Does it ever feel like you’ve just finished vacuuming, only to look down and see dust and pet hair still on the floor? It’s a frustrating chore, and during the hot summer months, the last thing anyone wants is to drag a heavy machine around only to get mediocre results.
But letting dirt, dust, and allergens build up isn’t just a cosmetic problem; it can impact your home’s air quality. If you’re putting in the effort but not getting the clean floors you want, the issue might not be your vacuum-it could be how you’re using it. A few simple adjustments to your vacuuming technique can make a world of difference.
By slowing down, moving in the right direction, and using your vacuum’s attachments correctly, you can get a much deeper clean with less work. Here’s how to get the most out of your vacuum and make sure every pass counts.
That’s why we’ve tested a bunch of vacuums to ensure we’re giving you the top recommendations for the best cordless, robot and budget vacuums on the market. Make sure you’re using the tools of your choice the right way so you can clean your home more efficiently. We’ll show you how.
The right way to vacuum clean your home
Those short, quick, back-and-forth motions that the majority of people do when vacuuming isn’t sucking up all that dust, dirt and lint that is embedded into carpets and floors. The more efficient way to vacuum — and the way professional cleaners do it — is to go forward, in structured rows.
You’ll first start by vacuuming a row of your carpeting in one direction, wall-to-wall. This first pass should be against the nap of the carpet to make it fluff up and to make the deeply embedded dirt come up easier. A way to tell if you’re vacuuming against the nap correctly is if the carpet piles stick up or look a little darker.
Next, push the vacuum back over that strip you just vacuumed. This will lay the carpet back down flat and will suck up the rest of the dirt you missed on the first pass. Once you’re back to your starting place, vacuum another strip right next to the first, overlapping slightly. Keep repeating this routine until the whole room has been vacuumed thoroughly.
Once you’ve completed that step, go perpendicular: If you were vacuuming north to south the first time, vacuum east to west on this second pass. If you think of your floor as a grid, you’re going to want to pass over each square both ways for the best results.
Yes, it’s extra work and maybe it even seems like overkill, but this method ensures you get every bit of dirt and debris, which will keep your carpet cleaner and looking newer for longer.
For more helpful vacuum info, explore the best Roomba alternatives to keep your floors clean and the best robot vacuum deals available now.
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FAQs
How many times should I repeat this technique?
You should repeat this technique as many times as it takes to vacuum overlapping strips across the entire room. Then, you should start the same process vacuuming the floor in the direction perpendicular to when you started.
Does this technique work with carpet cleaners?
This technique absolutely works with carpet cleaners, but be aware that carpet cleaners are there to wash your carpet — not pick up the debris and dirt. That’s why it is recommended to use a carpet cleaner first, and then wait for it to dry before using the vacuum with the aforementioned technique.
