Knowing how to keep your carpet clean is a great part of maintaining a perfect place to live for you and your family. And vacuum cleaners can be pretty valuable when trying to clean them.
But… I know vacuuming can be a daunting household chore! And that’s why I’m writing this article. Here you’ll find the best vacuuming tips and tricks that will make it much easier and you’ll stop hating it! (If not… well, you’ll at least be able to do it much faster than before!)
Before entering into the juicy part, you need to make sure you own the right vacuum cleaner for your home. They come in different sizes and capacities. But depending on the cleaning needs of your home, one type will make the job better than others.
But how to decide which vacuum cleaner is the right for you? Well, here’s an article that will help you decide if you own the right one or not… and how to take the most advantage of it.
Now, let’s jump right into the tips and tricks to use your vacuum cleaner like a professional!
1. Pick the Right Vacuum Cleaner
As I said earlier, before you even start vacuuming your house, you need to consider the type or design of the vacuum cleaner that you have or need. There are many types of vacuum cleaners, and plenty of them are designed to suit particular kinds of cleaning needs. For example, there are upright vacuum cleaners, canisters, and hand-held vacuum cleaners.
If you are planning to purchase a new vacuum cleaner for your carpet cleaning needs, first check the type of carpets or rugs that you own. Surprising as it seems, soft carpets will require a unique vacuum cleaner as compared to thick fiber carpets or the old-style cut-pile carpets. Some vacuum manufacturers and retailers can inform you about the right vacuum cleaners for every carpet type.
But if you have a centralized vacuum cleaning structure, you may need to be keen on the type of tools or accessories to use when cleaning your floors and carpets. You need to check on the available accessory options and select them wisely to ensure that you preserve the quality and cleanness of your carpets and floors.
If you want to learn more on how to pick a vacuum cleaner for your home click here.
2. Use Attachments the Right Way
Vacuum cleaners come with applicable attachments or accessories that help maximize the cleaning process. This is why vacuum cleaners are referred to as versatile cleaning devices for homeowners. The following are some of the tools and how you can use them to clean even better! (If you don’t have them, don’t worry we’ve got you covered with some suggestions)
Crevice tool: This tool will help you get to the tightest spots in your living spaces, such as corners. It has a thin shape and angled tip design to reach narrow places like vents and between sofa sets and cushions.
Here you have the [amazon link=”B00931Q9FM” title=”traditional one”/]:
[amazon box=”B00931Q9FM”]
You can also go for the [amazon link=”B071CQWWDZ” title=”flexible crevice tool”/]. It will make it easier to get to the tricky places:
[amazon box=”B071CQWWDZ”]
But if you’re in for the [amazon link=”B0777181NZ” title=”whole pack”/], here’s the best pick!
[amazon box=”B0777181NZ”]
[amazon link=”B019X2TSPS” title=”Dusting brush”/]: As the name suggests, this is a brush that helps with dusting, including getting rid of small debris in your carpets, rugs, bookcases, frames, etc. It has a round shape with soft, long threads.
[amazon box=”B019X2TSPS”]
[amazon link=”B000QD7O3C” title=”Upholstery tool”/]Upholstery tool: This is a wide-shaped vacuuming tool that is ideal for cleaning sofa sets, chairs, and cushions. Its wide shape increases the surface area to help you clean and suck the dust in no time.
[amazon box=”B000QD7O3C”]
[amazon link=”B01FJH9T2I” title=”Extension wand”/]: This tool will help you reach even far-fetched spots, including high ceilings and corners.
[amazon box=”B01FJH9T2I”]
Now, you can tackle almost all tasks with these 4 vacuuming accessories but there are others such as the turbo brush or pet groomers that will also be of great help!
[amazon link=”B01N2MEV0Q” title=”Turbo brush”/]: its spinning movement will soften and lose all the dirt and dust from your carpets, making it easier to vacuum!
[amazon box=”B01N2MEV0Q”]
[amazon link=”B004BDOQDE” title=”Pet groomer”/]: you’ll love this tool if you have pets, especially if you’re a dog owner. If your pet isn’t scared of it, then it will come in handy to suck up all the falling hair they may have before it gets all over your house.
[amazon box=”B004BDOQDE”]
3. The cleaning process really matters!
You may think that when cleaning your house it doesn’t matter the order in the cleaning process. Well… it matters!
If you want to be more efficient when cleaning your home, you should always start from the top. This way, when you clean from top to bottom, due to the law of gravity, all the dust and dirt that may fall from cleaning your walls and chairs will afterward be cleaned when you vacuum your carpets.
Doing it the other way would double the work and make it less efficient. You’d have to vacuum your carpets afterward again to really clean all the dirt and dust that falls from your furniture when cleaning it.
4. How you move your vacuum when cleaning really counts!
Furthermore, do not move the vacuum cleaner randomly or in one direction. You must follow the guidelines provided in your vacuum manual to increase the chances of leaving your carpets clean. For example, it is recommended to make slow moves, back and forth, as you pick on specific sections of the carpet. Stick to an overlapping pattern to maximize the area of coverage.
Avoid pressing on the carpet too much. Gently roll the vacuum cleaner over the carpet fibers so that all the dust and debris are sucked into the vacuum cleaner.
Put more focus on corners and edges, where it may be tricky for the vacuum cleaner to reach. This is mostly the area where dust or debris really tends to accumulate. If you have pets or small kids, they may stash things in these corners or edges. Therefore, you might need to go the extra mile and pull out some items from the areas or move furniture to clean the areas properly.
5. Pick the Right Vacuum Setting
A vacuum cleaner has different settings for cleaning floors, countertops, or carpets. You have to know the settings to optimize your cleaning and make the most out of your vacuum cleaner. It is also very important to avoid damaging your carpet fibers.
It may help if you categorize your house items and spaces before switching on your vacuum cleaner. And always watch how the vacuum cleaner is performing on your rug or carpet.
6. Maintain a Vacuuming Routine
Have a cleaning rutine and stick to it. This will help you maintain your carpets and floors all clean and bright! It may sound obvious but believe me… don’t wait until your carpets are all dirty and unpleasant… When cleaning and vacuuming, consistency is needed.
Waiting too long before cleaning your carpet or floor may end up giving you a hard time when it comes to vacuuming them. A lot of debris and dirt will have clogged in all your living spaces and it will be a nightmare to clean!
The rule of the thumb is to clean and vacuum at least once or twice a week. But you may consider vacuuming even more regularly in high-traffic spots in your house. This will enable you to avoid all the trouble of doing deep vacuuming to get rid of the clog up dust and debris.
7. Pre-treat all spots!
Vacuum cleaners won’t take away all spots if you don’t pre-treat them immediately once they’ve appeared.
If you’re already vacuuming and you see a spot, treat it with a spot cleaner (you can see the best ones here), and afterward go through it with the vacuum cleaner. Another option is to use a steam cleaner to try to remove old new stains away. But before using it, make sure that your carpet or rug allows water (or steam) on it without putting it at risk!
8. Move and remove furniture around (if you can)
This is really obvious I know, but I still want to mention it as some people may forget.
Your carpets also get dirty under your furniture, under the sofa, under the coffee table… and in order to really clean it, moving your furniture will allow you to get to more difficult areas.
Also, when I say remove it means picking up any small object or clutter that may difficult your cleaning process and even get your vacuum damaged!
9. Use a freshener to light up your home
Dirt, dust, pet hair… may have left bad odors all over your home. Carpets tend to smell as time goes by. But this tip will work miracles!
Before you start vacuuming, sprinkle inside the bag or canister some baking soda or essential oil. This will remove all the bad dors away and leave your carpets smelling super fresh!
Conclusion
Now, before you go vacuum your carpets cause you’re an expert now, remember… Vacuuming can be a real-life changer if you do it correctly.
You might be interested to check our rating of Vacuum Cleaners here, before making the final choice.
I promise you, if you apply all the tips I gave you in this article, you’ll probably stop hating having to vacuum your carpets, or at least, you’ll do it much faster!