Cleaning Hack: How to Use a Vacuum Cleaner

Many families now have a pet, whether it is a dog or cat, rabbit or hamster, it can be a wonderful addition to the family unit. By their nature, dogs and cats are around in the outdoors, they have hair and with the best will in the world, your carpets, sofas and other furniture items will become dirtier than they otherwise might. Pet hair can end up in all sorts of places and if you are going to keep your home fresh and clean, you will have to employ regular maintenance techniques. It is not just the visible dirt and hair but loose hair and dirt can carry bacteria and the bacteria can multiply causing unpleasant odors. It is especially important to keep pet hair at bay if you have young children who are prone to crawling around the floors and fabric upholstery. Then there is the consideration for those in your family home who are prone to allergic reactions, stale dirt and pet hair left lying around can cause those with allergies to develop a lot of unpleasant respiratory symptoms. The problem can be compounded if you have a dog or a cat say, with long hair.

So, how would you use a vacuum cleaner to clean up pet hair?

Not all vacuum cleaners are equal and it is important that you choose a vacuum cleaner that has enough power for your purpose, there are some vacuum cleaners that are useful for moving light dust or dirt or some that are really only useful for wooden floors. You will be able to sense that from some vacuum cleaners when you notice that they seem to pass over the hair and perhaps only remove larger crumbs so you want to make sure that you are picking a pet vacuum cleaner that will be fit for purpose, you have to make sure that you are able to get rid of the hairs without going over and over the area causing you great frustration and time.

Check the filters and look for a vacuum cleaner with good quality filters so that you will be able to remove the bacteria and allergens. A vacuum with a poor quality filter will lift the allergens or bacteria but instead of removing them will allow them to become airborne, creating a bigger problem for you.

Make sure that the vacuum comes with a strong brush which you can use to move over the surface and an attachment that will allow you to access difficult corners. Choose a vacuum cleaner which has multiple attachments if you can for use in stairs and curtains for example and an attachment that you can use for scrubbing.

Assess your budget, you do not have pay a ridiculous amount of money but you may have to pay more than you would if you were simply looking for a lightweight vacuum to accommodate wooden floors. If your pet has long hair and tends to molt a lot, then you will require a stronger vacuum, so get what you need and remember your health is important and you, therefore, should not economize too much in this area and remember, just because you cannot see the dirt, bacteria, and allergens, it doesn’t mean that they are not there and it doesn’t mean that they are not a health hazard.

Identify the spots in your home that are most prone to collecting the hair, maybe it is an area that your pet uses all of the time or maybe there is a particular area in your home that is more statically charged than others and the hair just seems to collect there. These are the areas that are going to require more attention and more regular cleaning.

Use the appropriate tool for the job.

When you are attempting to collect the hare with the vacuum, you do not want to have it blowing around, you want to contain it as much as possible, this is why a selection of tools for your vacuum is important. Remember to move your tool under and behind furniture items and it may, in fact, be a good idea to regularly move your furniture is that you don’t miss any parts of the floor.

Your sofas should be vacuumed too, using one of your tools and going back and forth with strong action to make sure that you catch any ingrained pieces of hair or dirt.

It is often a good idea to use baking soda within your vacuum bag or container if you are using a bagless version, baking soda can absorb some of the nasty odors associated with vacuuming. Some people add essential oils and this can leave your home smelling wonderfully fresh. Be cautious with using certain chemical products as chemicals can cause allergic reactions, keep it natural.

Once you have vacuumed, remember to thoroughly clean your vacuum after use, empty it and clean what you can. When your vacuum is being used to pick up a lot of hair, you may have to change the filter more than you would normally, read the manufacturers instructions and change it according to what is suggested and more if you can remember the filter removes a lot of what you can’t see.

You should make sure that you vacuum regularly, once every 2 or 3 days and it will be essential that you have your vacuum cleaner regularly serviced and maintained to keep it in optimal working order. If you are the handy type, there are certain vacuum cleaners that lend themselves to home maintenance and if you are confident, you can learn how to remove the parts and wash and clean them. If however, this is a skill beyond you, you would be well advised to find a local professional who can do the job for you. Poorly maintained cleaners do not last as long and they can harbor dirt and germs which can, in turn, end up back in your environment.

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