When it comes to cleaning, we often wonder if we’re doing the right thing. After all, many cleaning habits can make your home dirtier (really!). But we all know that vacuuming is necessary, though we might not know how often you should vacuum. Here are a few tips to help you decide exactly when, how and how often you should be vacuuming.
Vacuum Carpet Frequently
What does frequently mean? It really depends on the type of carpet and how much traffic it gets. According to Shaw Floors, manufacturer of carpet, vinyl, hardwood and laminate flooring, you should vacuum the traffic lanes in high-traffic areas daily and the entire area twice a week. For rooms with light traffic flow, vacuum the traffic lanes twice a week and the entire area once. For rooms with little to no use, a bi-weekly vacuuming session should suffice. Don’t just give it a quick lick and call it done, either. Running several passes in different directions over an area will bring dirt up from the bottom, lift the pile and prevent matting.
If you’re like most folks, your home has a variety of flooring types in it. Clean them all easily with these tips.
Vacuum Hard Floors Weekly
Unless you bring in a lot of dirt or sand, live in a dusty area or have pets, you only need to vacuum your hard surface floors once a week. Dust, dander and other allergens, however, can work their way into the cracks between floorboards so you don’t want to let it go longer unless it’s a room you rarely use.
There’s no need for harsh chemicals. Clean your hard floors naturally with products you already have around the house.
Vacuum Daily if You Have Pets
If you love your pets, you really need to fall in love with your vacuum cleaner, too. Pets shed and dander that can aggravate or cause allergies and disease. Not to mention what they bring in on their paws! No matter what type of floors you have, if you have dogs, cats or other furry friends running loose in your home, vacuum every day. If you don’t have time to vacuum every day, focus on the rooms—and the furniture—where your pets spend the most time. Or, consider investing in a robotic vacuum cleaner.
If your pet has an accident on the floor, don’t wait to clean it up. Prompt cleaning will reduce the chance of lingering odors. Here are some other carpet cleaning tips for pet owners.
Use a Quality Machine
To prolong the life of your floors, invest in the best vacuum you can afford. An inexpensive machine only removes the surface dirt. For carpet, you want one that will bring that dirt from down under the fibers. According to Mohawk Carpet’s Vacuum Buyer’s Guide, adjustable height is the most important feature to consider when buying a new machine because it allows you to use the vacuum on a variety of types of flooring.
If the choices of vacuums have your head spinning, check out Family Handyman’s Buying Guide: What is the Best Vacuum Cleaner to Buy?
Buy a robot vacuum now on Amazon.
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The post This Is How Often You Should REALLY Be Vacuuming appeared first on Taste of Home.
Carol J. Alexander