This Is How Often the Pros Say You Should Be Vacuuming Each Week
When it comes to your home, few things take up as much real estate as your floors. And when they look cluttered or dirty, it can unfortunately make your whole space feel unclean. The good news is that there’s an easy fix for this common cleaning complaint, and it won’t cost you a thing — unless you need to buy a new vacuum, that is!
In addition to maintaining a regular cleaning schedule, Ferhat Bataray, a professional cleaner on Taskrabbit, says that it’s important to make sure you’re vacuuming your high-traffic flooring areas frequently to stay on top of dirt and grime. And depending on how many people and pets you have at home, you may need to be vacuuming your home way more often than you think to keep that ground-level dirt and clutter at bay!
How Often Should You Be Vacuuming Each Week?
When it comes to a vacuuming schedule, the official recommendation from Bataray is twice weekly, preferably on a Monday and Friday. “Weekends typically see more activity, leading to increased dirt accumulation,” he explains. “Vacuuming before and after the weekend ensures a consistently clean and fresh living space.”
Of course, that frequency can vary depending on other factors, according to Nicola Davies, owner of Tranquil Home, who says the number of outside factors can add to your workload. She says that if you have pets, allergies, or higher than normal foot traffic you’ll want to add another day to your vacuuming schedule.
Start at the Top and Work Your Way Down
As with most things that involve cleaning, Bataray says it’s best to work from the top down, beginning with the higher surfaces in your home and working down. He likes to use a vacuum with duster accessories (like the Shark Stratos) for elevated surfaces, and then an upholstery vacuum with pet hair attachment (such as the Bissell Little Green Pro) for the sofa. “The vacuum brush accessory is then best for cleaning baseboards, ensuring dust removal,” he adds.
After that, it’s time to get your “regular vacuum” out to tackle the flooring, like a Hoover WindTunnel Tangle Guard, which is great for homes with pets because it comes with the attachments you’ll need to tackle hair on soft surfaces (like sofas) while remaining resistant to clogs.
Follow a Pattern When Vacuuming
When it comes to the how-to of it all, Davies says there are some best practices when it comes to vacuuming, including doing a little prep work before getting started. First, she says you should always pick toys and clutter up off the floor before you vacuum any room. “Start with an empty or clean bag/canister for maximum suction power,” she says, noting that it’s important to pick the right type of vacuum for your flooring type, including vacuums that are specially designed for use on hard surfaces and those that are just for carpets.
“Vacuum in slow, overlapping passes from the farthest corner towards the door,” she continues, adding that you’ll need to use some of your machine’s attachments to get into the room’s crevices, edges, and corners. “Clean the vacuum regularly by emptying the bag/canister and cleaning/replacing filters, that will help keep the musty smell that can sometimes happen away!”
Keep Floors Clean Between Vacuuming
If you love that just vacuumed feel but don’t have time to run a vacuum across your floors every day, you can keep things looking and feeling cleaner for longer by following some of Bataray’s tips for those days in between cleanings, starting with leaving your shoes by the door (and tucked away in an organized spot in your entryway, naturally) so you’re not tracking outside dirt, dust, and debris into your home.
Davies said tackling some of the other floors in your home, like tile, laminate, and hardwood, with a broom can also help keep carpets fresh for longer, and she suggests using a microfiber mop for a “dry mop” every few days.
Additionally, Bataray says “employing a small robot, capable of both vacuuming and mopping, on non-vacuuming days contributes to ongoing cleanliness and minimizes the need for manual vacuuming,” helping you keep that freshly vacuumed feeling all week long.
