Vacuuming your carpets can be very frustrating, but it is also a very important task to keep your carpets clean and increase their longevity. Over time dirt and particles build up in your carpets which causes them to lose color and will degrade the fibers. Carpets also trap allergens and dust which can create a stuffy environment inside your home which can have a negative impact on your health. Here are five tips to help make your vacuuming a little less stressful and make your carpet cleaning more efficient.

Empty Bag: Before you begin vacuuming you should make sure the vacuum bag is emptied. If it hasn’t been emptied we recommend emptying your vacuum outside to keep the dust outside of your home. A full vacuum will lose suction and will not vacuum as efficiently as an empty vacuum. Also depending on what kind of vacuum you are using, a full vacuum may release dust in the air as you use it.

Extension Cord: When vacuuming managing the long extension cord can be tricky. You can run over it with the vacuum and even trip on it if you are not carful. When vacuuming you should hold the cord in your non dominant had above the ground and use your other hand to push the vacuum. Hold the cord behind you and focus on keeping it from getting under your feet and vacuum.

Move Large Objects: Large objects such as tables and furniture can be frustrating to vacuum around. Before you start vacuuming you can move large objects so you do not have to clean around them. We recommend dividing a room in halves. Move large objects to one side of the room and vacuum the empty half. Take a break, then move the objects to the clean side and vacuum the remaining half.

Remove Small Objects: Just like large objects in the room small objects such as coins, paper clips and etc should be removed prior to vacuuming. Small objects can get stuck in your vacuum which can reduce suction or even break your vacuum.  It is also easier to remove these items before you clean as opposed to having to bend down and pick them up while vacuuming.

High Traffic Areas: A high traffic area is an area in your home that you walk over frequently such as an entrance to a room. When vacuuming you will want to pay more attention to these areas and vacuum them more frequently. Sometimes you may only need to vacuum high traffic areas. These areas are important to maintain because the carpet will degrade in high traffic areas more often.