People who have staircases in their house know that cleaning it is not an easy fit. If the stair is carpeted, it now unlocks a whole new level of difficulty for the owner. This is why most of the people who have stairs in their houses invest in a vacuum cleaner. But having a vacuum cleaner does not instantly solve the problem of cleaning your stairs. So what’s the easiest way to vacuum carpet stairs in your house? This and more you are about to find out.
The best way to vacuum carpeted stairs is to start by cleaning the edges of the stairs, then you move to the tread. The tread of the stairs is the part where you actually step on when you are going up and down. When you are through with the treads, you can clean the risers. The risers of the stair is the part between each tread. But a point we can’t ignore is that for you to clean the nooks and crannies of the stairs thoroughly with the vacuum, you need to have the right attachments to add to your vacuum cleaner.
MORE ON VACUUMING CARPETED STAIRS
Talking about the right tools and attachments, you will need a crevice. This is a long, thin rod with a skinny end, and then a brush. If you can get a motorized brush attachment, then all the better. This will help to make cleaning the stairs easy breezy, as using a standard upright model of a vacuum cleaner will not give you the desired result.
So when you have the right tools and attachments, cleaning the edges become easy. Remember to clean along the edges of each tread. It is important to clean the edges first so that any dirt remaining can be cleaned up when cleaning other parts of the stairs.
When cleaning the treads, you will really need a brush or a mini motorized brush (if you can get one). This tool will help you to clean the stairs effectively without necessarily carrying the vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs. We recommend that you start cleaning treads from the top of the stairs. This is because any dirt or debris left would be picked up by the vacuum at the floor of the stairs.
As earlier stated, the risers are a very stubborn part of the stairs to clean. Again, having a brush would make it easier to clean. When cleaning the risers, attachment and tools might not be all. You will also require some amount of skill as you will need to learn how to work the tools by twisting your arms into the right positions until desired result is achieved.
So as you start cleaning the stairs from the top, make sure you alternate between the treads and the risers and then move to the edges as you work your way down.
FORMS OF VACUUM CLEANERS FOR CARPETED STAIRS
There are different types of vacuum cleaners in the market. The type you get determines how effective cleaning your carpeted stairs will be. Vacuum cleaners come in different shapes and sizes. It could be handheld, upright, have a stick or canister. So let us consider each one of them and how they impact cleaning our carpeted stairs.
Canisters vacuum cleaners
These type of vacuum cleaners are good for a wide variety of floors. They are quite powerful with very strong airflow. For a house that people always go up and down the stairs regularly, you would need to be cleaning effectively. However, vacuum cleaners with canisters are quite bulky and hard to move around. Cleaning a carpeted staircase with it is even more strenuous because you will need to be moving it up and down the stairs.
So if it’s a canister vacuum you want for cleaning your stair, buy one that has ample length of cord that enables you clean without necessarily moving up and down with it. Another thing that might help is when you have the outlet in the same unit with the cleaner.
Upright vacuum cleaners
Cleaning with upright vacuum cleaners is quite convenient because of its height. You can clean for long periods without straining your waist as you don’t really need to bend down. This convenience is something that could come in handy when cleaning carpeted stairs. But just like the canisters, the upright vacuum cleaners are quite heavy to move up and down the stairs. We do not recommend this for elderly people.
However, if you must insist on buying the upright type of vacuum cleaners, make sure you look for a model that is not too heavy. You might also want to consider the length of the hose as this will determine how often you move up and down the stairs.
Stick vacuum cleaners
Of all the forms of vacuum cleaners you can get out there, the stick type is actually the best for cleaning carpeted stairs because it is a compact unit that is lightweight. In fact, some more recent type of stick vacuum cleaners are batter powered. This means that things like length of cable will no longer be your problem. And since it is lightweight, you won’t feel a thing moving it up and down the stairs.
So when buying one, make sure it is sturdy and lightweight. Stick vacuums are also quite flexible that you can convert them into hand held machines. This feature makes it easy to clean stairs better.
Handheld vacuum cleaners
You think sticks are alright, then you haven’t met hand held vacuum cleaners. For cleaning stairs with carpets, this is the easiest. You can move them to any part of the stairs without issues because they do not have hoses and power cords.
And because it is lightweight, anybody in the house can use it to clean – including children. And due to its weight, cleaning the stairs is not only easy like the stick, it is super-fast!
People often disregard hand held vacuum cleaners because they think they are not powerful enough. But recent models are being built with powerful batteries, good airflow systems and motorized brush roll accessories.
In fact, some really modern hand held vacuum cleaners now have really powerful suction it will give cordless stick vacuums a run for its money. Since it has been established that hand-held vacuum cleaners have very open capabilities, be very careful when getting one.
Remember that cleaning the carpeted stairs is the goal, so priority should be to get one with very good power up time and equally powerful suction.
Central vacuum cleaners
Since it is common knowledge that normal vacuum cleaners are usually noisy and heavy, having a vacuum cleaner that is installed centrally could be the best bet. However, installing one could be very expensive. But if you are willing to install a vacuum cleaner that comes without the hassles of the portable ones, you can opt for the central type.
FEATURES OF VACUUMS FOR CARPETED STAIRS
Apart from knowing the form of vacuum cleaner you should buy for your carpeted stairs, you should also look out for the features that would make your cleaning more effective. Some of these features are:
It should be usable. Remember you are not cleaning just ordinary floors, but a stair that is covered with carpet. It should be the type that won’t stress you so much and can also stand the test if time.
Since cleaning stairs is the idea, then a cordless vacuum cleaner might be the preferred option. They might not have the suction of the corded type, but you can guarantee mobility won’t be the problem.
The best vacuum cleaners for stairs should also have HEPA filtration. This would help for people who have allergies. This feature might come at a steep price, but you will benefit from it eventually.
Conclusion
Cleaning carpeted stairs shouldn’t be a difficult task going forward especially if get the right vacuum cleaner for it, with the right attachments and know how to use them.