Updated on August 26, 2022
Wondering how to vacuum carpet like a professional? Read on.
You know what they say, a clean house is a happy house. And it’s true! If your home is dirty or cluttered, it can increase anxiety and depression, and even trigger issues with allergies and asthma. Having a clean home reduces the risk of injury, unwelcome pests like fruit flies, and mold and bacteria.
There are so many benefits of having a clean and decluttered home. Keeping your carpets clean is a great way to have that clean, fresh feeling that everyone wants and deserves. It’s especially important to keep up with vacuuming if you have babies or toddlers that play on the floor or if you have pets that shed and track in dirt.
Types of Vacuum Cleaners
The first step is making sure you have a decent vacuum. There are a lot of models on the market that do a pretty good job of cleaning your carpet, but you should be sure that it’s a style that fits your home’s specific needs.
If you live in a small space, look into the best vacuum for small apartments. Some are made to pick up pet hair, some have filtration systems that help control allergens, and many have hoses for cleaning hard-to-reach areas.
You can find vacuums with a bag or bagless. Whichever style you choose should do an acceptable job of cleaning your floors.
Keeping Your Carpets Clean
One of the most important things to remember is that it’s easier to vacuum your carpet if you’ve been keeping up with routine cleaning.
Here are a few tips for making your deep cleaning sessions a lot easier:
1. Prevention
One of the easiest things to do is prevent a lot of the messes from happening in the first place. Taking your shoes off before walking on the carpet is a great first step. If you insist on being able to wear shoes inside or don’t want to make your guests take off their shoes, you can keep a mat by the door for people to use to wipe their shoes off before entering your home.
2. Frequent Cleaning
Another way to keep your carpets cleaner is to keep up with high traffic areas. Most of your home will be fine if you stick to a weekly vacuuming schedule, but high traffic areas get dirtier due to being walked on much more frequently. This is even more important if you live in a home where the residents and guests wear shoes inside, which can track in leaves, dirt, and other debris.
3. Stick to a Schedule
It makes it so much easier to remember to vacuum your home if you pick a specific day as your vacuuming day. Most homes would be fine with that day being once a week or every other week but if you live in a home with pets or have several people in your home, you may want to vacuum more frequently than that.
4. Maintenance on Your Vacuum
If you expect your vacuum to continue cleaning as well as it did when you first purchased it, it’s important to take care of your machine. I’m sure you’re probably wondering what maintenance comes along with having a vacuum.
The main thing you should be sure to do is empty the canister or replace the bag before they’re full. Make sure you wipe down and clean your vacuum frequently and pull out any hairs that are stuck in the brush.
If it starts to suck less effectively, check any tubing for dirt, dust, or hair clogging it and blocking the airway.
Another thing to check if your vacuum cleaner isn’t working properly is the belt. Sometimes this can affect the cleaning ability. Keeping up with these things will ensure you get your floors nice and clean.
Tips and Tricks for Effective Cleaning
Everyone knows how to turn on a vacuum and run it over their carpet, but there are some techniques that can allow you to get your carpet even cleaner.
Move in Different Directions
This is especially important if you have longer carpet or have pets that shed. Moving in different directions allows you to clean down much deeper to remove more dirt, dust, and debris than if you were to move in a single direction.
Take Your Time
Getting finished quickly doesn’t mean your floors are adequately cleaned. If you go too fast, you don’t allow your vacuum to have enough time in each area, thus leaving behind dirt, hair, and allergens that you don’t want in your carpet.
Refresh Your Carpet
Another great way to ensure your carpet is getting clean is to refresh it with baking soda. You simply sprinkle baking soda over your carpet, let it sit for 10 minutes, and vacuum it up. This removes smells and leaves your carpet fresh and clean.