Is a squeegee the best way to clean a carpet?

Carpets need to be kept clean, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. A woman has demonstrated online a unique way of cleaning carpets using a squeegee, but is this a good method?

Regular use of a vacuum is recommended for carpets, but this does not always remove trapped dirt or pet hairs. A woman posted to her Facebook page a novel way of cleaning her carpets without using a hoover – she uses a squeegee, which is normally used to clean windows, to scrape up hair and dust in the carpet fibres. She then easily picks up the loosened dirt. The woman said that her method was:

“Well worth a go, my carpet looks brand new and I’ve had a good arm workout.”

Others on her Facebook page reported trying out the squeegee carpet cleaning method. One said that they used a squeegee weekly and that it was a “crazy good” tip for cleaning carpets.

Many people like this method became of its low cost. One Facebook post said that a squeegee can be bought for as little as 80p from Asda.

Carpets are popular in Wrexham, Chester and North Wales homes and businesses. The NHS recommends that carpets, upholstery, mattresses and curtains are steam-cleaned at temperatures over 77 degrees to kill bacteria and viruses. Commercial steam-cleaning machines operate at temperatures up to 110 degrees.

The NHS recommendations suggest that using a squeegee may make carpets look clean, but this method is far less effective than professional steam cleaning.