Vacuuming is a highly effective cleaning process. It is effective for picking up surface dirt and loose grit hiding between carpet fibers. As good as vacuuming is, it’s sometimes not enough.
To properly remove stubborn stains, dirt, and allergens hiding in your carpet fibers, you would need more than vacuuming. So, it is vacuuming alongside deep carpet cleaning for a thoroughly and effectively cleaned carpet.
Let’s rephrase the question.
Should you vacuum after carpet cleaning?
Yes, you should vacuum after carpet cleaning. Vacuuming after carpet cleaning is the ideal cleaning process when dealing with a carpet. It removes grit that may have stuck to the carpet’s surface during the drying process.
So, you have to vacuum before and after carpet cleaning to get the best result from your carpet cleaning process.
This post contains valuable information on vacuuming and carpet cleaning. Keep reading:
What Is Carpet Cleaning?
The purpose of carpet cleaning is to keep your carpet dirt free. It involves removing all forms of grit, allergens and stains from your carpet. There are several carpet cleaning methods. The method you choose should align with how much dirt your carpet has.
The most commonly used carpet cleaning methods include vacuuming, dry cleaning and hot water extraction. You can do your regular carpet cleaning yourself and get the help of a professional for your periodic deep cleaning. Or you can choose to do your regular and deep cleaning yourself. You need to know how, though.
What Items Do You Need For Carpet Cleaning
If you use wall-to-wall carpeting in your home, you may need professionals to help with your deep carpet cleaning. Doing this isn’t cheap. So, to save cost some people choose to do all their cleaning themselves. It is tedious but achievable.
Here are a few items you would need for either regular or deep carpet cleaning:
- Vacuum
- Oscillating fan
- Bucket
- Spray bottle
- Bucket
- Microfiber cloth and rags
- Clothes steamer
- Brush (with stiff bristles)
- Baking soda
- Steam mop
- White vinegar (distilled)
- Salt (table)
How To Do Your Regular Carpet Cleaning
The regular carpet cleaning can help to increase its lifespan. Allowing sand or dust to stay on your carpet without cleaning may cause odor to build up and give it a faded appearance. Every carpet needs proper clean up as long as it is on the floor.
Vacuuming often is one of the best ways to keep your carpet clean. You can do this regularly without harming your carpet. However, it is not the only way to clean. You can use a carpet sweeper or a broom if you don’t have a vacuum.
Keep in mind that regular carpet cleaning can’t replace deep carpet cleaning. It would help if you did both. So that your carpet would last longer, stay clean and odorless. Here is how to regularly remove dust and dirt from your carpet:
Step#1: Move items on the carpet:
To vacuum thoroughly, ensure you move any item or piece of furniture on the carpet to ensure no part is left untouched.
Step#2: Set your vacuum:
To get the best and most effective suction for your carpet, you must set the height of your vacuum.
Step#3: Take your time vacuuming:
To get the best result, don’t rush. Take note of those parts of your carpet that you use most. These parts require more attention. Run your vacuum over and over these parts.
Step#4: Utilize a lint roller and squeegee:
After vacuuming, use a lint roller to remove tiny particles on your carpet. You can also use a lint roller when your carpet needs a quick fix.
Deal with lingering hair on your carpet with a squeegee. Choose a rubber squeegee for the job.
Step#5: Sprinkle baking soda:
You can sprinkle baking soda on your carpet and leave it on it for a few hours. Do this once in a few weeks before you vacuum. This process removes stains and odor from your carpet.
How To Remove Stains During Your Regular Carpet Cleaning
Never allow stains to dry up. Clean them immediately. Don’t rub solid stains, e.g. mud, because it would make it settle deep inside the carpet. Use an object with a pointed but blunt edge to push the solid particle to the surface, eg. A blunt knife or the edge of your debit or credit card
For liquid stains, soak up the moisture immediately with a white cloth or a paper towel. White clothes are your best option. Colored clothes may transfer color to your carpet.
What Is Deep Carpet Cleaning?
Deep cleaning is a vital process, and it is as essential as regular carpet cleaning. It is more thorough. It cleans the carpet fibers and removes dirt that regular carpet cleaning wouldn’t reach.
The number of times you deep clean your carpet is dependent on how much traffic you get in the carpet area. Generally, you should deep clean twice a year. But if you have kids, pets or anything that increases the amount of dirt on your carpet, clean more than twice.
How To Do Your Deep Carpet Cleaning
You can outsource your deep carpet cleaning to a professional cleaning company or do it yourself. The items you need to deep clean your carpet are easily accessible. You can use the following:
Baking soda and table salt:
Baking soda has proven to be an effective stain remover. Before using baking soda to deep clean, you must first vacuum or use a carpet sweeper. Also, try to remove visible solid stains from your carpet.
Mix equal quantities of table salt and baking soda with cold water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake. Then spray liberally on the carpet. To make it easy for you, sprinkle in an organized manner. You can try working from one end of the carpet to another (Wall-to-wall).
Ensure the mixture reaches every part of the carpet. When this is done, fill a spray bottle with clean cold water and spray on the carpet. Spray until the carpet gets damp. It shouldn’t be dripping wet.
Scrub the damp carpet to ensure the baking soda seeps into the carpet. Use a stiff brush. Scrub in a way that lifts the dirt buried underneath your carpet to the surface.
After scrubbing, use a clean rag to wipe away the lifted dirt then air dry. Don’t stress about the particles of baking soda in the carpet fibers. Let them stay.
Vacuum the carpet after drying. Vacuuming would remove the baking soda that wiping couldn’t remove.
White vinegar:
Before you begin the deep cleaning process, ensure you vacuum. Vacuuming removes dirt and grit on the surface of your carpet. Deep cleaning without vacuuming first may cause dirt to burrow deeper into the carpet fibers. Also, remove surface stains from your carpet.
After vacuuming and removing visible stains, mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Coldwater should be three times more than distilled vinegar. Prepare to refill the spray bottle, as you would be spraying the whole carpet liberally.
Spray the liquid mixture in parts to ensure you cover the entire carpet. Do this until the carpet is wet. Leave the mixture for a few minutes. Allow it to go deep into the carpet.
Using a microfiber cloth, absorb the mixture and dirt from the carpet. Dip the microfiber cloth in a bucket of water and squeeze. Then repeat the process. Change the water if it gets dirty. Keep going until you have covered the entire carpet.
Please don’t allow anyone on the carpet until it is thoroughly dried. Use an Oscillating fan in a ventilated space so that the carpet dries fast.
How To Use Steam For Your Deep Carpet Cleaning
Many professional cleaning services use steam for carpet cleaning. You can use steam on your carpet if you have access to a steam mop or cloth steamer.
To steam, you must vacuum and remove visible stains first. Then sprinkle an equal part mixture of baking soda and table salt on the carpet. Don’t use cold water for the mixture. Use steam to make the carpet wet instead.
If you’re using a steam mop, you must go over the carpet surface multiple times. Then use your stiff brush to scrub. Thus, allowing the mixture to settle deep in the carpet.
When using a clothes steamer, dampen the carpet covered in baking soda and salt mixture by holding the steamer inches away. The carpet must be thoroughly damp before you start scrubbing with a stiff brush.
After this process is complete, blot the moisture and dirt particles on the carpet with a clean towel or rag. Then, allow it to dry and vacuum to remove the residual particles of dirt and baking soda on the carpet.
Conclusion
You should vacuum your carpet before and after carpet cleaning to ensure that it is thoroughly cleaned. This method of cleaning applies to whether you’re getting professional help or doing it yourself.
We also discussed how to vacuum clean a carpet. So, if you’re looking for ideas on how to get it done satisfactorily, you should spend time on this post.
