Should we vacuum the carpet before cleaning it at home? Will vacuuming the carpet make our work easier? This is a problem we often need to consider when cleaning family carpets. Simply put, we should use a conventional household vacuum cleaner to thoroughly dust the carpet, which will help remove loose dirt particles and any gravel / sand tracked home.
Why Do We Need to Vacuum Before Carpet Cleaning?
Unfortunately, many families may not be as clean as you. In fact, you want to maintain this state. A mobile vacuum cleaner, or a vacuum cleaner brought by a cleaning service from one home to another, may carry bacteria, bacteria, fleas, and even urine deposits. Many carpet cleaners provide pet stain and deodorization services for families. Do you also want a vacuum cleaner in another home for urination service? Maybe not! Therefore, you should vacuum in advance!
Most vacuum cleaners have brushes that can touch and stir the surface of the carpet. They will pick up and remove the dirt, dust and dander on the surface of the carpet. They also collected tiny pieces that could live on the brush of a vacuum cleaner. In addition, if fleas are sucked into the vacuum bag in the previous customer’s home, they may be in your home now. To avoid this situation, just use your own machine to dust. So before professional carpet cleaning, the carpet should be vacuumed. You should be the person in charge of cleaning. You will ensure that your home is kept clean and that bacteria, fleas and urine do not enter your home through vacuum cleaners. Before professional carpet cleaning, you need an extra 20 minutes to vacuum, which is certainly worth your rest assured.
This step is conducive to fluffy carpet fibers and loosen dirt from the deep inside. This will make the whole carpet cleaning task more effective, because it will be able to clean deeper. If your steam carpet cleaner has only one water tank, it will also reduce the number of times you change the water tank (dirty water) during carpet cleaning.
When vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner, if it is allowed to pick up small items that may damage the carpet cleaner during the cleaning process, such as rubber bands, hair ornaments, small toys and other items that may block the hose and cause downtime. It doesn’t matter. Which type of carpet cleaner you use is more effective in vacuuming before cleaning.
Therefore, you should vacuum the carpet before picking up the carpet cleaner. Before you start using carpet cleaner, take time to clean the area, remove small furniture, and thoroughly prepare the room.
What to Prepare to Start Vacuum Before Carpet Cleaning?
It is strongly recommended to read the instruction manual and machine manual before starting cleaning. You will want to use the machine when the water in the tank is still hot, so focusing on it means you will complete the task faster. Please note that some machines do have the function of on-board water heating.
After cleaning, the carpet has been completely dry (some machines are better at extracting most of the cleaning water), and you need to vacuum again. This helps remove grit and sand that has been brought to the surface but has not been removed by the machine. It will also make the fiber fluffy and make your carpet look more beautiful.
How to Conduct Vacuum Before Carpet Cleaning?
- Discuss with carpet cleaning company how to clean
Your carpet cleaning team is ready to answer your questions. They may even send you a simple to-do list before they arrive. Some companies include furniture movement in their costs or offer discounts, focusing only on areas with heavy traffic. Talk to your cleaning company about how to help them on an important day before making every effort to prepare the carpet with problems.
- Use a vacuum cleaner if necessary
The first question you want to ask the carpet cleaner should be: “do I need a vacuum cleaner?” Your carpet cleaner may prefer to handle all the steps by himself, including the initial vacuum. Others encourage the use of vacuum cleaners to check for loose items, or save time during visits. Although the cost of carpet cleaning is usually broken down by square feet rather than hourly charges, if you notice the initial vacuum, cleaners will be able to focus more specifically on the shampoo process.
- Move necessary furniture
Before you do it yourself, there is another task to discuss with your cleaner. Furniture can only be moved if the company clearly requires it. The cleaner may measure your space first, and then estimate it for free.
Talk to them about how the placement of items in the room will hinder the cleaning process (if any). Some larger items, such as dressers or china cabinets, may need to be put in place, especially if you don’t plan to move them in the near future.
When technicians pull the hose around your home, the hose will rub around the corners of your home and on the baseboard, leaving black marks. In order to avoid any black marks, please consider using high-quality paint tape where the rope rubs (such as the bottom of the stairs). It is best to discuss with technicians when they first contact them. As a suggestion, the painter’s tape will not damage the wall or leave traces on the wall when used, and it is easy to remove.
- Store fragile items
Whenever the contractor comes to your house to thoroughly clean or renovate your house, stuff any fragile items into the warehouse to avoid damage. If you or the company plans to move furniture, please remove all decorative items, whether fragile or not, so that the team can avoid extra work.
- Check for loose debris
Comb the carpet carefully and look for items you don’t want to be trapped in vacuum cleaners or professional steam cleaners. Bobby pins, jewelry or rogue toys are common culprits. Pay special attention to the hidden spots before checking the furniture.
- Top down cleaning
After professional carpet cleaning, the last thing you want to see is a cloud of dust falling from the ceiling fan. Remove dust and cobwebs from ceilings, wall tops, lighting fixtures, or ceiling fans before the team arrives. Please call a HVAC professional for standard cleaning.
- Fixed curtain
Most carpet cleaning companies require you to tie long curtains to the floor. We suggest that you dust them thoroughly, or take advantage of the opportunity to wash them, so that they won’t dust on the carpet you just washed.
- Get your pet ready
If you have a friendly golden retriever determined to “help” your carpet cleaning team, you’d better hide them so that professionals can start working. Choose a room for your cat or dog and make sure you have a plan to keep them away from the carpet for a day if they need to dry.
- Develop post cleaning plan
One day after cleaning, you need to keep your family away from the carpet. Steam cleaning takes longer than dry powder method, and may even delay moving furniture back to its original position. Keep this in mind when arranging appointments, especially when you are preparing for the upcoming holiday party or the arrival of guests.
- List stains
From a fork full of spaghetti to any unfortunate pet accident, you should make a list of carpet stains that you need professionals to solve. Mentioning these on the phone when you make an appointment can help them prepare, but it may also help to get your professionals across any place when they arrive, so that you are on the same page.
- Save parking space
Welcome your carpet cleaning team and make sure they have a place to park as soon as they arrive, especially if they have a truck or minivan. If you live in a city, provide tips for parking on the streets of the area in advance. We also suggest cleaning a passage from the front door to the room for cleaning.
The best carpet cleaner in your area will make you feel comfortable and ready for an important day. In the process of free quotation, please do not hesitate to ask the company to make preparations for your home before they arrive and after finishing the work of the day.
Should I Buy a Vacuum Cleaner or Rent One?
It may be a difficult decision whether to buy your own carpet cleaner or rent one. But if you have storage space and more than one carpet, you will soon save rent. You may also do more thorough cleaning work, because you can arrange it according to your own schedule. Dividing tasks into more manageable parts can save more time and better adapt to your busy lifestyle.
Another option for carpet cleaning is to contract the work to experienced cleaners using their own machines. You will find that they often skip the vacuum before and after. Since time is money, their task is to clean the carpet, and the rest is left to you. After cleaning the carpet, you have to prepare the room and vacuum again. Always use the carpet shampoo or detergent recommended by the carpet washer and follow the instructions for best results.
How Long Will You Leave After Cleaning the Carpet
Once your carpet cleaning experts play their magic role, they may give you some tips to make your carpet look great. Depending on whether you choose to steam clean or dry clean the carpet, you may need to keep your family away from your carpet for up to 24 hours. If you need to cross the carpet, wait as long as possible before stepping on the carpet, and put on clean socks or slippers.