the Liberties
Dublin 8 runs west from the Liberties and the Coombe out through Rialto and Dolphin's Barn to Kilmainham, Islandbridge and Inchicore. It's one of the oldest parts of the city, and the housing shows it: long rows of small red-brick cottages and terraces, many of them over a century old, mixed with newer apartment blocks around Heuston, the Liberties and along the river and the canal.
That mix means two quite different kinds of carpet job: a small, older house where drying needs some help, and a modern apartment where access is the main thing to plan.
There's a third kind too. Further out, in Inchicore and around Kilmainham, there are estates of family houses with a hall, a stairs and three bedrooms upstairs. Those get the usual treatment: each step by hand, the landing and hall with the main wand, and the living room with light furniture moved and put back.
Red-brick cottages: small rooms, cool walls
Cottages and small terraces are quick to clean. Rooms are compact, the stairs, if there is one, is short, and a whole house can be done in one visit with time to spare. The thing to plan for is drying.
Older houses with solid walls can be cool, and in winter they hold damp air. A carpet that would dry in a few hours in a modern apartment may take longer in a cottage on a grey January day. That's what the air movers in the photo at the top are for: they push air across the carpet so the moisture evaporates faster. After we leave:
- keep the heating on for a few hours
- open a window if it's a dry day, and keep it shut if it's wet or misty
- leave internal doors open so the air moves through the house
- keep rugs and furniture off until the carpet feels dry right into the pile
Our carpet drying time guide goes into more detail.
Damp, mould and old houses
If a carpet in an older house smells musty, or has dark spots along an outside wall, the problem may be damp rather than dirt. Cleaning will freshen the carpet and remove surface marks, but mould growing because the wall or floor is damp will return until that's fixed. Heavy mould in a carpet or its underlay usually means it needs replacing. If we see signs of it, we'll tell you rather than clean and say nothing.
spotless.ieApartments near Heuston and the Liberties
Newer blocks in the Liberties, around Heuston and in Kilmainham and Islandbridge have lifts, car parks and management companies. Carpet is usually synthetic and limited to the bedrooms. Our extractor travels in the lift, is filled at a tap in the apartment and emptied into a sink, so nothing is left in the common areas. Tell us about parking, because Dublin 8 streets are mostly permit or pay-and-display.
Synthetic apartment carpets are straightforward: they clean well and dry quickly. If you have wool, such as an older carpet in a cottage, tell us, because it needs a wool-safe solution and a little longer to dry.
Cottage or apartment? Send photos of each carpet, any stains and the stairs, plus a note about parking, and we'll reply with a fixed price, usually the same day.
Rentals near the hospital and the colleges
With St James's Hospital, NCAD and the city centre close by, much of Dublin 8 is rented. Tenants moving out book a carpet clean before the final inspection; landlords book one between tenants, ideally after painting and before the new inventory. Our end-of-tenancy carpet cleaning guide covers what to expect.
Be realistic about what it can do. Everyday soiling, mud, tea and coffee come out. Old drink stains on nylon may fade without going, pet urine in the underlay can leave a smell, and burns, bleach and worn pile inside the door won't change.
If you work shifts, a day off or a late-afternoon slot before you go in is usually best, as our hours run from 8am to 8pm.
When to clean: summer or winter?
Summer is easier for drying, with warm, dry air and windows open. But carpets can be cleaned at any time of year, and winter is when they need it most, with mud and wet shoes coming in every day. In winter, just allow a little longer for drying and keep the heating on. Spring is a popular middle ground: the worst of the winter mud has been walked in, and the weather is usually mild enough to leave a window open.
Also covered
We cover all of Dublin 8: Dolphin's Barn, Islandbridge, the South Circular Road, the Coombe, Merchants Quay and Portobello. Nearby, see our Dublin 6 overview, carpet cleaning in Clondalkin and the city centre. Ciprian holds Prochem carpet-cleaning training from 2018, and Spotless carries full insurance. The full service is on our Dublin carpet cleaning page.
