The Importance of Proper Vacuuming

Proper vacuuming is by far the most important step in maintaining your carpet. Today’s carpets are engineered from the fiber up to hide soil. A tan, residential carpet can hide a pound of soil per square yard before it becomes noticeably soiled.

All that grit and grime can work like tiny razorblades, slicing and dicing your carpet fibers, causing them to quickly lose that “new” shimmer and taking years off their life. Carpets that are regularly vacuumed will wear longer and are less likely to contribute to indoor air pollution.

So, what is proper vacuuming? You cannot wear out your carpet by vacuuming too much. Manufacturers recommend vacuuming at least 3 times a week. For those of us who live in the real world, once a week is sufficient if you do it right.

Proper vacuuming consists of going over the carpet in the same spot at least three times in one direction and turning 90 degrees to repeat the process. A fast pass over your carpet as if you were mowing the lawn won’t cut it. You must make slow passes to allow your vacuum cleaner to work.

You shouldn’t attempt to vacuum your carpet with a vacuum cleaner that is in poor condition. You don’t need to run out and buy the most expensive vacuum cleaner on the market. A good vacuum cleaner with all the necessary tools can be purchased for under $200.00.

We realize vacuuming is not everyone’s favorite thing to do. When you think of it as helping to remove the grit and grime, dust mites, hair, pollen and other nasty things that collect in your carpet, it seems a lot more important. Besides the benefit of a healthier, longer wearing carpet, you are getting a good aerobic workout.