13 Vacuum Cleaning Tips for Your Floors

There are several helpful and easy cleaning solutions to keep your house free of dust, germs and microscopic mites. While disinfecting the counter-tops and picking up the clutter helps, today we are going to focus on how to keep your floors clean with a vacuum cleaner.

The vacuum is one of the most valuable tools a homeowner can own to help keep their floors clean. There are many different types of vacuum cleaners available on the market, all with their own set of pros and cons. So if you need a vacuum cleaner, then it would behoove you to do the proper research and start cleaning.

However, for the sake of this article, we’re going to assume that you already own a vacuum cleaner and go right into tips on how to use it like a pro.

1. Don’t Make It Harder

The first vacuum cleaning tips is probably the most obvious — don’t make it harder than it should be. You’d be surprised at how many people inadvertently create additional messes that make vacuuming more difficult than it should be.

For example, if you allow shoes in your home, you are more likely to track dirt, leaves and other outside elements inside your home. This will make vacuuming more difficult. The obvious solution is to have every one take their shoes off when they first enter your home. This will contain potential debris in one spot, instead of being tracked throughout your home. If you do not want to enforce a no shoe policy, then perhaps you can place mats around entry points of your home. By doing so, your friends and family will have a place to wipe off their shoes.

2. Once is Not Enough

To truly pull up the dust and hair on your floor, it is usually better to vacuum multiple times in the same area. On top of this, it would also be wise to go over the areas from multiple directions, as this will help pull up dirt and debris more effectively.

This is especially important with problematic pet hair. Ask any pet owner, and they’ll tell you how hard it may be to completely get all of the hair off of the carpet and furniture. In extreme situations, you may have to run over the area up to 10 times.

But even if you don’t own any pets, it’s still wise to go over the carpet multiple times from different directions. I personally create a crisscross pattern when vacuuming the carpets in my home.

3. Create a Schedule

Another important cleaning tip when vacuuming your home is to create a schedule. Whether you pick a certain day of the week or month, following a regular schedule and sticking to that routine will help ensure that your floors are clean at all time.

In most homes, vacuuming once every week or two is sufficient. However, high traffic areas of the home may need a little extra attention. If you have household pets that shed, you should probably vacuum more often than once a week. Or, maybe you’re like me and a couple of kids that blindly drop crumbs around the house. I try to vacuum the floors every weekend, especially in the areas that they play in.

4. Change the Bag / Empty the Canister

Here’s another obvious vacuum cleaning tip — change the bag and/or empty the canister on a regular basis.

You’re going to have a hard time vacuuming your floors in an effective manner when the bag or canister is already full. Whether you have a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner, it is wise to keep an eye on how full it is.

Bagless Vacuums

If you have a bagless vacuum cleaner, you should be able to see how full the container is. While it’s not necessary to empty it before vacuuming, unless it’s completely full, we would still recommend that you do so. Starting off with an empty canister will make your cleaning efforts more successful and effective.

Bagged Vacuums

For most vacuums, you should change or empty the bag when it is approximately three quarters full. If you wait too long, the hose might clog or other parts of the device may not operate as efficiently as they should. When this happens, your vacuum doesn’t have the necessary suction to clean the way you need it to.

No matter what type of vacuum cleaner you own, it is always wise to keep an eye on how full the bag or canister is. If it becomes too full, you will be unable to clean your floors, and in some cases, you may make an even bigger mess as the dirt is unable to enter the vacuum like it’s supposed to.

5. Spot Treat

13 Vacuum Cleaning Tips for Your Floors Vacuums are not stain killers. If you spill something on your carpet, you should treat it immediately to minimize the likelihood of a long-term stain. When you notice stains on the carpet while you are vacuuming, it is a good idea to treat them with a spot cleaner before you finish vacuuming. This will keep your carpet in better condition and enhance the result of your vacuuming efforts.

Additionally, if you do notice stains, whether new or old, you should consider using a steam cleaner to help remove some of these stains. Spot treating them is the best move, but utilizing steam on those same spots is just another tool to help you keep your carpets clean and looking good.

6. Remove Small Objects From the Floor

I’m not sure if this is even a vacuum cleaning tip, or just common sense… But, despite the obviousness of this tip, I still feel obligated to add it to the list just in case anybody had any doubts.

Before you begin vacuuming your floors, make sure to pick up all the clutter and remove the small objects from the floor. Not only will this make it easier for you to clean the floors, but it will also prevent these smaller objects from getting stuck in the vacuum. If they do get stuck, you could ruin your vacuum or break an internal part. Not only will this lead to bigger problems, it will also prevent you from truly removing all the dirt and dust.

7. Move the Furniture Occasionally

Larger items like furniture are usually fine to leave in place while you are vacuuming. After all, it wouldn’t make sense to move everything in and around your home each week for a sufficient clean. While that would help keep your home cleaner, it’s not a feasible solution for most people.

However, on occasion you may want to consider moving the couch or coffee table so you can vacuum underneath those hard to reach places in high-traffic areas of your home. If you are unable to move these larger pieces of furniture, try using one of the accessories that comes with your vacuum cleaner to suck up some of that dust or debris that has accumulated.

8. Choose the Right Setting

One tip that will help many people vacuum their floors more effectively, is to make sure that you choose the right setting on your device. Many vacuum cleaners have different settings that allow you to adjust it based on the surface you are cleaning.

If you have shaggy carpet, you will want to use a different setting than if you were cleaning hardwood floors. The settings on your vacuum cleaner should be adjusted based on the height of the surface in which you are cleaning. By adjusting this height, you will ensure that you get the best suction and, ultimately, clean your floors in a more efficient manner.

Keep in mind that the height of your floors will likely vary throughout your home. If you have different types of flooring in your home, you will want to consider adjusting the settings as you vacuum your home. Whether it’s an area rug or tiled floor, just make sure that you have the best suction possible.

9. Deep Cleans Are Helpful

Even homes that are vacuumed regularly can benefit from the occasional deep clean. This would consist of a thorough cleaning with either steam or shampoo… or maybe even both.

By giving your carpet a deep clean, you will help loosen up and eliminate the dirt that has built up in the fibers of your carpet. After you give your carpets a deep clean, you will likely notice that it is easier to vacuum. This is because the floor is cleaner, and the dirt being sucked up has not embedded itself into the fibers of your carpet yet. Additionally, after giving your carpet a deep clean, you should strongly consider following a regular vacuuming schedule.

Another tip: Before you shampoo your carpets, whether you do it yourself or hire a company, make sure you vacuum up as much dirt as possible. The more dirt and dust you can vacuum up before steaming or shampooing your carpet, the cleaner your carpets will be in the end.

10. Focus on Hard-to-Clean Areas

Canister Vacuum Cleaners

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Some areas of your home are more difficult to vacuum. Some of these include the closet or stairs. While it may be tempting to quickly clean these areas, it is often better to focus more of your time on them, especially if these hard-to-clean areas get a lot of traffic.

When you are vacuuming the stairs, we would recommend using the attachments on your vacuum. This will not only help you clean the many crevices and edges of the carpet, but also prevent you from trying to carry your heavy device and roll it on each step. These attachments may even provide a deeper clean since many of them are designed to tackle furniture, stairs and other hard-to-clean surfaces.

11. Keep it on When You Leave the Room

This cleaning tip is really only effective if you own a HEPA vacuum cleaner. HEPA vacuums can be particularly effectively at removing allergens and dust in the air, as well as the floors. One little-known tip to help you freshen up a room in your house, is to leave your HEPA vacuum running for a few extra minutes. Make sure the hose is removed, and do not forget about it. When you return, the room will look, smell and feel cleaner.

Please Note: This tip is helpful, but if you want to truly eliminate airborne particles and improve your indoor air quality, you should look into getting an air purifier for your home. This will be significantly more effective than leaving your vacuum cleaner running. Not to mention much quieter.

12. Dust Other Areas of the Home First

When you are cleaning, it is smart to dust the blinds, baseboards, and higher objects before you start vacuuming the floors. This is because when you dust your home, you will stir up the dust that has settled on the many surfaces. The dust that you were unable to capture with a rag or duster will eventually settle back down, much of which will settle on the floor.

This is when you start vacuuming. Not only will you capture the dust that settled, but you will help get the dirt that is already in the carpet. If you vacuum before dusting, you may end up having to vacuum the floors again once the dust settles.

13. Rugs Need Special Attention

When you vacuum the rugs on your floor, make sure to pay close attention to how the device is interacting with the rug itself. Sometimes, the vacuum cleaner may get stuck on the outer edges of the rug and cause it to fray. This will vary from model to model, but we have heard reports of this happening. When you are vacuuming area rugs, it is wise to focus on cleaning the center and lightly go over the outer parts. Also, make sure that you are using the right setting for the rug you are vacuuming.

With these 13 vacuum tips, cleaning your floors should be easy and fun. If you follow a regular schedule and make vacuuming a priority then your home will be free from problematic dust and debris. Also, remember, vacuuming is a great tool to not only keep your home clean, but also increase the lifespan of your floors and keep your indoor air levels at healthier levels.