How To Vacuum Carpet Properly

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Originally Posted On: https://www.deckerscarpetcleaning.com/how-to-vacuum/

If you’re wondering how to vacuum your carpet like a professional, this post is for you. Vacuuming is a very important and sometimes overlooked part of the carpet cleaning and maintenance process. Proper vacuuming can (and should!!) be done at home between regular carpet cleanings to keep your carpet looking great all year! Knowing how to vacuum properly is quite possibly the most important thing you can do at home to keep your carpet cleaner and help your carpet last longer.

Your carpet is a filter.  It traps the dust that blows around in your house that would otherwise be loose or airborne. Vacuuming helps remove remove everyday soils, pet hair and pet dander, dust, spores, pollen, and other gross stuff that gets walked, carried, or blown in from outside or created inside your home. These indoor air pollutants contribute to sinus problems and many other health issues.  Like any filter, it should be emptied or cleaned on occasion to continue working properly. Indoor air quality starts with proper vacuuming.

Vacuuming also helps keep the carpet looking fresh longer by separating and standing up the fibers and removing the soil. Over time debris will collect in the carpet fibers and cause abrasion to the fibers. This will create distorted fibers that refract light instead of reflect light causing dark traffic lanes throughout the heavily trafficked areas of the house. Allowing soil to build up and work its way deep into carpet fibers also stains some carpets. Traffic lanes look dark and dingy and filtration lines build up around doors and furniture.

We recommend using a vacuum with HEPA filtration. First, check to make sure your vacuum bag or canister is empty for optimal suction power. Plug the vacuum in to the closest electrical socket outside of the room you are about to vacuum, this allows you to move quickly through the room without tripping over the cord.

If your vacuum has a detachable hose and an angled edge attachment (or crevice tool), start by using this tool to clean the edges of the carpet along the baseboard.This often forgotten step leads to black lines on the carpet, known as filtration lines. You can also vacuum around the edges of any furniture in the room the same way. Open the doors and get all around the door jamb on both sides and behind the doors.

Next, start in the furthest corner and move horizontally through the room slowly (about 2 feet per second), making small even rows with your vacuum cleaner. Each row should be about two to three feet long. Overlap on each pass, and on each row. Repeat this process throughout the entire room until the entire room has been covered with the vacuum.

In rooms with heavy traffic lanes, such as the entrance to the living room, by the couch and from the master bedroom to the master bathroom, you want to go over these areas in different directions. Once you finish one pass (North to South) turn and do another pass (East to West). Multiple passes in multiple directions will shake more debris loose and pick it up more effectively.

Houston and the surrounding areas are known for pollen and dust problems. Vacuuming regularly can help improve the air quality in your home. It is recommended that you vacuum your carpets once per week per person or pet in the house. However, we know this usually adds up quickly and you have a life to live, so once in the little used areas and twice per week in the common areas will usually do the trick. When you see debris and hair – its past time to vacuum!
If you have an especially hairy pet who sheds heavily, and extra round per week wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you have a Golden Retriever like our Zeke? If so you probably vacuum twice a day and can’t keep up!

Following these steps to vacuum correctly will help to reduce damage to your carpet from daily wear and tear, keep your carpet cleaner for longer, and improve the indoor air quality of your home.