Home experts recommend that carpets and rugs be vacuumed at least twice a week, and more often in high-traffic areas. If pets are in the home, daily vacuum cleaning is strongly recommended to remove dirt, hair, dander, and the smaller microscopic allergens that are invisible to the naked eye.
Vacuuming Room by Room
Bedrooms, especially those with carpet, should be vacuumed at least once a week and twice a week during allergy season. Less-often used spaces such as guest rooms, sunrooms, or formal dining rooms can be vacuumed less frequently or just before you're expecting company.
Unless you bring in a lot of dirt or sand, live in a dusty area or have pets, you only need to vacuum your hard surface floors once a week. Dust, dander and other allergens, however, can work their way into the cracks between floorboards so you don't want to let it go longer unless it's a room you rarely use.
Generally, carpets can stand to be vacuumed several times a week without sustaining damage. Leaving dirt in a carpet, however, actually breaks down underneath the carpet fibers and creates a breeding ground for dust mites and bacteria.
A general rule that applies to all is that normally, you should vacuum at least once a week. However, this rule changes depending on the traffic in the area you are looking to clean. If you live alone, with a friend or a spouse, it is only ideal and realistic to vacuum once every week.
Once a week at least.
Tetro says your bathroom is the ultimate bacteria host; E. coli can be found within six feet of the toilet and in the sink. To keep it at bay, disinfect the toilet and sink at least once weekly, and the bathtub every two weeks — more if you shower often.
Most people should wash their sheets once per week. If you don't sleep on your mattress every day, you may be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so. Some people should wash their sheets even more often than once a week.
Any high-traffic areas in your home should be wet mopped once a week. Rooms in your home that are not frequently used—such as a guest room—do not need to be mopped weekly. Mopping every other week or monthly should be sufficient.
When doing your thorough cleaning, dust the room before vacuuming so you can vacuum up the particles that float into the air as you work and settle on the floor.
You vacuum too quickly
Vacuuming slowly will allow your machine to suck up more dirt and dust, and ultimately get your rugs and carpets much cleaner. Slow vacuuming allows the brush to agitate the carpet properly and suck up the unclean bits that emerge.
If you don't vacuum your carpet the bad things that can happen include mold formation, the spread of pet dander, stains, and breeding of pests, dust mites, and bacteria.
A good vacuum cleaner is the best weapon in a home's dust-busting arsenal. A thorough vacuuming once a week, or even once a day, will go a long way towards eliminating dust. Many new bagless styles come with built-in HEPA filters, which trap even smaller particles of dirt and help freshen the air.
Typically, vacuuming does not damage carpet and is actually a safe and effective tool for cleaning dirt and grime from carpets. Some may argue that vacuums are the best cleaning tools for carpets because they suck deeply embedded dirt and dust from carpets without fraying or damaging the material.
Start on the far edge of your carpet or rug and push the vacuum forward in a straight line. This movement lifts the nap (or fibers) of the floor covering to reveal any dirt or debris hidden beneath. Then pull the machine back slowly toward you to collect all that debris.
Vacuum cleaners are perfect for use on carpets and other surfaces made up of fabrics. Sweeping is incapable when washing carpets for the fibers. Special vacuum cleaners may even manage waters to help eliminate spills and stains. On the other hand, brooms are inefficient in removing liquid.
If you or your family members suffer from any respiratory conditions or asthma, you will want to keep the house clean at all times. Having the Roomba vacuum run daily will prevent the bacteria and allergens from floating around the house and lessen the risk of allergies.
It's a good idea to also vacuum the mattress at least once a month. Dust, dander, and dust mites build up in your mattress. Even those of us without allergies can begin to notice dust and dirt in our mattress. Vacuum your mattress using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner.
A common concern about mopping is its effectiveness. A dirty mop will just move the filth around the house and not clean the floors. However, a clean mop and good mopping technique will effectively remove grime and germs from the floor.
"We recommend dusting a home at least once per month for easy-to-reach areas and every three to six months for hard-to-reach areas such as ceilings, corners, door frames, and high shelves," says Jennifer Rodriguez, director of business development at Pro Housekeepers.
Daily and weekly maintenance cleaning will keep your kitchen looking presentable for family and friends. It's essential to give the kitchen a deep clean each month, or at least four times a year, depending on how much dirt and grime accumulates.
The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you shower every day, that means laundry almost twice a week. Regular laundry is sufficient to clean towels and remove any germs that are starting to accumulate.
Most experts recommend replacing pillows every 1 to 2 years. Doing so helps to ensure that you're using pillows that are supportive, clean, and free of allergens. It is also important to care for the pillows you use to ensure their longevity. Generally, you'll be able to tell when it's time to replace your pillows.
According to the Mattress Advisor survey, married couples change their bedclothes about every 19.9 days whereas single people wait 37 days on average. And single men change them less often than single women. Mattress Advisor also found that people usually wait four to 11 days to wash sheets after sexual activity.