Is there anyone else obsessed with their floors like we are? The rest of the house could be spotless, but if the floor is dirty, then it makes it seem like everything is messy. Some surfaces may look dirty even after scrubbing and mopping, and you may be looking for some floor cleaning tips to make them sparkling and spotless.
The prospect of cleaning a house may be tiresome, especially for someone who leaves home for work every day. The type of floor you have does not matter; whether it is wooden, laminate, vinyl, tile or carpet. The tips discussed below will help in your floor cleaning conquest.
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8 Vacuuming Tips from the Clean Freaks
Vacuuming is easy, right? Just turn the machine on and push it back and forth, right? Well if it’s such a simple job, then why do so many people put vacuuming in their most disliked chores list? If that’s you, or if you don’t know how to vacuum properly, we’re here to help.
Tip #1 – Have an in-House policy
As much as we all love a neat and tidy space, cleaning is not an activity a lot of people fancy. To make your vacuuming days more manageable and more straightforward, have an in-house policy that will ease the burden of vacuuming. For instance, have a system of no shoes in the house, as shoes carry debris and other dirt into your home. You can also have mats in strategic places where guests and other members of the family can wipe off their shoes before they enter the house.
By the way, if you have a “no shoes in the house” policy, you will not only make vacuuming easier, but you will also reduce the amount of germs and bacteria that are brought into your home.
Tip #2 – Select the right vacuum
The market has vacuums in different varieties. You don’t need to pick any vacuum, instead find one that suits your floor. For instance, a carpeted floor requires a vacuum cleaner without beater bars because of the fragile fibers carpets are made of. You don’t want to end up spoiling your carpet while vacuuming. It would be best if you also went for vacuums with parts that can be attached and detached according to the area that needs vacuuming. For instance, when cleaning drapes and furniture, there are parts of the cleaner that need to be detached and only attached when cleaning the floor. For homes with a lot of stairs, you will need a vacuum that’s easy to maneuver.
Related: How to Choose the Best Vacuum Cleaner
Tip #3 – Vacuum several times
To ensure a sparkling clean floor, you will have to vacuum the same space more than once. The idea of vacuuming the same area more than once helps pull out debris and dirt, or dust and pet hair that escaped the first cleaning. Also, vacuuming in different directions catches dirt that was not captured the first time. Double or triple vacuuming works better for carpeted floors. For floors without a carpet, once is enough.
Tip #4 – Create a vacuuming schedule
Routines make work more comfortable and help us to be productive at what we do. And this can also work with vacuuming. Instead of cleaning your floors randomly, create a schedule that you follow. Pick at least one day of the week that works best for you and stick to it. By making vacuuming a regular habit, it won’t seem as daunting, and you will enjoy having a clean home.
How often should you vacuum? According to professional cleaners, hard floors should be vacuumed weekly at the minimum, and carpeted floors at least twice a week. At Clean Freaks we recommend actually using a “chore checklist” — at least until your habit is firmly established. Trust us, there is a huge sense of satisfaction in checking things off the list.
Your plan depends on the amount of traffic in your home and whether you have pets or not. A house with young kids and pets will need regular cleaning as kids playing around the house makes it dirty, and pets shed hair. If you don’t clean regularly, your floors will always look unkempt, sometimes unsightly. And even if it doesn’t look dirty on the surface, our bodies are shedding skin cells (something we bet only Clean Freaks like us think about). And then there’s the dust mites…
Tip #5 – Empty the Dust Bin or Change Bags Regularly
All vacuums have a container where dirt, dust and debris are collected when cleaning and it has to be emptied. Whether you have a vacuum cleaner with a bag, or a bagless vacuum, it the compartment is full, you are not only making your job harder, but you won’t get a clean floor. Full vacuums lose suction, and worse yet, they can actually put more dirt back into the air.
For most bagless vacuums, the dust bin is clear so you will be able to see when it’s full. However, our recommendation is to empty it when you are finished vacuuming — every time. Here’s another example of creating a simple habit to ensure you vacuum is working properly, and it will look much nicer too! Note: If you haven’t vacuumed in a while, have a large home, or have pets, you may actually have to empty the dust bin midway too.
If you have a bagged vacuum, you can go much longer until the bag is full. But on the downside you can’t visually see when it needs to be emptied. For an average home, you are looking at about 3 months. A loss of suction is a sure sign your vacuum bag is full. You should also be able to touch the bag to feel how full it is.
Do NOT try to empty a vacuum bag and reuse it. Instead, change it out for a new, clean one. Make sure you always have extra bags on hand!
Tip #6 – Move the furniture
For some reason, most people only vacuum the visible places on their floor and forget the areas hidden by seats and cabinets. To keep your floors clean, move your furniture once in a while and clean under the chairs and cabinets. Now we aren’t saying you need to do this every time you vacuum, but at least once a month is a good idea.
Sometimes you may be unable to move your furniture, maybe because they are bulky or heavy. In this scenario, your vacuum cleaner accessories come in handy. Some accessories are detachable from the cleaner like the crevice nozzle used to suck up dirt from under your furniture and other hard to reach areas in your house.
Tip #7 – Don’t rush
To ensure a clean floor after every routine vacuuming, you will need to take your time, and that is why scheduling is essential. You need to set aside time to vacuum since to do it right, it’s not a quick job. First, you need to declutter your floor of toys and other tangible items that may cause harm to your machine. The reason you need to take your time when vacuuming is that cleaning the corners of your floor takes more effort and you may need to detach your vacuum cleaner for items like a dust brush when pushing your cleaner across the floor is not enough to up all the dirt.
Our recommendation — put on some of your favorite music and enjoy the process. Think of it as part of your exercise routine. Yes, you can burn calories while doing housework! And if you dance and stretch while vacuuming, that’s even better.
Always check for odd noises in your machine; if you notice, stop immediately, unplug and check for any damages or debris stuck in the nozzle. Start with bigger rooms, as they mean more work, therefore, you will need more energy then finish up with the smaller spaces. If you have a wooden floor, keep in mind that they scratch easily, therefore, ensure the vacuum cleaner wheels are clean and have no grit to reduce damage on your floors.
Put these useful vacuuming tips into action to make cleaning your floors an easy task. Want a few more easy vacuuming ideas? Check out this video!