What are All those Vacuum Attachments for Anyway?
Nearly everyone has a vacuum cleaner in their home and most of you even use it on a regular basis. Of course, your vacuum cleaner probably features a number of attachments, many of which you may have never used. Whether or not you like to admit it, you may not even know what they are or how to use them. Of course, most importantly, if you use them and do it correctly, your home will be cleaner than you thought possible. And on the other hand, if you use them incorrectly, your home will not be sparkling clean and you may also risk damaging your carpeting, flooring, and upholstery! So, what are all those vacuum attachments for?
Let’s find out what they are and how to use them!
The Beater Bar Brush (the rather large rotating floor brush attachment) – The beater bar, as its known in the cleaning industry, spins along on the bottom of upright vacuums. On cannister or backpack vacuums it is an attachment. In both cases, it is crucial to get that deep clean you want for your carpet. The beater bar brush spins opening your carpets fibers to remove embedded dirt, grime, and even hair. The brush attachment comes in electric powered versions as well as turbine versions, with electric versions offering the deepest clean.
Hand Power Brushes (also called upholstery brushes or pet brushes) – These rotating floor brushes are smaller, four or five inches in size, and serve the same purpose as the beater bar brush on carpets. The hand power brushes remove dirt, grime, and hair (or fur) from spaces that are hard to reach like stairways and upholstered furniture. An excellent tool for those of you who have furry pets as part of your family.
The Commercial Carpet Tool – The commercial carpet tool is a rectangular shaped brush designed for effectively cleaning short pile carpeting. It is usually about 12 inches long, made of plastic and has no bristles. It is not intended for use on deep pile carpeting (it won’t clean effectively) or hard surface flooring (it can leave scratches).
The Upholstery Brush – Different from the hand power brush, though they are designed to clean similar areas, the upholstery brush is better at protecting delicate upholstery fabrics. This brush is also rectangular in shape, usually about five inches long, and sometimes features a removeable row of horsehair or nylon bristles ideal for getting rid of pesky pet hair/fur. This small attachment works best on the stairs and your upholstered furnishings.
The Crevice Tool – You may be familiar with the crevice tool, a thin, flat, somewhat pointy attachment used to remove dirt from hard to reach crevices like tight corners, between furniture, or among your furniture cushions. It is designed for small spot cleaning, but not large areas.
The Dust Brush – Another somewhat familiar attachment, the dust brush is the small, round brush with features horsehair bristles making it perfect for delicate cleaning jobs. Use the dust brush for vents, window frames and sills, and even your curtains (provided you adjust the suction on your vacuum before you begin).
The Floor Brush – Not to be confused with the Commercial Carpet Cleaning tool, the floor brush is designed to effectively clean hard surface flooring safely. Your floor brush is a rectangular brush, usually 12 inches long, with a row of horsehair or nylon bristles which protect your hard flooring (no scratches) while effectively cleaning even stubborn pet hairs from your floor.
Now you have the knowledge to use all those vacuum attachments, but if you are short on time, or need help, the professional team at Signature Maids is always ready to lend a hand!
