As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized an unfortunate duplicity to my relationship with cleaning: I prefer a house that looks impeccably clean and clutter-free at all times, but I really dread having to actually put in the work to get it there weekly. Unsurprisingly, it’s hard to get pumped up to wipe the baseboards after a week of working, socializing, and other busy scheduling.
When I think back on my mother growing up, she was juggling three young kids and countless responsibilities, yet always made time for one particular deep-clean chore that would keep the house feeling and looking freshly cleaned even if she wasn’t able to properly check everything off the list: vacuuming, and quite ferociously.
Why Vacuuming Is The Ultimate Cleaning Task
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No matter if she did not have time to dust, wipe, wash, or mop, she always made time to vacuum everywhere at least twice per week. The sneaky ingenuity? You hardly notice the other stuff, as long as there’s no lint, dust, or dog hair on the floor. Even just a quick five-minute vacuuming of high-traffic areas offers an instant refresh. (I fully expect she would do it daily if she could—and often tries during the holidays when hosting—but she is far too busy.)
It’s a habit I’ve adopted in my living spaces since I began noticing her particular penchant and how successfully it worked. It makes such a difference when you do not have time to give your home the attention it needs, but have company coming or simply want to refresh your home. Logically, it makes sense that you feel like a home is clean if you can walk around barefoot without feeling any dust or debris. Plus, it doesn’t take long to accomplish, and you can keep it to certain areas of the home, skipping unused guest rooms when in a pinch.
Obviously, it is always ideal to mop after vacuuming for the cleanest floors, especially when considering the aforementioned barefoot-trodding. However, even if you are not able to mop right away, vacuuming creates a bare canvas that feels fresh. That small accomplishment alone, which isn’t actually so small, always serves to better my headspace when too busy with other things to fully deep-clean every surface, bathroom, and cluttered cabinet.
How Often You Should Be Vacuuming
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According to experts, it depends. For high-traffic areas, vacuuming every other day, or daily, can be helpful. For homes with less foot traffic, once weekly is sufficient, which seems a doable, ideal amount for the average home.
My Mother’s Rule On Vacuuming
If you asked my mother, she’d say at least two or three times a week, and she has a house full of dogs and constantly dropping-by family members. For those who invest in robot vacuums, it is easy to set them up and allow them to sweep up debris as often as you like. However, it’s important to remember to empty the dust bin after each use for optimal performance.
Quick Vacuuming Tips
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Don’t Forget To Empty The Dust Bin
One of the main issues that will make your vacuuming less effective is letting the dust build up in the vacuum cleaner, which can inhibit how well it sucks up debris and, eventually, stop cleaning altogether—and you might not notice until afterwards! Make sure to regularly get rid of buildup in the bag or compartment, preferably after each use.
Always Vacuum First
People who have the cleanest homes always vacuum first. Give your high-traffic or mess-prone areas a quick once-over with the vacuum in case you do not have time to finish everything up later on.
Use the Attachment for Small Spaces
It makes a big impact to the overall cleanly look of your home to use the crevice-reaching attachment for your vacuum cleaner to reach pesky corners, under furniture, between sofa cushions, and any other hard-to-reach areas.
