How to Vacuum

Keep your floors sanitary and looking their best by vacuuming regularly to remove dirt and debris. Our guide, How to Vacuum, will show you the tools you'll need to get the job done and the proper techniques to clean effectively with less effort.

1. Choose a vacuum with adjustable brushes to suit the type of flooring you're cleaning.
2. Check the vacuum first to ensure the bag isn't full and the brushes are working properly.
3. Remove large items and visible pieces of debris by hand before you vacuum.
4. Choose a setting that turns off your vacuum brushes before vacuuming hardwood floors.
5. Use a crevice tool and beater brush attachment to vacuum stairs.

• Vacuuming not only picks up surface fragments and dirt set into your carpet, but also improves the look of your floors by fluffing the fibers to counteract wear. Learn to run the vacuum properly to ensure you clean efficiently, doing a thorough job with minimal effort.

• To get the job done properly, you'll need the right tools to get into the cracks and crevices, as well as cleaning the wall-to-wall carpeting and floors.

1. Buy a vacuum that uses either a bag or bagless system to collect dust and dirt. Find one with adjustable brushes so that it can best extract dirt that's set into the carpet.Housekeeping Channel: How to Vacuum a Carpet
2. A dusting cloth or feather duster will remove loose dust from window sills, curtains or high surfaces before you vacuum.
3. Collect vacuum attachments such as:
   • -A universal brush and dusting brush to clean bookshelves or items on coffee and end tables.The Carpet and Rug Institute: Vacuuming 101
   • -An upholstery nozzle to clean furniture surfaces, curtains and even stairs.
   • -A thin crevice tool to remove dirt from baseboards and the corners on floors or ceiling corners.
4. Consider performing a pre-vacuum check on your upright vacuum (such as checking the plug, filter or fullness of the vacuum bag) to ensure it will work safely and efficiently.You Tube: How to Maintain an Upright Vacuum (Time: 1:50)
   • -Replace the vacuum bag or empty the canister when it's two-thirds full.The Carpet and Rug Institute: Vacuuming 101
   • -Check the hoses and attachments for obstructions that may impair their effectiveness.
   • -Remove hair and obstructions from the vacuum's bristles to prevent carpet damage.The Carpet and Rug Institute: Vacuuming 101
   • YouTube Video: How to Maintain an Upright Vacuum (Time: 1:50)

• Use these simple steps, tips and techniques to whisk dirt away from the various types of flooring in your home.

1. Vacuum your carpet-- particularly high-traffic areas-- at least once a week to eliminate dirt that can damage carpet fibers and lead to worn patches.Reader's Digest: Tips for Easier Carpet Vacuuming
   • -You may also wish to steam clean or shampoo wall-to-wall carpet once a year to remove dirt that weekly vacuuming can't reach.Reader's Digest: Tips for Easier Carpet Vacuuming
2. Pick up items like clothes, toys and small pieces of furniture so you won't have to vacuum around them.
3. Work from the top down, wiping windows, curtains or bookshelves first so you'll be able to vacuum that dust as you clean your floors.
4. Choose the vacuum setting to match the height of the flooring so it will work properly without damaging the carpet.Reader's Digest: Tips for Easier Carpet Vacuuming
5. Plug the vacuum into an outlet in the room. You should be able to vacuum multiple rooms without moving the plug, but don't let the cord pull too much or you could damage the wiring.
6. Run the vacuum by moving it slowly away and back, letting the strokes overlap slightly.The Carpet and Rug Institute: Vacuuming 101 Go over high-traffic areas more than once.
   • -Pass the vacuum over the carpet slowly to eliminate dirt more efficiently.Reader's Digest: Tips for Easier Carpet Vacuuming
   • -Hold the excess cord in the hand that's not controlling the vacuum so you don't run over the cord as you work.
7. When you're done vacuuming the carpet, replace any furniture or area rugs you removed.

1. Use a vacuum that enables you to turn the brushes off when vacuuming hardwood floors.Ehow: Cleaning Hardwood Floors with a Vacuum
2. Check the vacuum brushes for any stuck debris that could scratch your hardwood floor.
3. Pick up large pieces of debris by hand, then use the vacuum hose to clean the corners, baseboards or pick up debris like large crumbs or sand.Ehow: Cleaning Hardwood Floors with a Vacuum
4. Vacuum the hardwood floor with the same technique you use on carpeting, overlapping the strokes to cover the entire area.

• Expert Village: Cleaning Hardwood Floors with a Vacuum (Time: 1:14)

1. Use the angled vacuum attachment or crevice tool to suck up the dust along baseboards every other time you vacuum.Reader's Digest: Tips for Easier Carpet Vacuuming
2. Clean dust or debris from upholstered furniture with the upholstery tool. Try the crevice tool to remove dust from piping, trim or creases in the upholstery.About.com: How to Vacuum Furniture
3. Keep drapes clean by running a vacuum's soft brush attachment over them at least once a month.Housekeeping Tips: How to Clean Drapes Properly
4. Vacuum stairs using the nozzle tool to get dust collecting between and along the side of each step.Ehow: How to Vacuum Stairs
   • -Switch to the beater-brush attachment and run it over the top of each step and then the vertical face of the next stair before moving up to the next step.Ehow: How to Vacuum Stairs

• VideoJug: How to Vacuum Stairs Perfectly (Time: 1:33)

• Improve the look of your home and maximize the life of your carpet by employing proper vacuuming techniques. Once you discover the features and attachments of your vacuum, you'll be able to use it to pick up dust and debris with ease.