Ask Allied: How to Protect Carpets when Moving

Moving and worried about keeping carpets clean? Get tips for how to protect your carpeting when moving.

Even in perfect weather, moving can be hard on your floors. Dirt marks, scratches and tears can happen without taking adequate precautions. Here are some tips for protecting your floors during your move.

When packing, be sure boxes aren’t too heavy to be picked up and carried. Scooting boxes across floors and carpets can leave scuff or smudge marks, and if carpet is old, could cause rips or tears. And it’s not just boxes: Avoid scooting furniture, which can scratch or gouge hard floors. Use furniture sliders on any pieces that are too heavy to lift.

Movers cannot remove their shoes, and while some people request that they put on shoe covers, your movers will be going in and out of the house. The shoe covers will quickly get dirty. A better option is to put a heavy welcome mat in front of the door to catch loose objects, like gravel and grit. Just be sure the mat will stay in place and won’t cause people to stumble as they carry items into your home.

Survey the outside situation before the movers arrive. If they’ll need to cross muddy spots or puddles to get from the truck to your door, you may be able to set plywood sheets or heavy cardboard over the messy areas. If not, take the time to look for an alternate route into your home. If it’s raining, get the back of the truck as close to the door as possible; if you can, use tarps to tent the area between the truck and the door.

Whatever the weather, consider laying down protective sheeting, film or matting, especially if you have brand new carpets to keep clean. However, be sure that what you put down isn’t a tripping hazard. Commercially available self-adhesive film or paper is available online and in moving supply stores. Lay it down in hallways and into the center of the rooms; leave the spots where furniture will sit bare. You should also cover the floor in the spots you’ve designated for boxes, especially if your boxes were stored for any length of time.

Accidents do happen, so have a spray-on carpet cleaner and rags available on moving day. That way you can take care of spots immediately, in order to prevent permanent stains.  If you do find damage, be sure to point it out to the crew and take a photo of it in the event you need to file a claim.