Tips for Wool Carpet: Vacuuming and Preventative Care
Rule #1 - you can’t over vacuum! All the flooring products we sell at Natülich benefit from frequent vacuuming. It will prolong the beauty and the life of your floors and keep your home healthy. Below are our first set of vacuuming tips, specifically for your carpets...
• Vacuuming is the single most important step you can take in maintaining your wool carpeting. Vacuuming not only prolongs the life of the carpet, but also enhances its appearance. Begin regular vacuuming the day your carpet is installed.
• Use a quality vacuum cleaner. Vacuums fitted with micro filter systems ensure fine particles such as dust mite allergens are removed and stay in the collection bag, this is particularly important if you are dust sensitive. If you have allergies or sensitivities to airborne pollutants, a HEPA filtered vacuum may be a good way to go. You can also look for a CRI Seal of Approval. Learn more about their vacuum cleaner certification at the Carpet and Rug Institute website.
• Choose the right type of vacuum cleaner for your carpet. An upright or canister type vacuum with a rotating beater bar/brush is best for cut-pile carpets. Loop-pile carpets should use only a suction type vacuum in order to protect the fibers. If you do have a brush, check the head to make sure the brushes barely touch the carpet surface.
Don’t use a self-adjusting vacuum since they can adjust too deeply into the pile and will cause excessive fuzzing. Be careful not to use an overly stiff brush on the beater bar since this too can cause excessive fuzzing. We recommend not using vacuum cleaners that can cause excessive fuzzing.
• Vacuum at least once a week. A complete vacuuming at least once a week is necessary to remove dust and soil and to prevent particles from embedding in the pile. If you can vacuum more often, especially in high traffic areas, it will help extend the beauty and life of your carpet.
• Vacuum your carpet properly. Move the vacuum slowly over the carpet and be thorough when you vacuum under furniture, behind curtains and where your carpet meets the wall. Three vacuum passes for light soiled areas is recommended, and five to seven passes for heavily soiled areas are necessary. Vacuum first against the natural pile direction. This lifts the pile helping to unsettle and remove dirt and grit, while reducing matting. When finishing, vacuum in the direction of pile lay to achieve a uniform finish.
• Check the vacuum dust container and filter frequently. It’s important to empty your vacuum dust bag when it is half full, don’t wait until it’s completely maxed out! Keep a close eye on your filters and clean or replace them often.
In addition to vacuuming…
Check home HVAC filters often. You can vastly reduce the amount of dust in your home and in your carpet by changing the filters in your heating and air conditioning systems regularly.
Protect entry areas. Use a doormat and a “walk-off” mat that you can wash, over your carpet at the exterior doorways, you can help prevent outdoor dirt, mud, stains and debris from the getting into your carpeting.
Try becoming a shoeless home. If you want to keep your all your floors and carpets cleaner and in tip-top condition, try putting a shoe rack at your home entrance and asking everyone to leave their shoes there. This is quite common in Japan, Austria and Sweden but may take a bit of educating guests who aren't familiar with the custom.
We hope these tips help you keep your carpet and home environment clean, comfortable and healthy!
