================================================================
Great Carpet Care – Vacuums & Floor Care
At this point you may think that I have been inhaling a few too many carpet glue fumes. A right way to vacuum? Turn it on and push right? Actually, there really is more to it than that. So without further ado may I present Vacuuming 101:
Movement – On carpet use slow, repetitive back and forth motions in an overlapping sequence. Even with one of those super powered vacuums one pass is usually not enough to get all the dust and debris. Having said that you don’t need to exert too much force and keep going over the same spot over and over again. How to strike the right balance? Move right or left every three passes or so.
Dusting and Vacuuming – Dust before you vacuum, instead of the other way around. Sound pretty obvious but you’d be surprised by how many people do it “backwards” making all that vacuuming rather useless.
Corners and Crevices – Dust and dirt seems to naturally migrate to those dark corners of the room that are a little harder to reach. Use you vacuum’s brush or hose attachments if you have to, just make sure you get those crevices clean.
Get the Timing Right - Carpets in high traffic areas or those where your pets roam should really get a once over with the vacuum on a daily basis but lesser used rooms (formal dining room, guest bathroom) probably only need your attention once a week.
Take Care of Your Vacuum – Keep all the hoses and attachments clean and dust free between uses and keep the instructions in a safe place so that you can refer to them if something goes wrong. If you use a vacuum that has to be used with a bag change bags when they are about half way full, rather than wait until they are so full that they are spitting dirt and dust back onto your nice clean carpet.