Think back to the last time you went to the beach. After the family was done swimming, despite everyone’s best efforts, the family car was full of sand afterwords. Then the family gets back to the hotel or house and all it takes is a quick shake of the swimsuit to get all of the sand out! When the swimsuit was wet, it was almost impossible to get all the sand out, even when you rinsed it in the water. When the swimsuit is dry though, just a good shake is enough to get it all out!

Believe it or not, your carpet is just like that swimsuit. According to the Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, nearly 80% of all carpet soil is easier to remove with dry soil extraction (vacuuming). The fact is that sand, hair, and many other primary sources of carpet soil are insoluable in water.

Vacuum your carpets thoroughly at least once a week. All of these particles act like sandpaper in between your carpet fibers, and will quickly and permanently wear your carpet’s appearance.

Though we’ve all been vacuuming our own carpets for years, many of us have never actually been taught the proper way to do it! Here are the keys to a thorough vacuuming:

• Move the vacuum slowly
  • The slower the vacuum moves, the more the brush agitates each carpet fiber, and the more opportunity for the airflow to grab each soil particle.
• Use Overlapping Strokes
  • The amount of suction can vary between the right side, center, and left side of your vacuum. Overlapping strokes will maximize the amount of dust you remove.
• Empty the Bag/Canister When it is 1/2 – 2/3 full.
  • Very fine dust clogs the pores in the bag long before it is full, reducing suction.