The Art And Science of Vacuuming Like The Pros

The Art And Science of Vacuuming Like The Pros: Vacuuming is a must in any home, especially if you have wall-to-wall carpets or rugs. Most people think there’s nothing to the process. You simply plug in the appliance and go.  However,  the short, quick, back-and-forth motions that most people do with their vacuums is not the best way to get up all the dirt and lint on your carpets and floors. And you may have been doing it the wrong way your entire life. Take a look at the tips below to see how your vacuuming skills measure up to the professionals.  

Steps for vacuuming like the PROS 

1. First, use the crevice attachment (if you have one) on your vacuum  Vacuum the edges in each room before you vacuum the main carpet areas. You’ll want to start from the furthest corner away from the door so that you are vacuuming your way out of the room. This will give you those beloved vacuum lines. 
2. Begin by vacuuming a row of carpet in one direction, wall-to-wall. This pass should be against the nap of the carpet to make it fluff up, making the deep dirt come up easier. You can tell if you’re vacuuming against the nap if the yarn of the carpet sticks up or looks a little messier. 
3. Then, pull the vacuum back over the row you just vacuumed. This will lay the carpet back down and will pick up some of the dirt you missed on the first swipe. Once you’re back to your starting place, vacuum another strip right next to the first, overlapping slightly. Keep doing this until the whole room has been vacuumed.
4. After you have vacuumed the entire room this way, go ahead and vacuum the room going the opposite direction. For instance, if you first vacuumed north to south, now vacuum east to west on the second pass. If you only vacuum in one direction, you’re not removing all of the dirt and dust. Some of it can hide under carpet fibers, and vacuuming in both directions will ensure you get every last speck of dust out of your carpet. Vacuuming this way is especially helpful if you have pets to remove pet hair and dander. 

Professional vacuuming tips

• Don’t wait to vacuum until your carpet looks dirty. Dirt can pile up underneath the fibers at the bottom of the rug long before you notice it. Instead of waiting until your carpet looks dirty before vacuuming, set a regular schedule and try and stick to it—even if you don’t think it’s necessary.
• Adjust the height of your vacuum. Make sure to adjust your vacuum’s height as you move from carpet to rug to hard floors. Some vacuums do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, make sure to take the time to make the appropriate adjustments. This will actually make a big difference in how much your vacuum picks up on different surfaces.   
• Prepare your vacuum cleaner for use. Dirt and debris can reduce your vacuum cleaner’s suction power. Make sure to empty the dust canister before you begin. If your vacuum uses a bag, make sure it is no more than half full. More than that, and your vacuum can lose efficiency. Reusing vacuum bags can cut efficiency by up to 50 percent.  Also, check the roller brush or beater bar and make sure it spins freely. Remove any string, hair, carpet fibers or other debris that could be wrapped in the brush. You may need to cut it loose with a pair of scissors. 
• Dust first. If you’re planning to dust, do so before you vacuum, not after. The idea of cleaning is to move dirt down and then out of a room. The easiest way to do this is by dusting before you start vacuuming. Start with the highest surfaces, like ceiling fans and fixtures so any dust that gets stirred up falls down to the floor. Continue working your way down to dusting the furniture and baseboards.
• Take your time. Vacuuming slowly will allow your machine to suck up more dirt and dust, and ultimately get your rugs, carpets and floors much cleaner. Slow vacuuming allows the brush to agitate the carpet properly and suck up the unclean bits that emerge.
• Use a neutralizer if your carpet needs a little freshening. Simply put a drop or two of essential oil on a cotton ball or tissue and put it in your vacuum canister or bag to freshen the air while your vacuum is running.
• High-traffic areas need extra care. Hallways, foyers, mudrooms, and living rooms tend to get more action and traffic than other areas in the home. You may need to vacuum these places every other day or at least a couple of times a week.  
• Pick up any clutter on the floor. Vacuuming a room will go faster if you don’t have to keep stopping to pick up or move things. The fewer toys, chairs, baskets, plant stands, pet beds, or other items you’ve got to deal with, the better. 
• Use the right vacuum cleaner. There are a variety of different vacuum cleaners on the market, some with beater bars and some without. Make sure you know which works best on your type of flooring. For example. carpets and area rugs that have looped fibers or made from natural materials like wool or silk should not be vacuumed with beater bars. Check out the different types of vacuum cleaner options below, including the pros and cons of each.
• Use the right vacuum attachments for the job. Use your machine’s attachments to vacuum a room’s edges first. Even the best vacuum cleaner head won’t get all the dirt where the floor and walls meet. Use a crevice tool to get corners and edges. Switch to your vacuum cleaner’s dust brush and clean your curtains and blinds. Then swap to the upholstery attachment and vacuum sofa and chair cushions before cleaning the rest of the floor. If you have hard floors, your machine should have a felt or fabric roller or a flat floor head without a spinning brush. These specialized hard floor vacuum attachments do a better job of picking up dust and small debris from hard surfaces. Unlike the carpet attachment, they won’t damage your hard floor’s surface, either.

How often Should you vacuum?

Carpet fibers hold onto pet hair, dirt, and bacteria more than hard floors do. To keep your home’s carpets clean, you need to vacuum wall-to-wall at least twice a week.  If you have a very busy home or pets, you might want to vacuum high-traffic areas daily. Hard floors should be vacuumed at least once a week.  

What is better: bagged or bagless? 

There are pros and cons to both bagged and bagless vacuum cleaners:

Bagged vacuums 

• Vacuums with bags can often hold more dirt before needing to be replaced. 
• Emptying these vacuums releases less dust into the air. 
• There’s often an indicator light letting you when it’s time for a new bag.

Bagless vacuums 

• Save money on replacement bags.
• Often feature filters (like HEPA) that will eventually need to be cleaned and/or replaced.
• Emptying dirt bins can release more allergens into the air.

Choosing the perfect vacuum for your home 

There is a lot to consider when selecting a vacuum such as different floor surfaces, the size of your home, and so much more. And with so many types of vacuums on the market, choosing the right one can be mind-boggling. Explore the different types of vacuums below to find out which option is best for your home:

• Upright vacuum cleaners are ideal for large, carpeted areas of the house. They use a motor-driven beater brush that loosens and removes dirt through suction. Most upright vacuums come with onboard attachments for versatile use. Some designs are bagless while others have bags to capture dust and debris. Features can include height adjustments for easy transition from dense carpet cleaning to hardwood floors with the flip of a switch. Upright vacuums tend to be best for hardwood floors and carpets.
• Handheld vacuums can clean areas that are too large for your upright. Portable and cordless designs make them ideal for cleaning small areas. These are perfect for cleaning up after children and pets. Handheld vacuums are lightweight, quiet, and easy to use. They are typically battery-powered, making them portable and handy for cleaning up small spills.
• Canister vacuums work best on hard surfaces or smaller, carpeted areas like a car or the stairs. They come equipped with a suction hose and a retractable cord for easy maneuvering. Canister models have a separate unit for the motor and receptacle for easy maneuverability, flexibility, and versatility. That makes these vacuums best for furniture and multi-surface use.
• Deep cleaners or carpet cleaners use warm water for spot removal and carpet treatment. Also called carpet extractors or carpet shampooers, these devices spray the carpet with soapy water, then use vacuum technology to brush the fibers and suck up the water, dirt, and stains from the carpeting. These specialty vacuums are not designed for everyday use and are not meant for hardwood floors.
• Stick or sweeper vacuums are the middle ground between an upright and a handheld vacuum. Lightweight and battery-powered, they offer the convenience of a handheld but feature the upright construction of a traditional vacuum, making them better for cleaning up spills on hardwood floors. They are most commonly used for quick cleanup areas, such as kitchen and bathroom floors. Most stick vacuums have a dirt cup, as opposed to bags, to collect debris.
• Pet vacuum cleaners are designed to collect pet hair and minimize pet odors in your home. What separates them from traditional vacuums is the ability to easily detach and clean the “beater brush” (the rotating brush under the vacuum that cleans the carpet) that commonly gets clogged when faced with large amounts of pet hair. Pet-friendly vacuums also commonly include upholstery cleaners to help collect pet hair on furniture.
• Robotic vacuums represent the latest in vacuuming technology. All you need to do is set up the sensor boundaries, choose your settings and let your robotic vacuum clean the floors for you.  These vacuums are cordless and compact and clean while saving you time. While not as powerful or versatile as traditional machines, the constant cleaning action offers ease and convenience.

Vacuum comparison chart 

Below is a handy chart to help you visualize and compare the different types of vacuums and their intended uses:

Vacuum cleaner terminology 

There are a lot of terms associated with vacuum cleaners. Read on to find out what all the important parts of the machine are called.

• Agitator: The brush at the base of a vacuum that pushes dirt and debris toward the suction.
• Canister vacuum: Works best on hard surfaces or smaller carpeted areas, such as stairs. A suction hose picks up dirt, and its lightweight structure and retractable cord make this vacuum convenient and ideal for easy storage.
• Deep cleaner: Used for heavy-duty jobs on nearly any surface. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use.
• Dirt container: A bagless design that makes it easy to empty and replace the dirt catcher.
• Handheld vacuum: Smaller size vacuum that can clean hard-to-reach areas.
• HEPA air filter: High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are extended-surface filters that capture up to 99% of all dust particles known to cause common allergies.
• High traffic: A setting that automatically mixes the right amount of water and cleaning formula to dissolve tough grime and heavy soil typically found on high-traffic areas, like entryways.
• Normal: A setting that automatically provides the best mix of water and cleaning formula for most cleaning jobs.
• Quick-release cord wrap: With this handy feature, you can release the full length of the vacuum power cord in one quick movement.
• Strain reliever handle: Ergonomically designed to reduce hand and wrist stress.
• Sweeper/stick vacuum: Commonly used for quick, cleanup areas, such as kitchen and bathroom floors. Most stick vacuums have a dirt cup instead of a bag to collect debris.
• Upright vacuum: Perfect for large, carpeted areas of the house. Uprights use a motor-driven beater brush that loosens and removes dirt through suction. Most come with onboard attachments which make cleaning hard-to-reach areas easy. There are designs with bags to capture dust and debris and others that are bagless. Some uprights feature height adjustments, allowing you to clean dense carpet or hardwood floors with the flip of a switch.
• Vacuum bag: The bag attached to the vacuum to collect dirt particles.
• Water rinse/carpet protector: The best option for a clean water rinse. It should also be used when applying a carpet protection solution through the applicator.

Clean Nation Company

Are you in need of professional house cleaning services in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, or Post Falls? Whether you are looking for cleaning help on a regular basis or just need a really good once-over, a cleaning service is not only practical, it can be a real game-changer – especially if you have a hectic schedule with little or no time leftover for tasks like house cleaning.

When you choose Clean Nation Company, your first cleaning will be a comprehensive deep clean. Our cleaning PROS will touch every inch of your home from top to bottom. After that, you can choose the frequency of maintenance cleanings – bi-weekly, weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. In addition to tackling all visible dirt, grime, and dust in your home, we will clean the hidden areas that often get missed such as baseboards, underneath furniture, and those hard-to-reach spots like ceiling fans, behind the toilet, high furniture, and cabinet tops.

Our cleaners bring to the job whatever cleaning supplies are needed unless there is something specific you want us to use instead. When we are finished cleaning your home, you will have peace of mind knowing that it has received the highest level of care possible. Our consistently high standards and attention to detail are what our customers love most about our services, and why they recommend us to family and friends!

Worry-free services

You can be assured that each cleaning crew member undergoes extensive vetting and receives a background check before they are hired. We train our cleaners in all aspects of professional cleaning including the latest technologies, tools, products, equipment, safety, and quality standards. Clean Nation Company is a fully insured company and our cleaning PROS are bonded and covered by worker’s compensation insurance.

Our customer satisfaction guarantee

Simply put, we care about our customers and want to provide the best cleaning services possible. We offer a customer satisfaction guarantee. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our cleaning service, we want you to call us within 24 hours so we can promptly resolve the issue at no additional cost to you.

Whether you need a one-time clean when you need it or recurring house cleaning services on the regular, our cleaning PROS are standing by and ready to make your home sparkle and shine!

Clean Nation Company:

• Woman-owned and operated full-service cleaning company
• Over 50 years (three generations) of experience in the cleaning industry
• 24/7 cleaning options & support
• Emergency one-time cleanings
• Professionally-trained cleaning specialists
• Electrostatic spray technology
• Commitment to the highest quality of clean
• Licensed, bonded, and insured
• Customized cleaning solutions
• Quick response times
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• OSHA, HIPAA, EPA, CDC, compliant
• BBB A+ Rating

For more information about our professional house cleaning services, or to schedule a cleaning visit, please give Clean Nation Company a call today at (509) 217-4729 or request a free online cleaning quote now!

We proudly service Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Post Falls