Carpet steam cleaners and vacuum cleaners are designed for different functions.
The former is primarily used for wet cleaning of the carpets whereas the normal vacuum cleaners are for dry vacuuming of the dust and dirt.
Both are equally important in the cleaning process and they complement each other to produce optimum results.
Vacuuming before using even the best carpet steam cleaner is necessary in order for the steam cleaner to do a better job.
Use the regular vacuum cleaner to suck up all the large and small dirt particles including pet dander, sand particles, left-over food crumbs dropped on the floor or maybe mud tracked in by dirty shoes.
All of these if not removed before steam cleaning, might end up stuck in the suction area of the steam cleaner.
This will result in reduced suction and difficulty in cleaning thoroughly, not to mention the hassle of having to clean out the suction area of the lint and hair or dirt stuck inside.
Vacuuming prior to wet cleaning results in a cleaner and more dust-free carpet or floor.
This will reduce the number of times needed to change the dirty water in the tank while steam cleaning, thus speeding up the whole process, besides not having hair from the carpet bunching up and be passed out in a wet wad while cleaning.
Cleaning out the tank after usage is also much easier without pet hair or fur and lumps of dirt stuck on the walls.
Cleaning out properly is important to prevent the dirt, hair or lint, drying out and together with the detergent, harden and cake up in the tank.
This will reduce the efficiency as well as the shelf-life of the machine.
It is advisable to follow the instructions in the manual during usage to get the best results and also to prolong the shelf-life of the cleaner.
Cleaning out all the tools after using, is important and drying them thoroughly before storing is equally important.
This will prevent the machine from emitting unpleasant odors or have molds and mildews flourishing in the wet tanks.
Vacuuming again after the steam cleaning is done, helps to remove wet, fuzzy little balls of pet hairs, lint, loosen carpet fibers or detergent residue not picked up by the steam machine.
Putting in a little extra effort not only results in a wonderfully clean carpet but also trouble-free maintenance of the steam machine.