Vacuuming 101

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Vacuuming 101. There really is more to it than just plugging in the machine and giving your rug or carpet the once-over.

Here's how to make your cleaning routine time-efficient and thorough.

1 Take your time.

To suck up all the dirt and dust hidden between the fibers, you need to spend about 20 seconds or so going back and forth over each area of the rug.

2 How to leave those neat carpet or rug patterns that announce, "I've just been cleaned!"

Pretend you're mowing the lawn. (This is a great job for the kids, by the way).

Divide the area into strips and tackle each strip in sections using a back-and-forth motion.

This last step is purely for appearances; your rug will be just as clean if you run the machine in a random pattern.

Read more on choosing the right vacuum for the job here.

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