Vacuum cleaner
The tool that removes what no liquid can, and the one whose attachment choice does more damage than any cleaning product on soft furnishings.
In detail
A vacuum cleaner removes particulate soil by airflow, and it is the first step in almost every professional procedure for a soft surface because a solution applied over loose grit does not remove the grit — it wets it and drives it in. Grit is also abrasive in its own right: particles left in a carpet pile or a fabric weave are ground against the fibres by every footstep, which is why regular vacuuming is a wear question rather than an appearance one. The distinction that matters most is between suction and agitation. A beater bar or rotary brush lifts pile and dislodges embedded soil from a robust carpet, and on a delicate surface it destroys the thing it is cleaning. A furniture manufacturer's textile guidance and the leather trade's care guide, working on different materials, give the same instruction independently: use the upholstery attachment, and do not use a vacuum attachment with a rotary brush, because brushing may permanently damage the nap or change the character of the surface. Suction lifts, agitation abrades, and the second is not a stronger version of the first.
What works
Vacuum cleaner is effective against Dust Strongly supported
Vacuum cleaner is effective against Mud Supported
Vacuum cleaner is effective against Pollen Supported
Vacuum cleaner is effective against Frass and pest residue Supported
Named by the conservation literature as one of the jobs a vacuum is bought for.
Vacuum cleaner is safe on, in specific conditions, Finished wood flooring
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits, and nothing is established outside them.
Only within these limits:
- Bare floor setting
- No beater bar
- Routine only — it does not replace the spill procedure
The setting is the condition. A vacuum on carpet setting is a rotating brush against a finish.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Maintenance, and How to Clean and Take Care of Your Wood Floors
National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That vacuuming on the bare floor setting is among the routine methods for removing dust and dirt from a wood floor. (states this directly)
Vacuum cleaner is safe on, in specific conditions, Upholstery fabric
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits, and nothing is established outside them.
Only within these limits:
- Upholstery attachment only — NOT an attachment with a rotary brush
- Do not brush the fabric
- Do not apply water or any liquid solution to panel and workspace fabrics; wetting may cause permanent damage
- Do not use steam
Where more than vacuuming is needed the route is dry cleaning or spot cleaning with a solvent cleaner, not water.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Materials: Textiles Care and Maintenance
Herman Miller, Inc. · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That normal cleaning is vacuuming with an upholstery attachment, that rotary brush attachments and brushing are prohibited, that water or any liquid solution may cause permanent damage to panel and workspace fabrics, and that steam must not be used. (states this directly)
Why
- Vacuum cleaner is explained by Clogging the thing that does the work
A loaded bag and filter is the same failure as a softener-clogged cloth: capture depends on somewhere for the soil to go.
- Vacuum cleaner is explained by Clogging the thing that does the work
Related
- Vacuum cleaner has the component Vacuum bag
- Vacuum cleaner has the component Vacuum hose
- Vacuum cleaner has the component Vacuum wand
- Vacuum cleaner is made from Household plastics
Sources for this page
Sources
Materials: Textiles Care and Maintenance
Herman Miller, Inc. · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That normal cleaning is vacuuming with an upholstery attachment and that a vacuum attachment with a rotary brush must not be used, because brushing may permanently damage the nap or change the character of the fabric. (states this directly)
Leather Care and Cleaning Guide
The Leather Institute, 2011 · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That cleaning begins with a suction vacuum and that a rotating brush vacuum must never be used because the brush damages the surface. (states this directly)