Expert advice

Harry Turner, product manager at Kärcher (kaercher.com/uk) advises on situations that require extreme floor cleaning

q Which type of vacuum is best for a renovation clean up?

A Wet and dry vacuum cleaners are perfect for home renovations as they are specifically designed for tasks too tough for your indoor vac. The powerful suction makes light work of the toughest jobs, from dust and sand to gravel, mud and liquid spillages. A wet and dry vacuum like the Kärcher WD 6 is robust enough to handle anything, even rubble.

q how is best to keep my carpets clean and hygienic in winter? A

Irrespective of the pile length, a carpet should be thoroughly vacuumed at least once a week. Vacuum cleaners generally have a switchable floor nozzle, and you can choose between a setting for hard floors and a setting for carpets and rugs. For a deep-pile carpet, a smooth carpet brush should be used, otherwise the fibres may come loose. For fitted carpets, the result can be improved by using a turbo nozzle. As a general rule when vacuuming, for the best finish you should always work slowly and move the nozzle evenly over the entire floor.

Even if you regularly vacuum up dust, carpets can become unsightly over time. This is because when you vacuum, dirt is only removed from the surface. By carrying out a more intensive clean of the carpet a couple of times a year, or more often if you have pets or smoke, you can remove the more ingrained dirt that has formed over time.

Deep cleaning with a spray extraction cleaner increases the lifetime of a carpet and improves hygiene because this also removes dirt, grease residue and unpleasant odours stuck between the fibres. A mix of tap water and carpet cleaner is sprayed deep into textile surfaces under pressure and removed with the dissolved dirt. This type of spray extraction machine is also ideal to help households with allergy sufferers.