The Overlooked Cleaning Tool You Need In Your Arsenal If You Have Carpet (Or Pets)

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Carpets are still a flooring staple you'll see in many homes, primarily found with more modern styles in bedrooms and hallways. Cleaning carpets is more challenging than trendy hardwood floors, due mainly to their being a massive collector of dirt, allergens, and dust. Vacuuming regularly can help, along with spot cleaning your carpet to keep it looking like new. However, if you have pets who shed hair or kids tracking in lots of dirt and debris, a vacuum isn't always enough, and it's unlikely to be good at getting all of that dirt and hair out of your carpet. The overlooked cleaning tool you need in your home if you have carpet, and especially if you have shedding pets and lots of hair, is a carpet rake.

Carpet rakes are handy and simple-to-use tools that effectively clean your carpets to help give your rugs a deeper clean. These rakes are made to glide across the carpet, helping to restore its appearance, as well as doing a number on dirt, dust, and hair. They often have soft bristles or rubber bottoms that dig into your carpet to pull up the debris that your vacuum may be leaving behind. They even work to help lift and fluff up your carpet fibers to keep them lasting longer.

Carpet rakes are made differently from brand to brand, so be sure to examine your home carpet's needs before you purchase. For example, if you're looking to get one that is specifically for pet hair, you might consider this 3-in-1 Bolfie Carpet Rake. If you're looking to get deeper into your carpet fibers because it is thicker or high-pile, you might look into one with bigger rubber bristles, like this FURemover Original Pet Hair Rubber Broom. Look for durable materials that will work effectively for the size of your carpet and check reviews to ensure a product that'll deliver a good, efficient clean.

Even with a carpet rake, you should still use a vacuum to eliminate any loose dirt or hair that it can pick up during the initial clean. Your next step is to either apply a carpet cleaner or go right to using your carpet rake. One of the biggest mistakes everyone makes with carpet cleaners is using the wrong cleaner for their carpet type, so know your carpet fibers. Use the rake by scraping with short, quick strokes to pull up the fibers in your carpet, digging down to get all of the hair and dirt out of it. Once you've gone through using the rake once and removing the debris, you can vacuum through once again to get rid of any other dirt that may have been brought up to the surface.