Imagine having to mop all the floors, dusting every surface and cleaning rugs and carpets with the use of a broom.
Sounds impossible? This was the way of life when vacuum cleaners had not been invented. Yes there really was a life before vacuum cleaners were invented. It was more difficult and tiring to clean all the rugs and carpets there were because no motorized devices that could suck out all the dirt and dust from the furnishings. Hence the reason why life before vacuuming was difficult. Here is how life was before vacuum cleaners.
Initially people did not used to have any kinds of flooring, like rugs or carpets. They would use jute mats or other material for weaved mats of sorts to place on the floor. This was both protection from the cold and a place where people would sleep or rest. Once rugs and carpets came into existence, there arose the need to clean them up as well.
This meant that people who could afford the expense of slaves or maids, would have them take the flooring to the clothes line, hang them up and then beat them with heavy wooden sticks or bat like equipment in order to get all the dust and debris out of them. Once the rugs had been beaten and dusted, these rugs would either be laid back on their proper place, or taken to the cleaning area to be washed with hands. Since the rugs were too heavy they could not have been washed with hands alone. Two or three maid girls would create a large bowl or bucket of bubbles and soap suds and the rug would be placed in it to soak for a while. Afterwards it would again be beaten with a bat so that it could be cleaned properly. It would then be rinsed with clean water and hung up to dry. Some people even used dry tea leaves as well as feather dusters to clean lightweight rugs or carpets.
Some people who were financially well off would use canvas cloth to cover their rugs or carpets when they had any social gathering inside or when they were off to vacations and locked up house.
But all these ways to keep the carpets and rugs cleaned and protected ere not only difficult to manage, but also hard to continue using. This is the reason why there arose a need to create something that would clean the heavy carpets and rugs with more convenience. It was in 1860 that Fredrick Walton came up with a linoleum, a method to keep the floor covering clean. In 1893 Thomas Stewart invented a mop that could be used to clean all kinds of surfaces including carpets and rugs. This mop had a replaceable head that was attached to a handle. It made life a lot easier.
But ultimately, it was the invention of the first vacuum cleaner that got the carpet cleaning job done right.
