Vacuum cleaners are at the foundation of home cleaning tools. They can transform a space in a short space of time, brightening the carpets, removing dust and getting rid of that pet hair. Whilst it’s considered as effort and a chore, they’re imperative to maintaining a healthy environment, especially when it comes to keeping a clean air in your home.
Dust allergies and cardiovascular health
Many of us live with dust allergies, and many of us aren’t even aware we have one. Well, it seems logical to assume we’re all allergic to dust to some degree, as dust is universally detrimental to our respiratory and cardiovascular health conditions – the two biggest killers in western society.
Vacuuming regularly is perhaps the best way to fight against irritated nose, throat and eye problems – common with those who also suffer from hay fever. Not to mention it’s a great way of benefiting cardiovascular health through cardio exercise.
Tech gadgets
Vacuum cleaners have become another way to geek out on technology – it’s always been a key player in inventions. With autonomous, self-driving vacuum cleaners to ones that have a variety of heads and functions whilst maintaining simplicity in a little amount of space.
Like with most other technology and engineering, cheaping-out is a false economy. A $95 vacuum cleaner will break much faster than a $300 one. Not to mention the fact that you will save a ton of hours over the years with a cordless one that’s easy to clean, along with the back pain that comes along with awkward, subordinate vacuuming.
Ergonomic Vacuum Cleaner
As touched on above, finding the right vacuum for your needs is important. If you’re older or have little strength or a bad back, then finding a light vacuum cleaner is important. Not only a light one that’s easy to get out of the cupboard (light ones can hang on a bracket on the wall) but one with a long enough handle too. This way, you can vacuum without bending over which can damage your back over time.
Most people spend 5 hours on average vacuuming per month, although this does vary widely on the size of the property that they live in. This is a lot of time to be straining aback, particularly if it’s already vulnerable. Some vacuum cleaners will have a soft rubber handle, along with a telescopic tube which is customizable depending on your height. There are even new systems where there’s no machine to carry around, and instead, the tube plugs directly into the wall, meaning you only have to walk around with the light tubing and nozzle.
Tips on effective vacuum cleaning
Start by reducing mess
Before looking at how to vacuum more effectively, let’s first establish that the least amount that you have to clean, the easier. For example, if you wear shoes around the home, the carpets will get dirtier much faster, meaning you have to vacuum more often. So, the first step is to limit how much you actually have to clean.
Multiple goes
Running across once on a dusty floor with hairs will not be enough to suck up all that waste, even with some of the best vacuum cleaners. You want to run it over a couple of times – it’s not like cutting the grass. Although, a bit like cutting grass, you should keep track of where you have already cleaned. You can perhaps section your room into hypothetical thirds and go over the same third multiple times, then move onto the next third and so on. Of course, this is different when there’s furniture in the way – it’s often segmented for you.
Schedule
Make a cleaning schedule and stick to it. For example, every Sunday morning you could dedicate to vacuuming, if you believe once per week is enough for your home (it likely will not be enough if you have pets). This is a good way to ensure it stays clean, with humans being creatures of routine it’s also satisfying to know when it’s going to get done.
Emptying the vacuum
The bag or canister should be emptied regularly. It’s common for people to really slack on this, and wait far too late. When the bag is full, you’ll have a much harder time vacuuming. Bagless vacuums are better in this sense, as you can see more transparently how much room is left. They’re also cheaper of course, as you never have to worry about not having any bags left.
Furniture
So, every time you vacuum you do not want to pull out your couch and draws, but you should do it regularly. Perhaps once per month, you should really move all your furniture to clean under it. Some vacuums can be stripped back into handheld vacuums, which are useful for getting all of these awkward spots. Just because it’s out of sight, it doesn’t mean that the dust isn’t there.
Settings
Make sure you read the manual of the device because it will have different settings. Even the most basic of vacuums have a carpet and hard floor setting, and it’s important to get this right. Without changing it, you won’t get all of the dust and dirt.
Avoid small objects
Your hoover is for dust, dirt, and hair. That’s about it. It’s not for picking up bottle caps and old coins. It seems obvious but it’s also tempting just to vacuum anything and everything in your way. This is one of the most common ways that vacuums break because the items either get stuck or damage an internal part of the machine.
Dust beforehand
Dusting before you vacuum can save the bag getting unnecessarily full very quickly. It can also take the straight away from the vacuum, as you get half the job out the way beforehand.
Clean the cleaner
The vacuum cleaner itself needs to be cleaned now and again, which isn’t something you’d necessarily think of. These are expensive machines that should be maintained correctly in order for them to have a long life.
Obstruction
It’s always a good habit to ask people to leave the room when you vacuum. This is to ensure you’re not comprising cleanliness for the sake of politeness or getting in the way.
More Cleaning Tips
Cleaning around the house can be frustrating. If you do it in an organized manner and maintain your home appliances correctly, this task would be a lot easier.