What if I told you that most people don’t know how to vacuum properly? It surprised me when I learned this myself years ago because I’d always thought that vacuuming was one of those obvious housekeeping skills. But I’d been doing it wrong.
How To Vacuum Properly
It wasn’t my mother or even a vacuum salesman who pointed out my deficient vacuuming skills. Of all people, it was someone who worked for a company I’d hired to clean our home’s air ducts. (I’ve since learned how to clean air ducts myself.)
Signs of Improper Vacuuming
Have you noticed any of these in your home?
- Dark lines on your carpet at the base of walls.
- Your home is continuously dusty.
- Your socks get dirty when you’re walking around the house.
- Your home has that “old house smell” even though it’s not old.
- Indoor allergies that don’t clear up.
- High-traffic areas on your carpets look dark.
Proper Vacuuming Fixes Those Problems
Those dark lines on your carpet at the base of the wall happen when the air is full of dust. Central heating/cooling systems and fans circulate air through the room which then goes down the walls. If the air is dirty, you wind up with dark streaks at the bottom of your walls where the flooring meets the baseboard.
One solution is proper vacuuming, which involves more than merely going back and forth with the machine. (You should also clean your walls and ceilings regularly.)
The rest of the signs are because poor vacuuming leaves a lot of dirt and dust on your floor. That buildup can begin to smell, and since it’s a feast for dust mites, your indoor allergies will get worse. Over time, the grime gets ground into your carpet fibers and can permanently bond with them. Proper vacuuming, and seasonally shampooing your carpet the right way, will fix that.
How to Vacuum Properly
Perform the following steps as part of your weekly cleaning routine. Vacuum high-traffic areas at least once mid-week (more often if you have pets or kids who play on the floor).
Dust First
Shake your curtains to loosen dust then wait a few minutes for it to settle. Then, dust your furniture. Years ago, vacuums would emit fine debris along with their exhaust, so most people vacuumed before dusting. HEPA filters fix this, so now you should dust first.
Prepare the Area
Pick up toys, pet beds, and other large items from the floor. Once a month, move small furniture so you can vacuum beneath it. Vacuum beneath heavy furniture as part of your Spring or Fall Cleaning routine.
Check your Machine
For the best suction, make sure your machine’s dust basket or bag is empty and that the brush is free of hair and other debris. You can improve performance even more if you take the time to clean your vacuum before you start.
Edges First
Your vacuum’s brush head is no substitute for using the crevice attachment at the base of walls and unmovable furniture. Edge cleaning should be done at least twice a month, but weekly is ideal.
Get Under Raised Furniture
Yes, dust builds up beneath raised furniture like sofas, entertainment centers, or bookshelves. After vacuuming the edges of the room, switch to the floor attachment and vacuum beneath these pieces at least monthly.
Select the Right Height
Some vacuums allow you to adjust the vacuum head to the height of your floor. Others only offer the option of hard flooring or carpet. Either way, change the height to suit the surface you’re cleaning, or your machine’s suction won’t pick up debris well.
Work Both Directions
If you look at your carpet closely, you’ll see the fibers are twisted loops. Those loops get dirty all the way around, so vacuuming in only one direction doesn’t adequately clean them. To vacuum properly, work from left to right across the room then turn and work from a right angle, so you’re cleaning the fibers from every direction. In high-traffic areas, it’s a good idea to repeat this process twice.
Slow Down!
Your vacuum’s brush rotates rapidly, but it still needs a chance to do its job. Vacuum slowly to give the brush time to lift up pet hair and dust. Make sure your strokes with the vacuum overlap, too.
If this seems like a lot of work, remember how expensive new flooring is. It’s more cost-effective to vacuum properly every week and treat carpet stains when they happen than it is to replace your carpet every few years.
More How-Tos:
• 10 Places You Probably Forget to Clean
• How to Clean Walls and Ceilings
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Luke Yancey says
A lot of these tips are pretty common sense, but you would be surprised what people can forget! My favorite tip of yours was to vacuum the edges of the room first. This is one that I constantly forget, and nearly never remember. By the time it comes to clean the edges, they are disgustingly filthy. Thanks for the quick reminder!
James Hall says
These are great tips – and like Luke mentioned they are often forgotten!
I always try to give myself more time than I need to vacuum, because I like to get under furniture and around skirting boards every week. It takes around 30 minutes to clean my (small) home, but it’s worth it. I also have a cordless for “top up” cleans, although I’m yet to find one that can truly replace a corded model.
One thing that’s really important is cleaning the filter of a vacuum. Some filters are better than others, but once clogged up the suction power is greatly reduced. Dyson models solve this to a certain extent, but cleaning the filter is still important.
Diane says
It is my first time visiting your site and I just want to thank you for all the great information. All the information and ideas are helping my family get it clean the right way…and wow what a difference.
Have a great day and thanks again.
Katie Berry says
Thank you for the kind words, Diane! I’m so happy you’re finding my site helpful.
Barb Kuehl says
Most important part of vacuuming is to set height of vacuum to level of carpeting…..If you get marks you are set too low…Not cleaning the carpeting either…Just running over it………..No more marks in carpeting…..
Katie Berry says
Hi Barb,
I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. The lines referred to here occur when the vacuum head comes in contact with the carpeting. If you set the head too high, so there are no lines, it’s a sign the brush and vacuum head aren’t making contact with your carpet which means it’s not lifting debris or vacuuming dirt at all.