How Often Should You Vacuum?

Vacuuming your house not only keeps it physically clean but also safeguards the health of your entire household. There are so many tiny microbes that float around and they can cause serious health problems especially to persons with respiratory problems. These tiny microbes include dead skin cells, pet hair, pollen, dust mites and bacteria. The problem is that you will not be able to eliminate them completely with normal cleaning. That is why you need to vacuum your house often. The big question, however, is this; how often should you vacuum?

There is no direct answer to this question. Every household is different. Depending on where you live, type of rugs you have and your household, the frequency of vacuuming will vary. This post takes a look at the frequency of vacuuming different areas of your house.

Vacuuming Floors

Both hygiene experts and interior designers agree that floors should be vacuumed at least once a week. This is because all floor types collect dirt and dust. Going longer than a week can lead to health issues and the floors may get tarnished. When deciding on how often you need to vacuum your floors, you have to think about your lifestyle and the types of flooring you have.

•   Hardwood and tile floors

These floors should be vacuumed once a week at minimum. This will be sufficient because these floors don’t hold too much dirt, dust and bacteria. Their hard and flat construction together with the sealant keeps bacteria at bay on hardwood floors. While vacuuming these floors you need to focus more on the gaps between floorboards and tiles as this is where dust and bacteria collects.

•   Carpeted Floors

Carpets hold a significant amount of dust and bacteria. That is why you should vacuum them at least twice a week. Frequent vacuuming will help eliminate the dirt, dust and allergens that are trapped by the fibers. Carpets also absorb spills and grime easily. As a result they are breeding grounds for bacteria and pests.

Vacuuming the Mattress

A lot of time is spent on the mattress; an average of 6 hours every day for most people. As a result, the mattress can get really dirty. In addition to vacuuming under the bed, it is important to vacuum your mattress at least once every two months. This is more so if one of your family members has respiratory illnesses such as asthma.  

Vacuuming When You Have Pets

Do you own a dog or a cat? If you have pets in your home, you will need to vacuum daily. This is for a very obvious reason; your home will become littered with both dander and pet hair. If your pets go outside often, they will bring in both dirt and all manner of bacteria including Salmonellosis and Cyclospora. These bacteria can cause vomiting, headaches, diarrhea and a range of infections like gastritis. Vacuuming your home daily will help eliminate the bacteria, pet hair and dander. That way you will get to keep your whole family safe.

Needless to say, vacuuming on a daily basis can be taxing. The best thing is that there are robot vacuum cleaners that you can use to make your work easier. You should focus on the room where your pets spend the most time and then invest in a reliable robot vacuum to sweep it daily.

Vacuum Based on Room Usage

You don’t have to vacuum every room in your house daily or once a week. The rooms you need to pay the most attention to are those that get lots of traffic.

•   Average traffic spaces

Home offices and bedrooms get used daily but only a few family members get in them. This means they are cleaner and don’t need to be vacuumed every day. Vacuuming once a week will be sufficient.

•   High traffic spaces

The high traffic rooms include the kitchens, hallways, children’s playrooms and mudrooms. These rooms are prone to wear-and-tear. Frequent vacuuming is necessary.

•   Seldom used spaces

Formal dining rooms, guest rooms and sunrooms get the little to no foot traffic. You can vacuum them less frequently.

Vacuuming Rugs

Rugs should be vacuumed at least twice a week. Just like carpets, they absorb grime and accumulate bacteria. The area covered by rugs will influence how often you need to vacuum them. You will also need to vacuum the floors below the rugs because they have a lot of grime and dirt.

The above information will give you guidelines on how often you need to vacuum your home. But do you know how to vacuum properly? Let’s take a quick look at the best vacuuming techniques.

Vacuum Cleaning Techniques

While vacuuming is important, most homeowners do it the wrong way. The reason for this is because most of them simply want to save time. In doing so, they end up weakening the effectiveness of the cleaning. The best guidelines to follow for effective results after vacuum cleaning include the following:

•   Do not rush the process. According to the experts, 80% of a vacuum job’s effectiveness is determined by pulling back and not pushing forward. Being in a hurry to get the work done will only spread the dirt.
•   Always vacuum in different directions. Doing so helps loosen the dirt and keeps the rugs or carpet from looking worn.
•   Empty your vacuum cleaner regularly and check for trapped hairs and other dirt. Doing so will not only improve the efficiency of the machine but also prolong its life.
•   Go for the vacuum with the HEPA type of bag or filter. The reason for this is to prevent allergens from escaping into the air as you vacuum.

While knowing where, when and how to vacuum will help achieve a cleaner and healthier home, you should always remember that the type of vacuum cleaner you use will affect the end results. If you don’t invest in the best vacuum cleaner, the work you do will always be unsatisfactory. You may also have to work harder to achieve the desired results. A vacuum with a faulty filter will also do more harm than good.