The vacuum cleaner is an appliance that enables a homeowner to keep her home free of dust and dirt. Neglecting to use the vacuum cleaner can lead to severe allergy problems since a dusty home is a home overrun with dust mites, pet hair, and other allergens. It's recommended that people vacuum their homes each day, but most people only have time to vacuum one or two times a week. Vacuum cleaning is an important part of keeping a home clean and dust free.
Vacuum cleaning involves pushing the appliance across the carpet various times until any dust, dirt, or debris is eliminated. The vacuum is pushed back and forth and side to side in order to cover all areas of the carpet. Homeowners should pass the vacuum several times over carpet sections that experience high traffic. Lightly trafficked areas only need about three passes with the vacuum in order to be sufficiently cleaned. Some vacuum cleaners have a dirt sensor that lets the person know when a particular carpet area is clean.
There are two basic types of vacuum cleaners that are used for vacuum cleaning — the canister vacuum and the bag vacuum. Both clean carpets equally well, but they also have different qualities. A canister vacuum is ideal for cleaning carpets, but is especially useful for cleaning bare floors, stairs, and hard-to-reach corners.
The advantage to a canister model is the fact that the homeowner does not have to continuously purchase vacuum bags. The downside is that it can be difficult to empty this type without making a mess. The filter and dust container of a canister model must always be kept clean.
A vacuum with a bag doesn't have this problem because it keeps the dirt and dust contained within its bag. On the other hand, it's difficult to rescue small objects that are accidentally sucked up into the vacuum, and it requires the purchase of vacuum bags on a regular basis. Vacuum cleaning with a vacuum that requires a bag may cost the homeowner more money than she is willing to spend throughout the years. In this case, the homeowner should purchase a canister vacuum.
Vacuum cleaning becomes a simpler chore when a vacuum is equipped with a variety of attachments. These attachments are used to clean different places within the home. For example, if a person needs to clean bare floors or walls, she should use the wall/floor brush.
Anyone who needs to clean dust from drawers or under the furniture can attack the dirt with the vacuum's crevice tool. Mattresses, curtains, upholstered furniture, and car interiors can be cleaned with the vacuum's upholstery attachment. Finally, lampshades and blinds can be cleaned with a vacuum's dusting brush.
Vacuum cleaning with a powder freshener does not hurt the vacuum if it's a quality appliance. When using a bag vacuum, it's important to use a clean bag when applying powder to the carpet. This is because carpet powder often clogs the vacuum bag. After using a freshening powder, the cleaner should change the bag for a new one.