Fun fact: Did you know that vacuuming is not the same as carpet cleaning? It’s true! Yes, vacuuming should be an integral and important part of your house cleaning routine, but that’s not enough to keep your carpets clean and in good repair. The difference between what a vacuum accomplishes and what carpet cleaning services do is pretty impressive, but both are important. Here’s what you need to know about vacuuming versus carpet cleaning:
Vacuuming
When you walk into your home, you inevitably bring a lot of dirt and allergens in on your clothes and shoes. Even if you kick your shoes off as soon as you walk in the door, those small particles can end up on your socks and get dragged into your carpets. Now, that may not seem like much since you aren’t going to see a lot of the dirt and grime you track through your home, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. The common misconception is that vacuuming will suck all of those particles right up. Sadly, that’s not the case. It’s meant to serve as a tidying tool, but you shouldn’t rely on just your vacuum to keep your carpets clean.
Your vacuum, while a handy tool for general tidiness, doesn’t offer much in the way of deep cleaning. It’s a good way to get up a lot of dirt or debris, but the way it’s set up, it isn’t going to be able to get every little bit of dirt. There are a few things you can do to make it more effective, but your vacuum just isn’t made for deep cleaning. In order to boost your vacuum’s performance, try:
- Vacuum weekly so there is less build-up that needs to get vacuumed.
- Go slowly – The slower you move the vacuum, the more likely the brush is to lift up more dirt, but also, the more likely that dirt is to get suctioned up.
- Clean the brush – The more gunk caught in the bristles, the less effective it will be in loosening dirt from the carpet’s fibers.
- Check for air leaks – The more air your vacuum leaks, the less suction power it has.
Carpet Cleaning
Carpet cleaning is more involved than vacuuming. It generally involves a combination of specialized carpet cleaners, heat, and steam to break down all the gunk that gets trapped in your carpet fibers. This is important because, not only can all of that stuff collecting in your carpets affect the air quality in your home, the bits of dirt can actually rip and wear-down your carpet fibers over time. If you want to help your carpets last longer, proper carpet cleaning is a must.
The other distinction that needs to be made is the difference between an at-home steam carpet cleaner and professional carpet cleaning. Having your own steam cleaning device can certainly help you keep things cleaner, but if your device doesn’t suction up the moisture sufficiently, you could be creating literal hotbeds of mold growing under your carpets. Professional carpet cleaning services are the best way to get your carpets thoroughly cleaned and prevent mold from growing.
Keep your carpets in good condition. Contact Steam Master Cleaning & Restoration for professional carpet cleaning services in San Antonio.