You think you know how to vacuum, right? You just move the machine back and forth a little bit, suck up the dirt, and call it a day? Wrong, actually. Just because you’re going through the motions doesn’t mean you’re cleaning your floors effectively—and, in fact, you’re probably doing too many “motions” altogether.
Concerned I was wasting my time, I looked into the proper way to vacuum and asked a pro—Ketan Patel, Dyson’s Senior Design Manager—for some guidance.
Vacuum more slowly
When I vacuum, I’m using one of two machines: A Dyson V8 Plus or a Bissell CrossWave OmniForce. Both of these are powerful and, admittedly, expensive machines, so I usually expect that they’ll do all the work for me. As a result, I rush through the chore. Frankly, I want to spend as little time vacuuming as possible and I assume the machine will make up for in power what I lack in focus and motivation. This, however, is wrong. Patel says that vacuuming too quickly is one of the biggest vacuuming mistakes. Dust is made up of so many components—including dust mites, allergens, bacteria, and viruses—and those can sit pretty deep in carpets. Vacuuming more slowly gives the device the time it needs to really suck all that out, especially if the dirt and debris are ground-in or hidden. So, how fast should you go? Dyson recommends a speed of 20 inches per second.
Vacuum in a specific pattern
Let me guess: When you vacuum, you move your machine in a zig-zag pattern of sorts, pushing it forward, pulling it back, and pushing it forward again, over and over. Again—and I’m sorry to say this, since that’s how I was taught and how I’ve known everyone in my adult life to vacuum, too—this is wrong.
“We recommend vacuuming once in each direction,” says Patel. “More passes over an area will give the machine the best chance of cleaning well, but any more than two or three times in one direction gives minimal increase, according to our research.”
Move in straight rows. Take a look at how your carpet lays: It likely folds or naps to one direction, so when you vacuum against that grain, you’ll notice it fluff up a bit. Try pushing against the grain in one long pass, wall to wall, then backtracking over that lane to get any dirt you missed on the first pass and flatten it out again. Once you’re back to your starting position, move the vacuum over and create another lane directly next to the first one and repeat the process until the room is done.
Use the right tools
No one expects you to have an arsenal of attachments or multiple vacuums, but if you have a few, make sure you’re using them right. I’m guilty of choosing the lazy way out and sticking with the big, standard vacuum head no matter what I’m cleaning, but in reality, the little attachments my machines came with do have a function and that function is not to sit aside while I fumble around with the standard head. Here’s a quick guide from Patel on which attachments should be used for which surfaces and needs:
Multi-floor tools, or your standard vacuum heads, are for all-around cleaning, particularly carpets.
Torque-drive heads are more powerful and dislodge ground-in dirt, even from deep-pile carpets.
Fluffy heads clean hard floors and surfaces.
Mini-motorheads are for cleaning stairs, cars, mattresses or upholstery.
Crevice tools—those long, rigid tubes you put at the end of a vacuum hose—are for gaps and crevices or hard-to-reach areas.
Soft dusting tools, or the small hose attachments with brushes on the end, are for delicate furniture.
Keep your machine in order
Finally, you know you have to clean the machines that clean your stuff, whether they’re your washing machine, dishwasher, or—yes—vacuum. But do you do that? I know I never have the time or energy to do it, but I also know it’s a necessary evil. You can have the best vacuuming speed, the best pattern, and the best tools, but if the machine is dirty, it’s just not going to function right.
“Proper vacuum maintenance is key to ensure your vacuum performs its best,” advises Patel, who notes that vacuums like Dyson’s are engineered to capture microscopic particles, which can build up in the filter over time. He says you should wash your filter once a month to maintain maximum suction power, plus clean out your bin and wash down your heads and accessories. If you’re not sure what to do, check your specific vacuum’s owner’s manual.