Should you dust or vacuum first when cleaning? This is a commonly asked question as many people find it difficult to figure out which comes first.
But this article is here to break things down so you can clean your home in the right order, and we’ll be sharing some top cleaning tips to help you achieve a thoroughly cleaned home.
Read: Best dust mop review
Should You Dust Or Vacuum First When Cleaning?
Should you dust or vacuum first when cleaning?
It is advisable to dust first then vacuum afterwards.
Why should you dust first?
Vacuuming before dusting will cause you to miss several spots, and when you dust after vacuuming, left over particles will settle on your freshly vacuumed floor and furniture, requiring you to vacuum all over again.
It is advisable to dust first, then get rid of as much particles and dirt as you can before deciding to vacuum.
Not following the right cleaning order will leave your home looking as dirty as it was before cleaning, causing you to carry out multiple cleaning procedures.
Read: How long do vacuums last
Why Does Your Home Get Dusty?
After talking about the right order of cleaning, why do your home get dusty in the first place? If your home hasn’t been cleaned in a while, you will notice a dust buildup on areas like the floor, furniture, curtains, carpet and literally every exposed surface.
Dust is a combination of small particles like plant pollen, hair, paper fibers, material fibers, and even skin cells. Their microscopic size makes it easy for them to collect on exposed surfaces.
This is why it is important to dust regularly because not only does the collection of dust on surfaces make your house look and feel untidy and in the end, result to infestation of dust mite in your home.
Researches have shown that exposure to indoor dust can cause mucosal irritation. This can make you feel congested and experience sinus problems.
So dusting your home in the wrong pattern or not dusting regularly can put your health in jeopardy. If you have hay fever or allergies, dusting your home will help clean up pollen and pet dander, which helps lessen the symptoms you might experience.
Learning how to clean your home properly is very important and a great way to improve your health.
Dusting Tips
Now that you know the right cleaning order and how important dusting is for your health and the maintenance of your home. Here are some dusting tips to enable you clean your home properly.
Regularly Dust Your Home
This has been stated before, but it cannot be overemphasized; if you want to stay on top of your home cleaning, you do need to dust your home on a regular basis. There are basically two types of dusting, and how often you should dust depends on the type of dusting you engage in
- Light dusting –this should be done every couple of weeks or more often if your home is prone to dust. Light dusting means covering the basics, like dusting your furniture and floor surfaces, as well as any other exposed areas.
- Heavy dusting – this should be done once every few months. You get to clean hard-to-reach places that are usually out of sight. Like the blinds, you have in your home, blades of fans and top of your furnishings. These areas get very dirty as they are usually overlooked during cleaning.
Cleaning these hard-to-reach areas is very important because dust from the areas can shift onto noticeable areas in the homes, and this can cause your home to stay dusty even if you clean regularly.
Read: 10 best dust pans review
Use a Microfiber Cloth
Buying and using the right cleaning products to remove dust from your home is very important. Due to the wide range of products available on the market, it may be difficult to choose the right product for you.
To begin with, you need to invest in a few microfiber cloths to use for household cleaning, and these cleaning cloths can take your cleaning to the next level.
Research has shown that microfiber cloths can reduce the amount of bacteria in an area by 99%. This has a huge difference from when cleaning with a regular cotton cloth, which only removes about 30% of bacteria on the floor.
Start Dusting From the Top
It is important that you start to dust from the top and end at the bottom. Doing otherwise will cause you to waste your time being counterproductive.
If your wardrobe is prone to collecting dust on top of them, you should start dusting there. So when the dust particles disperse into the air and fall down, you can easily work your way down and remove as much dust as possible.
If you have house plants, you can use a hairdryer to blow off settled dust, then allow the dust to settle on the floor before vacuuming.
Read: Can you vacuum ants?
Vacuuming Tips
After mastering all the tips and tricks to achieve an effective dusting procedure, you also need to know how to vacuum like a pro. This will enable you to get your home to look its best.
Knowing how to operate a vacuum cleaner doesn’t cut it if you want to achieve a sparkling home. Here are some simple tips that’ll help you vacuum like a pro.
Regularly Clean Your Vacuum Filter
Most vacuum cleaners are usually fitted with a filter inside them or a bag. How you should clean your vacuum depends on the brand of vacuum that you have. So you should always refer to the instructional manual for details on how to clean your vacuum filter. Ensure to check the filter to see if it’s clean before vacuuming.
Do Not Vacuum Pet Hair
If you have a pet, you need to pay extra caution when vacuuming. You do not want pet hair to get caught at the end of your vacuum cleaner, as that can cause your cleaning efforts to be completely ineffective.
Animal fur can create a barrier that will prevent your vacuum from picking up dust from the floor effectively. So if you have pets, ensure to clean your vacuum regularly and remove any hair blockages before using.
If you have several or long-haired pets, you can try investing in a specific pet-friendly vacuum cleaner; this will enable you to clean your home without fear of blockage or obstruction by pet hairs.
Read: Best manual sweeper for pet hair
Divide the Floor into Sections
When vacuuming, avoid making the mistake of simply moving the machine around the floor in random patterns; this can cause you to miss lots of spots and areas of the floor; you need to section the floor.
Start vacuuming at one end of the carpet and move in a straight line. Then make a 90-degree turn and repeat. Do this until the entire floor is covered.
When cleaning your floor, don’t skip the baseboards. If you have carpeted floors, a huge amount of dust can get lodged in the gap between the skirting board and the carpet.
Use Other Cleaning Options For Hardwood Floors
If you have a hardwood floor, you may need to go in with other cleaning solution even after vacuuming. This is to ensure you get a thoroughly clean floor.
Conclusion
Now that you know the answer to the infamous question, “should you dust or vacuum first when cleaning? You can go ahead and clean your home in the right order. This article also offers dusting and vacuuming tips so that you can achieve a sparkling clean home.
