One of the most commonly asked questions I receive from customers, is how often they should vacuum their carpets?  The answer to this question depends on whether you are vacuuming for  the Life or for the Health of your carpet, neither, or both.  What’s the difference?  Do you like your carpet?  Do you plan on keeping it for 5, 10, or 15 more years?  Or are you going to be replacing it soon, in favor of a carpet you will love.  Do you have allergies?  Does anyone in your home have allergies?  All of these things factor into how often you should vacuum and what you should be vacuuming with.  Most people vacuum every couple of weeks, chasing anything they can see on the surface.  What most people don’t realize is that vacuuming is the single most important factor in determining the Life of a carpet and the Health of a home.  Think of your carpet as a giant filter, trapping dirt, pollen, mold, bacteria and other microscopic particles in the fibers.  Proper vacuuming removes 70-80 percent of the dirt and allergens from your carpet.  Proper vacuuming with a Hepa filter equipped vacuum will keep them out of the air, leaving a healthier home.  If a carpet is not thoroughly vacuumed, dry particulates in the carpet acts like sandpaper, rubbing against the fibers, prematurely breaking down the fibers and shortening the Life of your carpet.  A good rule of thumb to follow when determining how often to vacuum is to vacuum as many times a week as the number of occupants in your household (people and pets). For me, this is 5 people and 2 animals, which means I need to be vacuuming at least once a day to keep up with the dirt being deposited by my family and animals.  This may seem like a lot, but this is only necessary in the areas that are used the most and the areas within 10 to 15 feet of all outside doorways, as this is were the majority of all dry particulates are deposited.  Vacuuming your entire house, should still be done on a weekly basis, to keep dust from settling in seldom used areas.  If your vacuum has a bag, empty it between half and 2/3rds full, as it will start to loose suction after this.  Another often overlooked, yet very important part of vacuuming is changing the height settings on your vacuum.   Change the height of the vacuum, depending on the type of carpet being vacuumed, as to not over beat the carpet with the beater bar, causing premature wear.  Proper vacuuming on a regular basis, extends the Life of your carpet and helps keep your home Healthy between cleanings.

 

Nash Lamberson
Lead Technician
Guarantee System Carpet Cleaning & Dye Co.