Ask Anna

Answers to your cleaning, organizing questions & more!

Vacuuming ~ How to Clean Carpet & More

Vacuuming is one of those chores I love to do for so many reasons.  I absolutely love that freshly vacuumed carpets can make the whole house feel so much cleaner.  There’s just something about perfect vacuum lines that makes my heart sing.

See what I mean, aren’t they beautiful?  I used to vacuum every day, before I had my daughter, but now that she’s always running around I only get to vacuum every couple of days.   But no matter how often you get to vacuum, the most important thing is to do it on a regular basis.  Not only will vacuuming on a regular basis make your house look, and feel, more clean but there are so many benefits to vacuuming regularly.

#1 Removing dirt
By vacuuming regularly you will be removing the dirt from your carpet.  If dirt isn’t vacuumed up often, over time, it will end up discoloring your carpet and ruining the quality of your carpet.

#2 Removing pet hair
We have a cat that has black hair, we also have white carpet and a white couch… this was not the brightest idea.  Personally I hate having animal hair all over the house because I think it makes the house feel messy and dirty. Every time I vacuum the living room I also vacuum my couch.

Pet hair is also oily, like our hair, so if it’s left on carpets or couches for a long period of time it can make your house smell musty and it will make your furniture and carpet look dirty.  Vacuuming up pet hair on a regular basis will not only make your house feel cleaner it will also keep your furniture and carpets fresh and new feeling.

#3 Removing allergens
I am one of those people that grew up watching all those shows on PBS about the critters and dust mites that lurks below the surface of what we can actually see.  {This is probably why I’m such a clean freak now.} It’s not okay to live in fear of what “lurks below the surface” but it is important to acknowledge its existence and try to vacuum it up as often as possible.  In your carpet there are dust mites hiding out, which are one of the top known household allergens.  Vacuuming these allergens on a regular basis will keep your family healthy and keep your carpet protected and looking new.

#4 Keep it like new
Vacuuming your carpet regularly will save you money.  How?  By vacuuming often you will extend the life of your carpet by maintaining its color and texture.  You will get more years out of your carpet if you take care of it and invest the time in vacuuming it often.  I also recommend getting your carpets professionally steam cleaned at least once a year.  A professional will tell you to have them cleaned every 6 months but I find that if I have them cleaned at least once a year, it gives me the same results.

For more great vacuuming tips here are a few other great resources:

To learn 5 tips to vacuum more effectively head over and read this great post!

If you own a Dyson here is a step-by-step tutorial for how to clean it.  If you follow the tutorial your vacuum will run like new!

 

Determine the correct vacuum height for your carpet.

 

For a great tip on how to find missing items on the floor, with your vacuum, click HERE.

 

About Anna

"Hi, I'm Anna! Wife, mother, child of God, and the founder of Ask Anna. I have always enjoyed cleaning, organizing, decorating and helping people, so I've put that all together on the pages of this blog. I truly hope my tips help you in your home and make sure to contact me if you have a question!"

Comments

  2. kim says

    I am one of those nuts who loves to vacuum, too. It definitely extends the life of carpet. Thanks for sharing the Dyson tips. We have one and it definitely needs a good cleaning.

  3. Tara Bilbao says

    Oh My Goodness, I LIVE by my Dyson and love that machine. I have the negative of your situation, dark hardwoods with a white golden retriever. I literally get hair tumbleweeds if I don’t vacuum. It is so rewarding seeing the canister filled with what looks like a little animal with all the hair and dirt that has been removed. I also vacuum the furniture, spray with Fabreeze and sprinkle some baking soda mixed with essential oil on my area rugs. Yea Vacuuming!

  6. Kimberly @ A Night Owl says

    Ohhh I still need to take you up on those Dyson cleaning tips! I’m so excited about that one because we never clean it and I know it’s not nearly as effective as it used to be. Thanks for the tips Anna, you may just make me enjoy cleaning one of these days. May. 😉 xo, Kimberly

    • Anna says

      I’ve heard lots of great things about the Dyson Animal but I’ve never personally used one. I have an Oreck Magnesium and it works great for our cat hair, plus it’s super light weight so I vacuum chairs and couches with it too. 🙂

  8. Gee says

    Thanks for the tips Anna. I too vacuum daily. Sometimes more than once as we have a chocolate lab that luvs to play ….
    Last week we used the tip on cleaning my Dyson that you posted. That was a great help.
    Here’s to a great weekend …
    Cheers, Gee

  9. Patricia says

    Anna I have a quick question I have notice two very small rust spots on my dishwashewer top tray. Do you have a fix for this. Trying to catch and fix early before it gets to bad Thanks