When to vacuum your home depends on a large number of factors. The number of people living in your home, how often a room is used, and how many pets you own (if any) can all influence how often you should be vacuuming your carpet.
While some people vacuum every single day to keep it incredibly clean, it’s not entirely necessary and may end up actually doing more harm than good for the long-term health of your carpet. In reality, unless you have many pets or children running around the house constantly, you need only to vacuum your carpet once, perhaps twice a week. For those who live alone or with just one partner, you may not need to vacuum your floor even that often. For lower traffic areas, you can get away with vacuuming your carpet only once a week, or once every two weeks and still have it look great.
A WORD ON VACUUM CLEANERS
On the subject of vacuuming frequently, there is another important factor to consider. Your vacuum itself. One of the most common misconceptions when purchasing a vacuum is how much suction power you actually need. Many high-end vacuums promise extreme suction or cleaning capability. These vacuums may provide an excellent-looking carpet in the short term, but they can begin to wear down your carpet noticeably quicker than some of the more common brands.
The problem lies in how these high-performance vacuums treat your carpet. Many of them have combing or brushing features. These functions are great for thoroughly cleaning your carpet, but they tend to rip out individual threads with each vacuuming session. Over a matter of years, you may see a noticeable difference in the appearance of your carpet. Particularly, it may appear worn-out or thinner. You’ll want to be absolutely sure your vacuum’s height settings are not set to “bare floor” if you are going over the carpet. Below, let’s dive into how you can vacuum better.
TIPS FOR VACUUMING AND PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT
Our first tip for improving your vacuum’s results is to focus on the direction and motion of your vacuuming. You’ll want to treat your carpet much like your lawn and mow back and forth in even lines. Make sure to cover a bit of the previous section with each stroke. This ensures that you won’t miss sections of the floor and it creates an even appearance afterward.
Speed matters. We’ll be the first to say that we’d like to finish up vacuuming as soon as possible, but the fact of the matter is that it’s something you should spend a bit more time on. Go slowly and evenly to make sure you are allowing your device enough time to thoroughly pick up dust and other junk that may be lodged in your carpet. When pulling the vacuum towards yourself, you’ll want to go even slower. The majority of the suction happens when you are pulling the device closer to you. Avoid vacuuming over large objects like coins.
We recommend vacuuming before the carpet is visibly dirty. Even if you can’t see any evidence of dirt or dust, you’d be surprised by just how much you’ll pick up by vacuuming once or twice a week. By keeping your carpet regularly vacuumed, you’ll extend its life.
This last tip may seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. Be sure to empty your vacuum bag or container before each vacuuming session. Operating your vacuum with a full bag not only strains your vacuum, but it also doesn’t allow your carpet to become fully clean.
WE’LL HELP YOU SELECT A CARPET THAT MATCHES YOUR NEEDS
No matter what kind of look you are going for, we’re here to help. Element prides itself on its hand-picked selection of quality and durable carpets and we’re always happy to make recommendations. Stop in today to our Fort Collins design showroom or contact our friendly local staff to get started in finding the perfect carpeting for your home.
