Now that you're a Riccar vacuum owner, and you're looking forward to the cleanest carpet you've ever experienced, we'd like to share some tips that will get you just that! Below are five tips from our professional vacuum associates and our engineers to help improve your carpet cleaning and the health of your home.
1. Faster is not better
In the '90s blockbuster movie Working Girl, there's a famous scene with Melanie Griffith, clad only in her underwear and high heels, vacuuming hurriedly in only one direction. Whiel it made for a good laugh, vacuuming only forward doesn't work. In fact, vacuum cleaners remove the most dirt from carpet during the backstroke.
"The brushroll revolves in a forward direction, but it only sweeps the surface when going forward," says Tom Gasko, former docent of the Vacuum Cleaner Museum. "The real cleaning is done on the backstroke. That's why the vacuum will only raise the nap on the rug when coming backwards." He also recommends pulling the vacuum backwards at half the speed that you push it forward.
2. Change it up
Like brushing your teeth or mowing the lawn or any other task you perform regularly, you probably vacuum in the same pattern every time. With vacuuming, you can't get your carpet thoroughly clean unless you change the direction often. If you normally clean in one direction, change it up 90 degrees. Then go back to the original direction the next time.
3. Start at the top
Literally. Gravity is king, and it applies to cleaning also because dust falls down. When you clean, think about it from the perspective of starting at the top, cleaning ceiling corners, ceiling fans, tops of picture frames, door frames and curtain tops. Work your way down to lamps and shelves. End at the baseboards, corners of the room, and then finish with the floor.
4. Tip from the pros
Professional cleaners finish cleaning a home by vacuuming their way out. They start at the farthest corner of the room and end up pulling the vacuum behind them so that no footprints remain. Like a clean sink, it won't last long, but it's still a nice habit.
5. Frequency
As a general guide, you should vacuum at least once a week, but it also depends on a number of factors including the number of people and pets in your household. The more people and pets, the more often you should vacuum. A pet that sheds a lot may require daily vacuuming. If someone in the house suffers from allergies, a pet that spends time outside frequently cane bring in dirt, pollen and grass on their paws and fur. Vacuuming two to three times a week might be necessary to keep the hair and dust under control.
We hope these tips help you form some new habits that will help you preserve the life of your carpet and rugs and create a happier, healthier home. For more information, join our email list for periodic articles and new product updates.
