cleaning carpet and laminate floor

[BigFairy]

Hello, looking for some advice on cleaning floors as I am moving house soon. In our current house the carpets are quite new (we bought them) so I have never cleaned them (just on stairs and bedrooms so we have a no outdoor shoe policy to keep them clean) and I clean laminate downstairs and bathroom tiles with antibac wipes just by hand. The house is very small so it's fine to do this. However new house is much bigger so this would take far too long. What is best to use for laminate? Is a swiffer any good? Also, how shall I clean the carpets in the new house so they feel hygienic for us? No money left for professional clean or hiring of equipment unfortunately. I was thinking of getting some water with antibacterial washing up liquid and rubbing over with a cloth. I will have a day free to clean the house before we move in as there is some overlap between properties. I am pretty clueless with housework! Will probably post more questions later as hoping to turn over a new leaf in new house...

Beg, borrow/hire, a steam cleaner for the carpets. Steam will kill any bacteria, clean it and all dispose of any allergens.

Sorry don't know about laminate, depends on what type I think.

I have tiles in parts of my flat. I use a mop and washing up liquid. sometimes I go over it with disinfectant, like you I don't wear shoes indoors. Sometimes I steam mop my tiles, after washing them. I don't think steam is a good idea for laminate.

I have used a swiffer in the past, it's quick, easy and disposable, no messing about with buckets if you're working full time.

With laminate you are can remove the dust etc when dry (Hoover / brush / swiffer) then give it a good clean with either a mop or steam cleaner. If using a mop, you can buy floor cleaning solution or just use a mild detergent like washing up liquid. Either way, use a tiny amount of detergent and keep the mop as dry as possible. If using a steam cleaner, work quickly so the steam doesn't damage the floor or the adhesive.

I found the swiffer ok for the odd clean, but the dustpan and brush or Hoover will give a better result (and can deal with dust on skirting and beading ).

I'd be wary of washing carpets in the way you suggest as wetting them without removing all bacteria / mould spores etc could give germs a nice most environment to multiply.

That should say "nice moist environment"

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I need to somehow get my hands on a steam cleaner for the carpets then. I was wondering if wetting them might be a problem. I have a toddler so want the place to be hygienic when we move in (not that it looks that dirty, just you never know what has been on carpets in particular).

If you can't get your carpets professionally cleaned, it looks like you can disinfect them with vinegar. (I just searched online). Here's what I found, proceed with caution! Use a spray bottle to mist the carpet with white vinegar and water (1:2), wait 5-10 mins then blot the excess away. The vinegar smell should disappear when the carpet is fully dry, and bicarbonate of soda could remove any lingering smell (including pre-existing smells). Do a spot test first, have loads of ventilation and hope for a warm day.

I borrowed my friends VAX carpet cleaner, tonight in fact! It's pulled loads of gunk out of what I considered clean carpets bleurghhhhh

Hi Big Fairy, sorry I forgot to add that you need to thoroughly vacuum B4 steam cleaning. I'm asthmatic and I find there's nothing like a good Dyson first and then a steam clean. Good luck with the move and hope you enjoy your new home.