How to vacuum carpet like a professional

Ever wandered into a well-manicured building and wondered how their carpets get so clean? Well, the answer is that they're vacuumed by professionals who know how to get them properly clean. If you want yours to look the same, look no further - here are the secrets to cleaning your carpet properly with tips from The Sparkle Gang.

The vacuum cleaner matters

The first thing to note is that what kind of vacuum cleaner you have does actually matter. While you may not have cared when you got the cheapest one you could find in the Black Friday sales or at your local home store, the model, make, and design of your vacuum cleaner dictates exactly how well it cleans (or doesn't clean).

Types of vacuum cleaners:

The main types of vacuum cleaner are as follows.

Canister

Think of Henry. There is one big, movable canister that holds the dust bag and the motor and you operate a wand. It works well on a lot of different types of floor, but it is quite bulky, and a lot of people find it hard to drag around after them, often limiting the amount of time and effort that they're willing to put into the job.

Upright

These kinds of hoovers are the original models. They are tilted and pushed around as a whole piece. They are great for large expanses of carpet, but they can also be quite heavy, making them hard to move around sometimes.

Cordless

These have gained popularity in the last decade. They're rechargeable, meaning there's no cable to trip you up or limit where you can or can't vacuum. They're often quite lightweight, but there's often a sacrifice made in the form of how powerful the suction is, and the batteries don't last too well on many cheaper models.

Pet hair, vacuum bags and CRI seal

As well as the type of vacuum model, you also need to consider a number of other things when determining how good your vacuum or one you're looking to purchase is. For example, many vacuums have specially designed features to help combat pet hair. If you've not got a pet, this is not necessary, but for those with animals, it can make a huge difference when it comes to getting your carpet properly clean.

Likewise, whether or not you have a vacuum bag is incredibly important. Vacuum cleaners with bags often have more powerful suction, but they are worse for the environment.

Finally, you should make sure you have a look at the CRI Seal of Approval. The CRI is the Carpet and Rug Institute and they award ratings to vacuum cleaners based on soil removal, dust containment and how well they maintain a carpet.

It's all down to vacuum cleaner technique

While the type of vacuum cleaner is important, getting a really nice looking carpet largely comes down to how you vacuum. Once you've picked the right vacuum cleaner with the right suction power and a decent crevice tool, you'll need to follow these steps:

Dust before

Always dust before you vacuum. Otherwise, when you're done, you'll notice it needs doing and render all of your hard vacuuming obsolete. Do a dust, then vacuum it all away, leaving your home sparkling clean.

Pick up

Too often, people break their vacuum cleaners by letting large items get sucked up by them. It is important that you do a pick up before you vacuum not only to protect your vacuum head but to ensure that you don't miss a bit in order to avoid the cat toy on the floor. If the carpet is completely empty save for the furniture, you're going to be able to get a better job done.

Work slowly

When you're vacuuming your carpet you need to focus and go slowly. Don't rush to get the job done. Work slowly from one end of the room to the other, in straight lines up and down so that you don't miss a section of the room. Each row that you vacuum should overlap with the previous row by a few inches just to ensure all of the carpet is covered.

Empty your vacuum bag

If you have a vacuum bag, make sure that you pay attention to when it gets full and be sure to empty it as soon as you can. This will help to ensure your vacuum has the necessary suction power for vacuuming your carpet. It can also reduce bad smells.

Reverse and vacuum backward

Once you've done a row, you should always do it the other way, too. This moves the carpet fibres, twisting them and ensuring that you get every last bit of dirt from between them, just like professional carpet cleaning services would.

Use all of the attachments

Most vacuum cleaners come with attachments to help you reach the nooks and crannies. In order to get your home look like you've paid for carpet cleaning services, you need to completely rid all of the corners, round the legs of the sofa, under the coffee table of dirt and dust. The only way to do that is by using more than just the vacuum head.

Keep your vacuum clean

The vacuum head collects hair and dust, and if you don't regularly collect this, you're just dragging it all over the floor that you're trying to keep clean, which is less than ideal!

Getting a clean carpet

In addition to all of the above, doing a deep clean on a regular basis with a carpet cleaner is essential to having a professional looking job. You should be vacuuming at least once or twice a week and a deep clean should be done at least once a month in order to keep your carpet looking fresh.

So there you have it. If your vacuuming isn't looking absolutely perfect, the first thing to do is to take a look at some different vacuum cleaners. From there, slowly start working in rows, make sure you vacuum stairs too, and make the most of your little crevice tool.