Many people seem to have trouble deciding how much vacuuming is necessary. This may seem like a simple question, but for people who are constantly battling the time management of household chores, this question is a common one. There are a few different factors at play here, all of which we will discuss. Let’s talk about everything you need to know so you can answer the question of how often you should vacuum.

How often should I vacuum?

Firstly, The amount of time you should vacuum depends on your household circumstances. ​

A general rule of thumb is that a normal area should be vacuumed roughly every week. However, If it is a high-traffic area for example an entrance with lots of people walking through, dirty shoes, and outdoor dust it may be advisable to vacuum every day or every other day.

If you have several pets it is advisable to vacuum each day.

Simply put, how often you have to vacuum depends on how much dirt there is. The more people, pets, and dirt there is around, the more often you will need to vacuum.

Also the more time you and your family spend at home the more it will need cleaning. If your are all out at work and school each day it makes no sense to vacuum on a daily basis. 

Secondly, how often you should vacuum also depends on the floor type. Wood floors are much easier to vacuum and they don’t hold as much dirt, so vacuuming a little less often is fine. On the other hand, if it is a carpet, you will want to vacuum more often, at least every 2 or 3 days. Why? because carpets can quickly get very dirty as the fabric is great for absorbing dirt, debris, and all kinds of bacteria.

Thirdly, categorise what you consider to be daily or weekly vacuuming tasks.

Moving heavy pieces of furniture such as beds, chest of draws and sofas should be on a needs only basis and does not constitute 'daily cleaning'.  Perhaps have a few set times each year that you do these heavy duty vacuuming tasks or perhaps a different room each month remember the old 'spring cleaning' saying. Similarly vacuuming things like skirting boards can be done on a needs basis; if it's dirty vacuum it, if not don't waste your valuable time (after all, we all have other things to occupy our time). 

Benefits of vacuuming often

Vacuuming on a regular basis is important because, well, people like clean homes (even if we don't like doing the actual cleaning). Simply put, it makes your home more welcoming and inviting for you, your friends, and family too.

In addition to this If you use a carpet sanitiser and deodoriser this helps to eliminate unwanted odours from pets, cooking and smoking. These odours often cling to your carpets and rugs and leaves a refreshing welcoming smell.   

There are also certain health benefits  to vacuuming on a regular basis. Floors, especially carpets, can hold a lot of dirt, dust, and allergens which can affect people and pets in negative ways. A variety of bacteria and particles can make it hard to breathe, create bad smells, and just be unhealthy in general. A good vacuum will remove all of these things from the floor, plus many come with special air filters to increase air quality too.

Anyone with breathing conditions or severe allergies will definitely benefit from regular vacuuming. Dust and allergens can cause allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and can negatively affect your breathing. The less dirt and allergens are in your home, thanks to some simple vacuuming, the lower the chances of those things affecting the health of your respiratory system or bringing on allergic reactions.

Regular vacuuming is probably most necessary and important if you have pets but particularly if you have small children.

If you have pets and small children then a regular vacuuming regime is essential for your child's health and well being. 

Both small children and animals spend a lot of time on the floor, especially rugs. Vacuuming is essential for removing pet dander from your home. Keeping the floors fresh is important for the health of your pets.

Did you know that pets can actually be allergic to dust?

The same can definitely be said for your children! Is is very important to keep the floors clean when you have young babies and toddlers. They spend a great deal of time exploring on their hands and knees, and the dirt that is collecting on the floor is going straight onto your baby or toddlers hands, and we all know where those tiny hands go, yes straight into their mouths! Think about how clean you like to keep their bottles, high chairs etc and this might help you to consider how often you should be vacuuming your floors. 

Regular vacuuming is also good because it makes your life easier when it comes to mopping. Although vacuuming and mopping on a daily or weekly basis might seem a real time constraint, cleaning up a small mess on a regular basis is better than allowing it to get into a huge mess that you struggle to keep on top of. It’s much harder to clean and mop big stuck-on messes rather than just a little bit of debris. Vacuuming regularly will keep things from getting stuck on the floor which you would then have to mop up. A regular routine is much more time and energy efficient. 

IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF VACUUM

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to deciding how often to vacuum is what kind of vacuum you have. More or less, what we are talking about is how powerful the vacuum in question is.

A vacuum with a powerful motor and a good filtration system is going to do a better cleaning job than a regular bag vacuum with a mediocre motor. Check out our Ultimate Vacuum Buying Guide for more information.

Either you have to spend a longer time vacuuming with a lower-quality vacuum or you have to do it much more often.

OTHER HOUSEHOLD VACUUMING TIPS

Here are just some other tips you might want to take note of when it comes to vacuuming your home.

Never just give the floor a quick once-over. Most vacuums will not suck everything up when you pass over the ground too quickly or just once. Take it slow and steady, take your time, and if necessary, pass over areas twice to get all of the dirt and dust (try putting some music on and enjoy singing along as you vacuum. Remember this counts as exercise too, so make the most of it!). if you have a fit bit watch those steps adding up.  

Always use a special carpet accessory when vacuuming your carpets. A normal hard floor vacuum head will not be able to get that imbedded dirt in the carpet. The same can be said for drapes. Vacuuming drapes and other fabrics without the proper accessories is a nightmare.

Don’t vacuum before you have cleaned anything above the floor. If you want to do some dusting, do it before you vacuum. There is no sense in vacuuming the floor before you dust anything higher up; dusting will just cause the dirt to go to the ground, which means that you will have to vacuum all over again. So its dust then hoover, not hoover and dust.  An additional piece of advice I would give would be to dust with a wet cloth as this will stop the dust being passed around the room. 

Always remember to empty or replace bags on a regular basis. If you are using a vacuum with a bag-less filter, make sure to empty the canister and clean off the filter after each use. Neglecting to do these things will cause a decrease in air pressure, which means a less useful and efficient vacuum. Check out our article on vacuum cleaner maintenance for more information and helpful advice.

CONCLUSION

As long as you follow all of these tips and suggestions you should hopefully not have a problem with vacuuming. Just keep it as regular as is necessary for your family, stay on top of the situation to keep it manageable.

In an ideal world your house will always be clean, vacuuming will be easy, and everybody will be jealous of how sparkly and fresh looking your home is! (until the rest of the household return) However should you have the odd day or even week off, don't panic or stress it's only dust!