Vacuuming Basics – A Few Simple Rules

Proper vacuuming is the easiest and most effective way to keep your carpet, rugs and furniture clean since as much as 80% of the soil is a dry particle. Regular vacuuming can also have the largest impact on the air you breathe by trapping dirt, dust, hair, dander and microbial.

• Carpets and rugs need to be vacuumed once a week and more often in high-traffic areas. Frequent vacuuming prolongs the life of your furnishings by preventing a buildup of gritty particles. Every few weeks, take a little extra time and use your crevice tool for cleaning around baseboards, on stairs, and in other hard-to-reach places. Pay attention to carpet- height adjustment, a feature that matches the height of the vacuum to a carpet’s pile height for easy movement. Choose a vacuum tested by the Carpet and Rug Institute (www.carpet-rug.com).
• Take your time when you vacuum a plush carpet or rug in which dirt is sure to be deeply embedded. One pass with a high-powered upright is not enough. Go over each section several times in different directions, and work slowly to allow the suction to remove all the ground-in dust and dirt. Vacuum across the rug at the ends to avoid damaging the fringe.
• Pay special attention to the high-traffic entry areas and where people sit and move their feet like in front of the sofa. Vacuum these areas with a crisscross pattern of overlapping strokes. Change your bags when 2/3 are full. Add baking soda to the bag in your vacuum to fight odors, especially if you have pets to help overcome that “doggy” smell. If you have a removable canister, wash it on a regular basis.
• Use an upholstery attachment to vacuum your upholstered furniture every six months or more if you have allergies.