Sink your toes into the newest carpet style, called ultrasoft or super-plush carpet, and you might decide that spending twice what you would on an ordinary carpet is worth the treat to your feet. But that comfort might lead to an additional, hidden cost: You might need to replace your vacuum. Many vacuums that work perfectly well on regular carpets stick to this new kind like a big suction cup. That’s because the plush carpet is so dense that air can’t circulate back into the vacuum’s intake, making the appliance almost impossible to move. Because ultrasoft carpets have become more popular—sales have grown to more than 10 percent of the market in the past five years—carpet makers have begun testing and recommending vacuums for them. (Examples of plush carpet include Caress by Shaw and Karastan by Mohawk.) Vacuum manufacturers are making models specifically for ultrasoft carpets, too. We bought several square yards of both carpet styles plus two new Kenmore vacuums designed for them, the Kenmore Elite Crossover Ultra 10335 upright, $300, and the Kenmore Elite 700 Series 81714 canister, $400.

They both cleaned well and moved easily on the ultrasoft carpet, though we found that they were easier to maneuver on standard (medium-pile) carpet. We also ran our push/pull tests on some vacuums recommended by ultrasoft carpet makers. We found three that moved fairly easily: the Maytag M500, $300, the Fuller Brush Mighty Maid FBMM-PWCF, $400, and the Oreck Magnesium, $500. But we don’t recommend them because they aren’t top performers overall. If you have a new plush carpet and you aren’t ready to buy a new vacuum, we can suggest a workaround if your vacuum is sticking. Raise the powerhead on models that come with manual height adjustment; the control is usually on top of the powerhead. If your appliance automatically adjusts height and has suction control, you might try reducing the suction instead. Both of those steps may also reduce cleaning power, however, so you might need to spend more time going over the same spot of plush carpet to thoroughly remove dirt. For more vacuum choices, including the models that are the best at cleaning carpet, bare floors, and pet hair check our full vacuum Ratings and recommendations.

Luxurious, super-soft carpeting has recently become popular, but it comes with one huge caveat: Your vacuum cleaner might not be able to clean it. That's right, after you shell out thousands for new carpeting, you might also need to fork over more money for a new vacuum. Let me explain why.What to Know These new carpets are made with longer fibers (and more of them) than traditional carpets. This makes them soft underfoot, but also more challenging to clean. For a vacuum cleaner to glide easily on a carpet, air must flow into the nozzle and through the machine. Block the air flow and the vacuum seals itself to the carpet and is hard to push. And, unfortunately, that's what many consumers have discovered when their new carpeting is installed.Before you buy, check the websites of carpet brands you're considering, like Mohawk and Shaw, to see which vacuum cleaner models are recommended. For its soft Caress carpeting, Shaw recommends Oreck's Magnesium, a top performer in our Good Housekeeping Research Institute test of lightweight vacuums, and several models from Panasonic that carry the Good Housekeeping Seal.

Other recommended brands include Hoover, Miele, Bissell, and more.Do You Have the Right Kind of Vacuum? The best vacuums for plush carpeting are lightweight, have large wheels for easy maneuverability, and have adjustable speeds and brush height settings. Set the height so the rotating brush just skims the top of the carpet. You know you've got the right setting if the vacuum is fairly easy to push and leaves "clean" tracks on the surface of the rug.dyson vacuum cleaners cheapNEXT: 5 Biggest Mistakes You Make Vacuuming »Carolyn Forte is the director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute Home Appliances and Cleaning Products department.small miele vacuum cleaner 6 Common Myths About Bedbugsquiet vacuum cleaners uk

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In the living room, den or family room, a lush piece of carpeting over cold tile, laminate or hardwood flooring is ideal for kids who prefer to sprawl in front of the TV or play on the floor. Take the rug outside. Hang it over a railing or sawhorse. Beat the rug just hard enough to loosen trapped dirt, dust and debris, using the side of a broom or handle of a mop. Leave the rug in a sunny location for a couple of hours. The sun’s hot rays help to kill bacteria and dust mites that often thrive in soft items, such as bedding and carpeting. Vacuum a shag rug as needed, which may be weekly on average, daily if it's used every day by children or pets, or monthly if it's rarely walked or played on. Set the vacuum’s cleaning head to high pile, if your vacuum cleaner has this option. If the cleaning head isn’t adjustable, you may want to invest in a vacuum with such an option to help control suction and make the head glide more easily. Suction out the dirt thoroughly. Dirt left to grind at a carpet’s fibers will cause them to breakdown or wear out.

Do not use the vacuum’s beater bar or power head on a shag rug. The whirling action can snag, pull or tear out strands. Flip over your rug to expose its woven underside. Vacuum this surface monthly or as needed, using the vacuum’s beater bar to remove more dirt. Stand on one edge of the rug and push the vacuum head away from you to help keep a small rug from being sucked into a power head. If the suction is too strong, do not use the power head. Sprinkle the rug with absorbent, carpet-shampoo granules for an occasional freshening. Work or brush the granules into the rug with the vacuum's cleaning-head bristles without turning on the appliance. Allow the shampoo to sit for the length of time instructed on the label, which may be about one hour. Vacuum the granules out thoroughly . Rent a steam-cleaning machine -- when needed -- from a rental shop or certain grocery stores, if you don’t have one. Steam-clean a shag rug once or twice a year, as it becomes soiled or when it is stained, using a steam-cleaning machine, hot tap water and a non-foaming carpet detergent after vacuuming the rug.