When it comes to maintaining your carpets and furniture and getting it rid of dust, grime, and microscopic germs, vacuuming is probably the best way of achieving it all in one go. Your carpets take a beating on a regular basis. Although walking with shoes on carpets should be avoided but sometimes friends and family members ignore this fact. On the other hand, the accumulation of dust on furniture can negatively affect its life. Therefore, regular vacuuming sessions should be scheduled to ensure that everything is kept in top-notch condition. If you are new to vacuuming, you should give this guide a read as we discuss some useful tips to maintain your carpets and furniture around the house.
Don’t Make It Harder
The first rule of vacuuming is obvious. You shouldn’t be making it harder for yourself. This is one of the common mistakes people tend to make. Believe it or not, by ignoring the basics of carpets and furniture, people being unaware of, make things harder for themselves. For instance, you should not be allowing anyone to step inside with shoes. If they do, you can expect dirt, grime, and dust to come inside as well. Try establishing the Japanese rule around the house.
If someone wants to visit you, ask them to leave their shoes outside and give them a clean pair so that the dust can be minimized. Furthermore, offering them a clean pair of shoes will also stop the dust and debris from spreading in the entire house. If you have a marble floor, things will be relatively easier for you to maintain. However, when it comes to maintaining carpets, you will have to work atleast twice as hard. If the no-shoe policy does not work, then put mats around the house so that everyone visiting you can wipe their shoes before stepping in.
Once is Not Enough
Another important tip is that vacuuming your carpets once will not work. Depending on the amount of dust, debris and the last time you vacuumed it, you might have to vacuum your carpets twice or even thrice for that matter. Moreover, you will have to approach the carpets from different angles and directions as well to ensure that the dust and debris are lifted properly. This is important especially if you happen to be a pet owner. Cats and dogs tend to shed hair continuously and lifting them can be a hassle. Regardless, to ensure that your carpet is free from dust and grime as much as possible, it is suggested that you vacuum in a crisscross pattern.
Creating & Maintaining a Schedule
Creating &Maintaining a vacuuming schedule is one of the most important vacuum cleaning tips. Mostly, people tend to vacuum twice or thrice each year, which is totally not ok. Leaving your carpets and furniture covered with dust can reduce its overall life. And since everyone is busy following their routines, it can be hard to tend to the vacuuming schedule. This is why we suggest that you create a vacuuming schedule and maintain it.
For once, it will help you remember the last time you vacuumed your carpets. The maintenance schedule will depend on the intensity of traffic in your house. If you do not receive a lot of traffic, then vacuuming twice a week will be sufficient. However, if certain areas of the house receive comparatively a large amount of traffic, then you will want to increase the number of times you vacuum the place. Furthermore, also consider your pets and kids around the house that contribute to bringing in dust from outside.
Change the Bag
While vacuuming carpets and furniture is one thing, maintaining the vacuum machine is another. A vacuum machine is designed to lift the dust and debris from the floor and store it in a bag installed inside. There are some vacuum cleaners that are bagless as well. Regardless of the type, you should always make sure that the machine is clean.
Since it is designed to pick up dust, do not be surprised if it clogs or simply fails to pick the dust. The reason is that its system will find it hard to suck dirt once it gets clogged. Therefore, change the bag and clean the machine as well regularly before vacuuming to make sure that your hardwork does not go in vain. Cleaning the bag everytime before vacuuming will help the machine pick dust more effectively and efficiently.
Spot Treatment
Carpets are used to spills and spots over time. However, that is not the problem. That problem is when you ignore them, turning them into permanent stains. Therefore, while vacuuming, if you spot a stain mid-way, make sure to clean it before completing the vacuuming process. This will help enhance the condition and life of your carpets. Be it old or new, use a steam cleaner to remove the stains, ultimately keeping your carpets looking good as new.
Remove Small Projects from the floor
Although it is common sense but some people tend to overlook it. Before vacuuming, you should perform a visual inspection of your carpet and remove small objects. The reason is that your vacuum machine is not designed to handle small objects. If it picks one, it can cause the machine to get stuck and might also damage it during the process. Therefore, any potentially harmful objects should be removed before vacuuming.
Move the Furniture Occasionally
We understand that moving the furniture regularly is not possible. They are most of the time heavy and require a helping hand. Therefore, it is suggested that you move the furniture atleast twice or thrice each year to remove the accumulated dust and debris underneath. Since these are hard to reach areas, you will eventually need to move them. This will make it easier for you to clean the dust rather than working twice as hard on debris stuck to the floor along with the stains afterward.
Deep Cleans are Helpful
The carpets and dust under the furniture can become harder to remove if left for long. In such cases, you will need deep cleaning. If you observe that your carpet has become a bit rough, you might want to deep clean it using shampoo before vacuuming. Deep cleaning the carpet will help loosen up the dirt and debris. Once you are done deep cleaning the carpet, you will notice that it is easier to vacuum now. It is a time-consuming process that guarantees excellent results.
Focus on Hard-to-Clean Areas
Some areas of your house will require more time and effort to clean, especially where furniture is located. Although one might be tempted to quickly clean these areas but we suggest that you put a bit more effort into cleaning them. For instance, if you are vacuuming the stairs, make sure that you use the attachments that come along. This will prevent you from carrying the heavy machine along, each time as you progress. The attachments are designed to perform a deep vacuum, ensuring that the edges and crevices are kept neat and clean.
Baking Soda Combats Oil Stains
Oil is undoubtedly one of the hardest substances to remove from carpets. Sometimes, you simply cannot treat these stains using hot water and dabbing. However, you can use baking soda that is proven to remove oil stains. To remove the stains, apply baking soda to the area that consists of stains and allow it to absorb the stain. Once absorbed, clean the area using a vacuum cleaner. Remember that baking soda sometimes might not completely remove the stain but make it much lighter. Therefore, you might want to use some aftermarket products post applying baking soda.
Use Vinegar to Fluff the Carpet
Dust and debris can make the carpet and rugs appear worn out. It is normal in areas that receive heavy traffic. The reason is that the fibers of the carpets and rugs flatten. To combat the issue, we suggest using vinegar to fluff-up flattened areas. Dilute vinegar in an equal amount of water and spray it on the affected area. Allow the mixture to absorb and then take a regular spoon to run it sideways helping the fibers to loosen. It will help restore the original texture.
Conclusion
Since carpets, furniture and rugs come in different shapes and sizes, you will need to adopt different vacuuming techniques as well. That is why understanding the basics will help you vacuum and maintain your carpets and furniture comparatively better.