A good practice is to go over your carpet and rugs regularly and lightly with a vacuum cleaner. Once a week, vacuum thoroughly, preferably with a brush and beater bar type vacuum cleaner. A light cleaning consists of three individual strokes with a vacuum over a given area of the carpet – forward, backward, and forward. Thorough cleaning takes up to seven strokes. If you are using a vacuum that provides suction only, be sure to use it patiently for proper maintenance. Move the vacuum cleaner slowly to allow the suction to remove embedded soil particles. You may vacuum in any direction, but the final strokes should be with the lay of the pile for a better uniform surface appearance.