“How frequently should you vacuum” is one of our most frequently asked questions. And if you want to enjoy the comfort and clarity of a clean home, yet don’t want to be vacuuming more than you need to, you’ve come to the right place. Locking in a regular vacuuming routine can keep your home dirt and dust free and with some practice, can be a smooth and even therapeutic process.
However, there are a few factors to consider - the amount you vacuum will be unique to your home and how you like to live. Below we’ve combined the expertise at Shark to explain how often you should vacuum various rooms, surfaces and objects in your home.
Firstly, does every room need to be vacuumed?
Each room in your home should be vacuumed at least once per week, but some high traffic rooms may require extra vacuuming. Rooms that are used the most by people or pets will require more attention than a spare room. Below, we’ll recommend how often you should vacuum each room in your home.
Lounge: 1-3 times per week. Aim for three if you have pets. Taking time to vacuum any furniture in the lounge as well.
Kitchen: Once per week followed by a steam mop.
Bathroom/shower room: Once per week followed by a steam mop.
Laundry: Once per week.
Bedroom: 1-3 times per week. If you or your pet spends a lot of time in your bedroom, vacuum 2-3 times.
What about unused rooms? All low traffic rooms should still be vacuumed once per week. This will help maintain the overall air quality of your home and protect your rugs and carpets.
Equipment needed for vacuuming your home:
• Upright or cordless vacuum
• Handheld vacuum
• Steam mop
• Attachments or accessories for specific floors or objects
• Damp cloth
• Vacuum charging docks
How often should you vacuum your carpets and rugs?
Naturally, most dirt, dust and debris will fall in the carpeting and rugs in your home. If left for too long, this amount of dirt and debris can slowly embed itself deeper into your carpet or rug – damaging the fibres if not cleaned properly.
It’s important to use a powerful upright or cordless vacuum to thoroughly uplift dirt. Any food particles on your carpet are especially important to be wary of as well, as they can cause unpleasant odours when they rot. Most debris that sit on carpet can be hard to notice, especially on stairs, so keeping a schedule in place can be beneficial.
Vacuum frequency:
To prevent your carpets and rugs from degrading, vacuum them twice a week with the ultra-suction of the Shark Clean & Empty. This lightweight vacuum features an auto-adjusting and multisurface brushroll for optimised deep carpet cleaning. Leave three to four days between each vacuum to let dirt and dust build up before vacuuming your carpet and rugs again.
How often should you vacuum your furniture?
Furniture that is used most in the home should be focused on – this usually includes your couches, chairs and pillows. Dust and debris can slowly build up without obvious signs on furniture, so it’s best to choose the right vacuum that can reach those harder places. For the best results, use a hand held vacuum to help get right into the corners of your furniture, as this is usually where dirt accumulates.
Vacuum frequency:
If you’re wondering how frequently you should vacuum your upholstered furniture, for most households using a vacuum like the Shark Wandvac Handheld Vacuum once per week will suffice. With intense suction power and the duster crevice tool attachment, dirt is removed easily from couches and chairs. However, if you have pets or children that may spill things on the couch, change this to twice per week.
How often should you vacuum hard surfaces?
Hard floors are usually the most common flooring feature of the home, and can include wood, ceramic tiles and laminate floors. Dust and dirt particles usually stick out on hard floors as they rest above the surface – which can be exacerbated when the sun shines on them.
Dirt and dust tend to also gather in the corner and edges of rooms, causing increased buildup in invisible or hard-to-reach spots. To tackle dirt and dust in these less accessible areas of your hard surface floors, try the Shark Cordless Detect Pro With Auto Empty System. As well as being equipped with Edge Detect technology – which automatically doubles suction power on floor edges – the vacuum also comes with a duster crevice tool to keep corners clean.
Vacuum frequency:
Vacuum hard surfaces once per week, and switch to a thinner attachment head to thoroughly remove dust and dirt from the extremities of the floor. Once finished vacuuming, ideally follow up with a mop. For a quick and hygienic clean that keeps your hard floors free from chemicals, use our Shark Steam Mop.
How often should you vacuum if you have a pet?
With the joys of a pet does come some extra cleaning. When pets have been outside playing, they will inevitably bring back dirt that can get almost anywhere in the house. Also, pets are constantly shedding and dropping pet dander that will cause discomfort for those with pet allergies.
Vacuum frequency:
How often you should vacuum if you have a pet can vary depending on the pet itself. For example, larger dogs with long fur will require more cleaning than a cat. But, we would recommend vacuuming twice a week, and then following up on pet hotspots an extra time. This may be their pet bed or their favourite spot on the couch. To easily remove pet dander and pet hair, use the handheld Shark Ultra Cyclone Pet Pro. The motorised pet power brush powerfully eliminates pet hair, while its extra-large dust cup allows for further usage before emptying.
How to stay on top of your vacuuming schedule
Now that you know how much you should vacuum, it’s important to stick to it. Especially if you live in a large house with multiple floors, you may want to space out how often you vacuum to conserve energy.
Block out time for vacuuming: Choosing 2 hours of your weekend or days off for cleaning is a common time to complete your vacuuming. The morning is ideal as this is often when you’ve got the energy for a thorough clean.
Keep your vacuums accessible: Ensure your cordless, handheld and upright vacuums are easy to access. This makes it easy to start, but also allows you to quickly clean in the event of a spillage throughout the week.
We hope you’ve discovered how frequently you should vacuum your home. Next, learn how to deep clean your home.
