Why You'll Want To Use A Squeegee To Clean Your Carpet

Squeegees offer us a great way to achieve a streak-free shine in our homes. While typically used to clean glass or tile in our showers, you might be surprised to learn that a squeegee can also be used to clean your carpet. These little rubber devices work amazingly when it comes to removing stubborn pet hair from rug fibers. You can use this method in place of a vacuum to clear up a small patch of your carpet where your pet was sitting or left behind some tufts. You can also vacuum first, then use your squeegee to get up all the hair that's really embedded into the rug. 

First, you'll want to make sure that your squeegee isn't wet or damp. Next, rake it over your carpet in sections, just as you would if you were using it on a window. Don't apply too much pressure, as you don't want to push the hair further into the carpet. You'll also want to make sure you're moving slowly to pull the maximum amount of hair up. The hair will gather at the bottom of the squeegee blade. Just keep wiping off these clumps with a paper power until all of the hair has come up from your carpet. You can clean your squeegee with some soap and water when you're done.

The reason why a squeegee works so well for taking up pet hair from carpets is because of the static electricity created when you rub the rubber blade over the rug fibers. According to Scientific American, static electricity occurs when an object becomes electrically charged and the positive and negative charges attract one another. So, when the squeegee is rubbed against the hair-covered carpet it creates a negative charge in electrons. Since positive and negative charges attract to one another, the fur is attracted to the rubber squeegee that is being raked across the carpet.

Squeegees are also great for reaching corners and other spaces your vacuum cannot. If you're using a handheld squeegee, being on your hands and knees as opposed to upright while maneuvering a vacuum helps you to get a precise clean. It will also protect your vacuum cleaner since cleaning a squeegee is also a lot easier than cutting out fur from your vacuum brushes.

Pet owners that used this method were astonished by how much fur the squeegee was able to pull up. But squeegeeing your carpet isn't something you have to do every day to maintain a hair-free home. Unless, of course, you want to! These pet owners on Reddit who've used this method say that they vacuum regularly and squeegee "occasionally" or every other week. They also reported having success with this method on other upholstered surfaces where pet hair accumulates, like carpeted stairs, furniture, or curtains. You might also want to keep a squeegee in your car if your pet frequently rides in it.

You can use a handheld squeegee or a floor squeegee, but you'll want to get a sturdy one with a big blade. Amazon sells floor squeegees with long handles that are specifically made to pull up fur for just $12.88 at Amazon. You can also purchase ones that are adjustable for extra length.