CARPET, SHAMPOO, AND GENERAL CLEANING TIPS
Learn proper house cleaning techniques and tips from the Kirby cleaning experts.
CARPET CLEANING TIPS
The uses for your Kirby Home Cleaning System don’t end with you cleaning carpet. It works just as well on your rugs, too! To maintain the beauty and functionality of your rugs, use the following tips for cleaning your area rug:
- Vacuum your large area rugs as often as you vacuum your carpets. Remember, identify your high traffic areas in your home and clean those weekly to keep your floors looking like new!
- If a rug is reversible, be sure to vacuum both sides as dirt and grime can prematurely wear out your rug.
- Rotate your rugs on an annual basis to avoid wear and tear on certain areas.
- In the canister, or hand-held mode, use the Kirby Surface Nozzle attachment to vacuum delicate area rugs. It uses suction power only to clean without a spinning brush roll.
- If you need to to clean an area rug that’s lightweight, try adding the Suction Control Grip to the hose. This attachment allows you to reduce the amount of suction if the full power of the vacuum is too strong.
- For small rugs, or rugs with pet hair embedded in them, try using the Kirby Zippbrush to clean the rug. This attachment will become your new best friend.
How to Clean a Large Area Rug
By changing the settings on your Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System, you can also use the upright mode to clean many types of area rugs. Use the Toe-Touch Control to raise or lower the cleaning height of the vacuum, and use the Belt Lifter to start or stop the brush roll to accommodate your specific area rug.
For fur, sheepskin or hair-on hide rugs, we recommend you do not use your vacuum. These require special attention to maintain the fur and we recommend following rug cleaning instructions on the tags.
If the area rugs you bought to add style and personality to your room are dingy and dirty, they’re not doing their job. Luckily, cleaning them doesn’t have to be much work. Gone are the days when people would shake out area rugs or beat them thanks to your versatile Kirby Home Cleaning System!
With all the nooks and crannies, sometimes cleaning your stairs can seem impossible. Getting into corners and cleaning each individual stair can be difficult with an upright vacuum.
The Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System gives you two powerful ways to clean your stairs:
1. The Portable Carpet Cleaning Mode
This gives you the full power of the Kirby upright in a smaller size that is easier to maneuver cleaning carpet on your stairs.
- Convert your Kirby System to a portable hand-held vacuum by removing the upright handle and attaching the portable handle.
- After attaching the portable handle, place the Kirby System on one of the carpeted stairs.
- Put the TechDrive® pedal in neutral and turn the unit on.
- Roll the cleaner back and forth so that the brush roll agitates the carpeting and loosens the dirt.
2. The Canister Mode
Stop messing with weak hand-held vacuum cleaners and use your Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Your Kirby vacuum includes several carpet cleaning attachments to clean your stairs with ease.
- The optional Zipp brush attachment is perfect for steps; the spinning brush dislodges embedded dirt and debris.
- The crevice tool makes it easy to clean corners and edges.
- The upholstery tool can also be used to loosen dirt on carpeted steps.
Need some additional tips on how to vacuum stairs? Learn more about your Avalir’s capabilities by reading your Kirby owner manual.
Many people don’t realize it, but dirt and grime can settle on the walls of your home. Even if you don’t have wallpaper, you could be accumulating dust without even knowing it.
Don’t panic. There’s a very simple way to keep your walls and ceiling dust-free for your next get-together.
Let the clean freak in you take over with the Kirby wall and ceiling attachment. The attachment is perfect for this due to its bristles that prevent scratching walls, while also helping to loosen any stuck-on dirt.
Use our tips and tricks to learn the best ways for how to clean ceilings and walls:
- The wide surface area of the ceiling and wall brush attachment makes it easy to clean large sections of walls in no time at all.
- When used with the angled Suction Control Grip, your Kirby brush can be angled to reach the top of bookshelves, window sills and ledges.
- Can be used to clean dust from the top of ceiling fan blades.
- If you angle it sideways, you can even reach into corners to remove cobwebs.
- Brush is flat enough to vacuum walls behind the TV which build up dust from the static electricity of the TV.
- The multi-functional design can be used to vacuum both flat and sloped ceilings.
- Don’t forget to reach behind hutches and large pieces of furniture. Lots of dirt hides back there.
Make sure you’re getting the most cleaning power from your Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System!
It’s easy to transform your Kirby Home Cleaning System into a straight suction vacuum for hardwood floors. Straight suction prevents the brush roll from spinning and avoids potential scratching of delicate wood floors.
- Use the belt lifter to disengage the brush roll. This will prevent the brush roll from spinning and will allow the Kirby System to clean using suction power only.
- Put TechDrive® Power Assist in neutral to prevent the rear wheels from spinning.
- For added protection, you can attach the optional Kirby Hard Floor Pad.
You can also convert your system and use the Floor Nozzle to clean hard floors.
The Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System is designed to handle the hardwood floors in your home with ease and efficiency.
Don’t let your guests smell little Fluffy before they walk in the door and see little Fluffy. Pet odor can be a difficult thing to overcome especially with our four-legged friends living in the same room you are trying to carpet clean! Luckily, using these tips will help keep your home free of pet odors.
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- CARPET CLEAN OFTEN – This is your primary defense against pet odor and allergens. A good rule of thumb is to vacuum once per week per resident of your home (including your pets). Identify your high traffic areas help you know exactly where to clean weekly.
- CLEAN OFTEN AND CLEAN EARLY – Often pet odor lingers even after it’s cleaned up! If an accident isn’t cleaned up right away, urine, vomit or other stinky bio-organic liquids can seep down into your carpet below the surface. Light cleaning may remove the majority of the carpet stain but residual odors remain if you don’t deep clean your carpet.
- SCENTED SHAMPOO AND DEODORIZER – Kirby Carpet Shampoo has a wonderful lavender fragrance that makes your home smell clean and fresh. After your carpet dries, apply HomeFresh Carpet Deodorizer before vacuuming to enhance the fragrance level in your home.
SHAMPOO TIPS
To carpet clean effectively with shampoo, the first step is to move all couches, tables and other furniture away from the area you need to clean. Once clear, thoroughly vacuum to pick up any loose dirt, debris and other soil. The more you regularly vacuum, the easier it will be to shampoo.
Once thoroughly vacuumed, pre-treat stains and frequently traveled areas with Kirby Pre-Treat for Heavy Traffic Areas. Allow pre-treat to sit on carpet fibers for up to 5 minutes before shampooing with the Multi-Surface Shampoo System.
How to Use a Kirby Shampooer
The Kirby Multi-Surface Shampoo System lets you avoid the costs and hassle of hiring a professional carpet cleaning company or renting cumbersome equipment. Instead, simply convert your Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System into a carpet shampooer by removing the power nozzle and the filter bag and attaching the Multi-Surface Shampoo System to the unit.
Once the unit is assembled, use it to deep clean your carpet.
- Step on the upper pedal of the Toe-Touch Control until the Kirby System is at its lowest position.
- Turn the Suds Control Valve to the Carpet Setting, then turn the unit on. You will see as you move the Kirby shampooer back and forth, foam will release and the brush will work it into your carpet. We recommend shampooing smaller sections of carpet at a time.
- Turn the Suds Control Valve to the off position. Go back over the shampooed carpet in multiple directions to really get that shampoo deep into the carpet.
- Keep an eye on the Waste Tray while you shampoo. There are indicators on the edge and when you see liquid filling the area below, it is time to empty it. Turn the unit off before removing the tray and emptying it.
- Allow the carpet to dry completely. Kirby’s unique shampoo will encapsulate the dirt as it dries so that it can be easily vacuumed away. Once the carpet is dry, convert the Kirby Avalir Platinum System back to an upright vacuum and use it to remove any dry residue left over after shampooing.
Use Your Kirby Portable Shampooer for Stairs
Need to shampoo the stairs? Your Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System can do that too! It comes with a portable shampoo attachment for those hard to reach areas.
Simply attach the Portable Shampooer to the end of your installed hose and spray our professional strength carpet shampoo onto a carpeted stairwell. With a clean scrub brush, work the foam into the carpet until all the foam is gone. Wait for the stairs to completely dry, then vacuum to remove all soil, shampoo and dry foam residue.
Enjoy your fresh and clean carpets!
After you shampoo, let your carpet completely dry before walking on it. Walking on your freshly clean carpet before it is completely dry can cause dirt and other soil to transfer from your shoes or feet to your carpet, undoing all your hard work cleaning! Once your carpet is completely dry, vacuum again to remove all residual dirt and debris that was worked out of the carpet when you shampooed. This dirt has been worked into our Carpet Shampoo, which then dries into a dry crystal. Vacuuming after shampooing removes this dirt and residual shampoo keeping your carpet clean longer.
Accidents happen, but that doesn’t mean you need to smell them forever! Easily remove urine, feces, vomit, and other stinky pet accidents from carpet with these helpful tips.
Remove Cat & Dog Urine
- Blot carpet with clean cloth to remove bulk of accident.
- Shake Kirby Pet Stain & Odor Remover then generously apply directly to stain.
- Repeatedly blot area with a clean, white cloth to remove stain.
- Once you have removed everything you can, rinse a clean, white cloth under water and lay over stain covering entire area.
- Allow to sit for up to 24 hours. During this time, the enzymes in Kirby Pet Stain & Odor Remover eat away at any left behind malodor, effectively removing pet urine, vomit and feces.
- Repeat as needed until the stain is completely gone.
OTHER GENERAL HOUSE CLEANING TIPS
That’s right, your Kirby doesn’t only clean carpets! It cleans hard floors as well. Before polishing your hardwood floors, make sure all loose dirt and debris has been vacuumed away and you are working on a completely clean floor.
To bring a high gloss shine to your sealed hardwood floors, use the Multi-Surface Shampoo System with the Kirby Miracle Shine kit. Simply spray Kirby Miracle Shine on your floors then buff with the power of your Kirby! This durable polymer coating brings out your floor’s original shine all with the power of your Kirby system!
Even with regular dusting and vacuuming, your electronics are bound to collect dust and grime over time. Keeping your gadgets clean is not only important for cleanliness, it can also have an impact on your safety and the longevity of your electronics. Cords that are coated in dust can be a fire hazard and using the wrong cleaning solution can ruin your devices. Keeping the areas around your electronics clean as well as using the right cleaning products should be part of your regular chores. Here we share how to clean a computer screen, keyboard and more.
LCD and touch screens: These are delicate surfaces and should be handled with care. Spray a microfiber cloth with plain water to buff up television and touch screens, or for bigger build-up, use a solution that is half water, half white vinegar. Remember, always spray the solution onto the cloth instead of directly to the screen.
Keyboards: Wondering how to clean keyboard keys? Those bottles of compressed air can work wonders for a keyboard. They blow out crumbs and dust and do no damage to the surface. For greasy, germy keys, try brushing on some rubbing alcohol with a cotton swab.
Mouse: You can clean your mouse similarly to the way you clean your keyboard. A cotton swab soaked with water or alcohol can clean the rubber pads and buttons. You should not need to open up your mouse to clean it properly.
Laptop: Clean your laptop keyboard and touchpad with a damp microfiber cloth. Use a can of compressed air to remove dust and debris between the keys.
Behind the TV or Computer: Behind your TV stand and desk there is likely a jumble of cords. Whether they power your Blu-ray player or printer, multiple cords in one space tend to collect dust, and since they are behind your work station or entertainment console, they may not be in your line of sight and often are forgotten. Using the attachments on your Kirby Avalir Platinum System can help you clean those hard-to-reach areas.
What NOT to do:
- Use glass cleaner on screens. It can destroy protective coating.
- Use your phone or tablet in the bathroom. You are welcoming unwanted germs to your devices.
- Spray cleaning solution directly onto surfaces. It can damage screens and get under your keyboard.
- Get the trackball on your mouse wet.
- Use vacuum brushes directly on electronics. The bristles could scratch the surface, and static discharge could cause damage to delicate internal circuits.
Your carpet suffers a lot of wear and tear. From a muddy spring to a snowy winter, there’s no escaping those seasonal stains. When boots, shoes, sport cleats and dog paws track debris onto your carpet, it’s destined to need some TLC once in a while.
Luckily, you don’t have to replace your carpet to keep it fresh. You just have to be smart about carpet cleaning! Deodorizing carpet is one of the simplest ways to make your home feel more inviting again.
Your Kirby Avalir Platinum Home Cleaning System can help you do a lot more than just vacuum. Use your cleaning system to deep clean and freshen your carpets.
The best way to keep your carpets looking and smelling fresh is by shampooing them every few months. In between shampoos, you can refresh and deodorize carpets with Kirby’s HomeFresh Room and Carpet Freshener.
How to Freshen Carpet in 4 Easy Steps:
- Shop Kirby Home Care to find HomeFresh Room and Carpet Freshener. It is available in three popular scents: Citrus, Cinnamon and Spring Fresh.
- Next, sprinkle a light coating of the carpet freshener over your entire carpet.
- Let the product sit undisturbed for several minutes on your carpeting.
- Finally, turn on your Kirby System and vacuum the entire carpeted area, being sure to pick up any remaining product.
Once finished, not only will your carpet look and smell fresh, but even the inside of your vacuum bag will be deodorized. With a process this simple, you can make sure all the carpets in your home are fresh and clean.
Incorporate this process into your seasonal cleaning and never feel discouraged or overwhelmed by smelly carpets again!
If you or family members suffer from allergies, you know how difficult the summer months can be. Unfortunately, summer allergens don’t always stay outdoors. Through open windows, doors, and on our clothing, they can travel indoors too.
Reduce the allergens inside your home this summer by using the following tips and tricks from The Kirby Company.
Carpets
One way to reduce indoor allergens is to vacuum on a daily basis. Regular carpet cleaning by vacuuming those high traffic areas helps to keep dirt, pollen and other allergens from building up in your carpets.
Hard Surfaces
Regular dusting of hard surfaces is important. Dirt and dust settle on hard floors, tables, bookshelves, and other solid surfaces just as easy as they do in carpet. Vacuuming or dusting these areas weekly is an important step in reducing indoor allergens.
Furniture and Window Treatments
If you have your windows open during spring and summer, it is very likely that airborne allergens have landed on your furniture and window treatments. Removing window treatments and washing them on a monthly basis will help reduce these particles. If your window treatments are difficult to take down, or can’t be washed, vacuum them regularly with the Kirby Duster Brush. Use the Suction Control Grip to adjust the amount of suction on the hose when vacuuming delicate draperies.
Use your Kirby Avalir Platinum System with the optional Zippbrush attachment to clean furniture on a regular basis.
Try some of these techniques in your home, you’ll be surprised by how much of a difference these small changes can make.
Accidents happen, but that doesn’t mean you need to smell them forever! Easily remove urine, feces, vomit, and other stinky pet accidents from carpet with these helpful tips.
Remove Cat & Dog Urine
- Blot carpet with clean cloth to remove bulk of accident.
- Shake Kirby Pet Stain & Odor Remover then generously apply directly to stain.
- Repeatedly blot area with a clean, white cloth to remove stain.
- Once you have removed everything you can, rinse a clean, white cloth under water and lay over stain covering entire area.
- Allow to sit for up to 24 hours. During this time, the enzymes in Kirby Pet Stain & Odor Remover eat away at any left behind malodor, effectively removing pet urine, vomit and feces.
- Repeat as needed until the stain is completely gone.
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