Learn How to Vacuum Floors the Right Way
Learning how to vacuum floors the right way is not always a simple task. It requires some patience and creativity when it comes to figuring out what kind of vacuum you need, depending on the type of flooring you have in your home.
In a recent survey, a high percentage of homeowners have said that in their homes they have wood, laminate, tile, and carpet flooring. This is a pretty good representation of the different types of floors you may have in your own home.
In this article we'll go through all kinds of vacuums for your floor types, from carpet to hardwood floors, then we'll discuss some tricks to using your vacuum cleaner effectively.
Determine The Type of Vacuum You Need
Before you can go out and purchase a vacuum, you need to determine what kind of surface you want to clean. Home floors generally fall in one of two categories: carpeted or hardwood (with the exception of area rugs). Each type requires specific care when it comes to using your vacuum.
Vacuums For Carpets
When it comes to carpeted flooring, there are two types of vacuums you can choose from. You can either purchase a vacuum that is specifically designed for carpets and features motorized brush-heads, or you can opt for a central vacuum system. The former is much more popular and readily available, while the latter will require some research and money upfront to purchase this type of home cleaning system.
Carpet Vacuums: These vacuums are well-equipped for picking up dirt and debris from carpeting because they usually feature motorized brush-heads. Most of these will allow you to adjust the suction and/or enable the brush-head for different levels of carpet pile.
Central Vacuums: Central vacuums are a great choice for people who have mostly carpeted floors in their home, as these systems have no problem cleaning any type of flooring. If your house has mainly hardwood or tile floors, a central vacuum may not be the best choice.
Vacuums For Hardwood Floors
Hardwood flooring is often sought-after for its clean and simple look, but it's also much more difficult to maintain than carpeting. This is due to the fact that hardwood is not porous and provides very little friction. It's easy for dirt and debris to get stuck in the wood, which makes vacuuming the best way to remove it.
Because of this fact, manufacturers have developed special vacuum cleaners that are designed specifically for cleaning hardwood floors - they often feature soft rubber wheels, gentle suction (to prevent damage), or even water jets. If you're not completely satisfied with your current vacuum cleaner on hardwood floors, then it's probably time you looked into getting a specific model.
Vacuums for Vinyl Floors
If your home has a lot of vinyl flooring, then you're going to want a vacuum specifically designed for it. Vinyl is a flexible material that can be easily damaged by large and powerful machines, so manufacturers have created smaller vacuums that can clean it without causing any damage. If you have mostly vinyl or linoleum floors in your house, then one of these lightweight models will work great
How To Pick the Right Vacuum for Your Home?
As we mentioned before, the best way to pick out what kind of vacuum cleaner works best for your home is to look at the type of flooring you have. If you have a small apartment with only a few rooms, then you might be able to get away with using one vacuum for all floor types. If your home is larger, however, you will need to look into purchasing a central vacuum to make life easier.
How To Vacuum Your Floors
Now that you're familiar with all kinds of vacuums available on the market today (and what kind would be best suited for your flooring), let's take a look at how to effectively use your vacuum cleaner for the best results.
Vacuuming Carpets
When vacuuming carpets, first ensure that the brush-head is attached securely to the nozzle of the vacuum. Make sure you don't have it engaged on carpet or any other type of flooring. Next, you'll need to adjust the height levels of your cleaner properly - it should be no higher than two inches from your carpeting surface (if it's too high, then you could damage your carpet).
Now that you're set up properly, turn on your vacuum and start moving slowly across your entire carpeted flooring area. Once this is done, go back over these areas with slow movements in an overlapping pattern. This will help remove any debris stuck deep down in the pile of your carpet.
Vacuuming Hardwood Floors
When vacuuming hardwood floors, you'll want to attach the brush-head directly to the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner. You should then adjust your vacuum height levels so that the bristles are about one inch from the floor. Keep in mind that you don't want to press down on your hardwood floors - just keep it near enough to clean any surface dirt or dust away.
Vacuuming Vinyl Floors
When vacuuming vinyl floors, place the brush-head directly over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner and change its height levels so that it's no more than an eighth of an inch from the flooring. Make sure you're moving slowly as well since these types of flooring can be damaged by a lot of force or pressure being applied to it constantly. Just remember that if you have a hard time pushing this type of vacuum cleaner around, then it's probably too powerful for the vinyl flooring you want to clean.
Vacuuming Tiles and Laminate Flooring
When vacuuming tile or laminate flooring, use the brush head directly over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner. Once you turn it on, make sure to change its height levels so that they are about halfway between the bristles and nozzle - you don't want them too close together, but you also don't want them too far apart. Also remember that when it comes to tiles or any other type of hard surface, you should only clean in straight lines - never go in circles!
How Often Should You Vacuum?
Since different flooring require different heights for your vacuum cleaner, how often should you be cleaning in general? Generally speaking, carpets in homes with kids or pets tend to get dirty faster than other floorings. If you have a carpeted room in your home, then you'll want to vacuum it once or twice per week.
Hardwood floors and vinyl flooring only need to be vacuumed every two weeks since they don't get dirty as easily. Tile or laminate flooring can be cleaned about once per month without having much of an impact on the cleanliness of your house overall - this may vary depending on how many pets you have in your home, however.
How to Hand Vacuum Your Floors If You Don't Have a Vacuum Cleaner?
There are some instances where vacuuming dry surfaces just don't work well, no matter what type of vacuum cleaner you're using - examples would be water spills, pet hair on fabric surfaces, and more. In those cases, you won't want to use a regular vacuum cleaner - instead, hand vacuuming is your best option.
When it comes to doing this, first remove as much of the larger debris from the surface as possible (hair or water) before turning your hand-held vacuum cleaner on. Ensure that the bristles are about an inch away from what you're cleaning and start moving slowly in either straight lines or random patterns across the entire area you want to clean. This will help prevent scratching any surfaces so always be careful when using this type of equipment!
If You Have Pets
If your home has pets and they constantly shed all over your carpets and rugs, then you'll want to be cleaning up after them regularly. When it comes to how often you should be doing this, most people recommend vacuuming your entire carpets or rugs once per day. It all boils down to keeping your home clean!
The truth of the matter is that if you want your house to remain clean and for the best possible experience when guests are over, certain things must be done daily. Some examples of this would include washing dishes after every meal, dusting surfaces every few days, and yes - vacuuming floors too!
Most people make the mistake of using their vacuum cleaner as a broom or dustpan, which is incorrect. This will only spread around the dirt and grime over your carpeting - it's best to just remove these items with a proper broom instead.
The Bottom Line
Vacuum cleaners are an incredibly useful household appliance, especially if you have carpeting or hardwood flooring in your home. Learning how to vacuum these surfaces the right way will ensure that no dirt is missed and that they are kept as clean as possible.
Also remember to keep your carpets, tile floors, rugs, and other types of material clean by being mindful of how often you should be vacuuming them to avoid damage. Finally, always make sure to change the height levels on your vacuum cleaner before you turn it on so that each area gets thoroughly cleaned!