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People were, and still are, shocked that we don't have a single inch of installed carpet in our home. Yes, I love soft squishiness under my feet. Yes, I love to lie on a bed of shag. But carpet is on the floor. Where people walk. With their shoes. That have been walking in on the road and on dirt and on dog poop and on who-knows-whatever-else. And then they walk on this piece of fabric that you had permanently attached to your floor with nails.

It's not as if you can pick up that piece of floor fabric and throw it in the laundry every few days. It just sits there, year after year, stretched between baseboards. And it gets filthy and mangy. Don't tell you yours is different. It's not. Unless you enforce some kind of oriental don't-you-dare-wear-shoes-in-my-precious-home policy that makes people crazy because they have to disrobe at your front door.

What we do have is a number of throw rugs—some large, some small—with more to come. So we still have the issue of dealing with some fabric on the floor that has to be cleaned. And if you're a clean freak like me, you want it cleaned really well.

I don't yet have a favorite carpet cleaner in my area, and there are varying schools of thought regarding which type of cleaning is best, but if you live in near Austin, Texas, and want guaranteed carpet cleaning Round Rock area, look into Total Cleaning & Restoration. They not only do general carpet cleaning, but oriental rug cleaning, pet odor treatments, smoke and fire restoration, and a host of other carpet services. They even offer water extraction, which would have been helpful the day Caleb decided to bring the hose into the house to water his sister's room. (Don't ask.)

If you're in the market, check out The Steam Team. I'd love to hear reports back from any customers who've used the service.

Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.