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You might have thought shag carpets had come and gone in the seventies, but they are back and here to stay. While many homeowners opt for flooring, some still enjoy the warmth and comfort of a carpet. Whether you have some shag area rugs sprinkled around your home, or a room or two with a full shag, you probably know how difficult it is to keep them clean.
Shag carpets are high pile carpets, meaning that the way they are woven gives them a fluffy, shaggy look. They are distinctive for their thick, twisted strands of fabric and their plush, fluffy texture. These carpets have been transformed into modern times to be the perfect balance of trendy and comfortable practicality. Shag carpets, whether big or small, can come at a high price tag. That’s part of the reason why having one of the best vacuums for shag carpet should be a high priority as soon as you make that purchase.
Taking the time to research what vacuum options are out there to make sure it has all of the above features to work for your shag carpet is the best way to maintain a clean home and avoid wasting money on products that don’t work. Below are a few options that are best suited for a shag carpet.
Our Top Picks – Vacuums for Shag Carpet
Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum Cleaner at Amazon
Best overall
Eureka NEU182A PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner at Amazon
Best budget
BISSELL 2252 CleanView Bagless Vacuum Carpet Cleaner at Amazon
Best for pets
Dyson Cyclone V10 Vacuum Cleaner at Amazon
Best in class
Shark APEX AZ1002 DuoClean Upright Vacuum at Amazon
Best for allergies
Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright Vacuum Cleaner
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This lightweight, award-winning vacuum has quite a gorgeous look, but it’s not just pretty to look at. There is a unique quality to this vacuum called Sonic Carpet Cleaning Technology, which is a sonic bar that vibrates at a high frequency that pulls stubborn dirt out of your carpet.
This vacuum is also gentle on the carpet while delivering a high-quality clean. It is said to move well even on thick carpets with its large wheels, and the special HEPA filter ensures all dust and allergens get caught up in the vacuum and get destroyed.
Eureka NEU182A PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner
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This affordable option for a vacuum is said to pick up pet hair quite well off of the carpet, which can be an important feature of a vacuum that is difficult to find. There is a brush roller that can help get through the carpet and pick up stubborn dirt and dust. There is also an adjustable height setting to make this vacuum work with different piles of carpet, including shag, and large wheels that will make it easier to glide along your carpet.
The nice thing about this vacuum is it also has other attachments that can help you clean much more than your shag carpet. It can also be used to clean ceilings and walls, cars, and more. It’s easy to carry around and maneuver to multiple places, and also has the capacity to carry quite a bit of debris.
BISSELL 2252 CleanView Bagless Vacuum Carpet Cleaner
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Buying a vacuum is a practical purchase, but with this one, it is also a purchase that does well. Bissell donates proceeds of every vacuum sale to their Bissell Pet Foundation which helps save homeless animals. The brush roll on this vacuum can clean up pet hair very well without just redistributing it all over the carpet.
There are several attachments that come with this vacuum which is ideal if you own pets and they enjoy your shag carpet. However, it’s important to note that cleaning the vacuum after use is extremely important, as there have been a few reports of smoke coming from the vacuum due to buildup. That being said, this big-wheeled, easy-to-move vacuum has a dirt bin that is easy to remove and clean out without a huge mess.
Dyson Cyclone V10 Vacuum Cleaner
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This vacuum comes with a hefty price tag, but with a lot of modern touches that add to its appeal. It’s a cordless vacuum that can be charged with an accompanying wall mount, and runs for up to 60 minutes depending on which setting you use. The different settings allow you to use this vacuum on a variety of surfaces, including shag carpet.
The powerful suction can also pick up small pieces of debris and allergens that are commonly missed by vacuums. You can change the header when needed to either brush out the carpet as you clean it or use the softer roller on your other floors. When you need to get to harder-to-reach places, this vacuum can also be converted into a handheld.
Shark APEX AZ1002 DuoClean Upright Vacuum
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This vacuum is a little costly as well, but it works quite well on carpets and is great at picking up pet hair if that is one of your concerns. The unique dual brush roll system allows a deep clean of your carpet and cleans itself after it gets the job done.
Since this vacuum is formulated to help clean your carpets of pet hair, it has a special filter that helps trap dust and other allergens that it picks up. Some of the reviews of this vacuum state that it’s quite heavy to lift, but it’s worth it as the suction is really quite strong.
How to Choose the Best Vacuums for Shag Carpet
Shag carpets are beautiful, but they will only stay that way with proper maintenance. Vacuuming your carpet will keep it looking and smelling fresh, and will extend the life of its signature fluffiness. You can feel safe rolling around on the carpet with your pets or kiddos knowing that it’s safe to do so after keeping it clean using the right vacuum.
1. Suction
One of the first attributes you want in good vacuums for shag carpet is strong suction power. The vacuum needs to be able to get deep into all the crevices and take out all of the debris that is hiding in the fabric. A weak vacuum will barely scratch the surface of this type of carpet. That being said, you may want to play with the settings on your vacuum and test a small spot before going over your entire carpet with it. A suction setting that is too hard can damage your carpet by getting the fibers stuck in your vacuum, making it hard to move it back and forth.
2. Available Attachments
The next feature you want to seek out in a vacuum is what options it provides in terms of attachments. For a shag carpet, having a brush or rake attachment will make getting into the root of the carpet so much easier. It’ll also be able to brush out any debris that is stuck in place and loosen it up so your vacuum doesn’t miss picking it up.
3. Wheels
A vacuum with large wheels is also a good feature to look out for if you want one specifically for shag carpets. Larger wheels are fine for any other surface, but large wheels will make sure you can glide your vacuum back and forth with ease.
4. Filtering System
The filter is another aspect to look into when choosing a vacuum. With a shag carpet being so thick, it can catch allergens and dust and they can hang out for a long time. A HEPA filter will ensure that when those particles get sucked into the vacuum, they don’t just get blasted back out into the air.
5. Adjustable Height
A vacuum that you can adjust to suit your own height isn’t necessarily a must for shag carpets, but it is ideal. Being able to make the vacuum suit your own height makes it a much more comfortable and less labor-intensive experience. Vacuuming a shag carpet can take some time, so you don’t want to hurt yourself in the process. A vacuum that is too heavy is also not great for your back. If you have to bring it up and down the stairs, you want to be able to do so with ease.
FAQ about Shag Carpet Cleaning
How often do I have to clean the shag carpet?
Vacuum shag carpet, or any carpet, at least once per week in order to keep it clean. In a high-traffic area, you’ll need to vacuum more often.
Do I need to have special vacuums for the shag carpet?
On our list are some vacuums for shag carpet that can be used for more than just vacuuming. When a machine is required to operate in a wide range of tasks, the cost increases, and the chances of it succeeding at all of them decrease. However, for a shag that isn’t particularly deep or thick, multi-surface vacuums might be a good option.
Adjustments might cause harm to other surfaces if they are used incorrectly. There are several things you should avoid using on floors, such as rake heads, which may leave stains on wood floors. The safest approach to cope with varied flooring materials is to match the machine to the task at hand, and use a specialized vacuum for the shag carpets.
How to vacuum a shag carpet
Now that you know which vacuums for shag carpet are the best, let’s see what the cleaning looks like.
The first step is to look for everything that your vacuum can’t handle. Coins and clips can become lodged in shag carpet, causing the vacuum to become jammed as it passes over them.
Shake the carpet well. It is necessary to remove any stray dirt particles from the carpet.
Set your vacuum to “medium suction” and turn it on.
Once you’ve done this, move your appliance in every direction across the carpet.
Shampoo should not be used. Dry shampoo penetrates the fibers and loosens debris within them, it is ideal for cleaning carpets. However, shag carpets pose a considerable danger of harm. You might end up with a damaged or destroyed carpet if the chemicals are too aggressive.
Conclusion
Keeping a shag carpet clean can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. It is recommended to vacuum your shag carpets twice a week to ensure they get clean and stay clean. Leaving debris to fester in your carpets and get buried down deep makes it much more difficult to get out. You’ll have to dry clean your carpet or get it professionally cleaned more often, which is a costly endeavor. If you have a shag area rug, bring it outside and shake it out once a week or so as well, if possible.
While some vacuums for shag carpet can run you up a big bill, cheaping out on a vacuum is not recommended. There is a difference between cheap and inexpensive of course, and just because something is expensive, it doesn’t mean it’s the one you want. A cheap vacuum can pull at the fibers of your carpet and ruin the voluminous look of a shag carpet that it is known for. Spending a little extra money on a vacuum that will do the job right will save you the cost of replacing your carpet or rug. Similarly, it’ll also save you money in the long run because you won’t have to replace a worn-out vacuum as often.
