Image courtesy of John Kasawa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The first key is prevention. You need to keep as much dirt from coming in to your home as possible. This can be a challenge in homes with pets and children. Keeping a high quality mat at each entrance to your home will collect a lot of the dirt and grim. Consider having a no shoe policy and place an attractive bench and shoe bin by the front door. Walking on a soiled carpet pushes the dirt down into the pile, making it harder to remove and can potentially damage the carpet.
Before beginning to vacuum, it is important to complete dusting furniture, blinds, and windowsills. This way any dust and dander that is removed from these surfaces will settle on the carpet ready for you to vacuum. Also, check the vacuum bag or canister. The amount of suction the vacuum has decreases as the bag or canister fills. So, for maximum efficiency, be sure to empty the canister before beginning and change the bag when it is ½ to 2/3 full.
Always begin vacuuming a room in the spot furthest from the door and work your way back toward the door. Use an edge attachment to get corners and the area along the baseboard. Repeated passes with the vacuum and varying the direction of the vacuum are techniques that help remove the most dirt and grim from carpet. Use 2-3 passes for low traffic areas and 5-7 passes for high traffic areas. For best results, plan to vacuum at minimum one time per week. For homes with high shedding pets, vacuuming might need to be a daily chore.
At Freeman Carpet Cleaning, we hope our vacuuming tips allow you to keep your carpet at its finest between professional carpet cleanings. As always, we look forward to assisting you with all your carpet cleaning needs in Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, Pocatello, and the surrounding areas of Southeastern Idaho.