How often should you vacuum your home?

Everyone has their own personal levels of comfort at home – some people can’t relax unless the place is spotless, others are able to turn a blind eye to a little mess and enjoy that ‘lived-in’ feeling. When it comes to discovering how often you should be vacuuming your home, it can be tricky to know when, if you're not a flooring expert.

This guide will explain how often to vacuum different types of flooring, from carpets to engineered wood to laminates and vinyl. We’ll offer simple advice on maintaining your home so it’s clean and hygienic, and talk about ways to keep your flooring looking fresh.

How often should you hoover?

There’s no hard and fast answer to the question: ‘How often should I hoover?’ It depends on several factors, for instance how many people or pets live in your home and how active they are. It’s likely a single person out at work all day doesn’t crawl around on a carpet as much as a baby or energetic toddler! On the other hand, you may have a house full of muddy boots or sports equipment; pets that shed fur; or live near a busy road. One thing’s for certain, regular vacuuming is a necessity to preserve the life of your carpet or flooring, and it can help to get your guest-ready.

Most household dust is made by us – or should we say more correctly, from us. It’s skin cells, hair, and other microscopic specks. It could be dust mites, fibres from clothes, pollen, plastics, mould spores and general bacteria.

Housework celebrity, Lynsey Queen of Clean, recommends "Vacuum the stairs once a week and the rest of the house twice a week. But high-traffic areas, such as home entrances, door mats, and kitchens should be vacuumed daily.”

Other interiors bloggers suggest following this rule: Count the number of people in your household then vacuum one time per person per week – and pets count as part of the family. So if it’s just you and the dog, that’s twice a week. A family of five means you should get out the vacuum five times a week!

If you’ve noticed your carpet is looking a little flat, we have lots of ideas for how to lift your carpet pile to make it look as good as new.

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How often should you vacuum different flooring?

Carpets and rugs

Try as you might to keep everything as clean as possible, anything soft or fluffy in your home can attract dust and hold onto it, and the same apply with odours and stains. So it’s best to vacuum carpets twice a week, and use the beater brush attachment if your carpet is particularly deep. (Don’t use a beater brush on a loop or Berber-like carpet, as it will loosen the loops and make them fuzzy).

If you can, shake out the rug before you vacuum as that will get rid of a lot of the dust and debris. Remember to hoover up that dust though, otherwise you’re back to square one! If you’ve recently bought a new carpet from Tapi, or you’re thinking of buying one, then we’ve produced a carpet care guide full of information on how best to care for your carpet.

There are three simple rules to follow:

Clean your vacuum first

This feels like it doesn’t make sense to clean the hoover before you use it. But if you keep the machine itself as clean as you can, it will mean that you don’t transfer dirt on debris onto the carpet that you’re able to vacuum.

Vacuum up and down as well as side to side

If you want to create those triangular marks, this is the way. But it’s not just about looks, this is the best way to make sure you pick up every speck of dust.

Go slow

The temptation (especially if you hate housework!) is to get the job over with as soon as possible.But if you vacuum slowly and overlap the paths you take with the suction head, you’re much more likely to lift up the debris.

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Wood, laminate or vinyl

We’d recommend you sweep the flooring rather than vacuum smooth flooring, and give it a quick going over with a damp mop to wipe away stubborn stains. Dry the surface thoroughly straight afterwards - wooden flooring like engineered wood doesn't like being wet! If you have to use a vacuum, be careful to use the correct setting on your suction head.

How often should pet owners vacuum?

As we’ve explained, our pets are part of our family. And like our family, they come in all shapes and sizes, and some are furrier than others! So vacuum once a week at least, and if you feel you can’t stay on top of your pet hair, then think about investing in a specialist vacuum. For more pet inspiration, take a look at our pick of the best pet-friendly flooring.

Vacuuming anywhere else

There are some places around the home you haven’t thought about. You may want to vacuum your mattress, pet’s bed, lampshades, curtains or ceiling corners to prevent cobwebs, mites and other nasties gathering and to keep allergies at bay.

As you can tell, at Tapi we’re nuts about flooring, and we’re passionate about keeping carpets, laminates and vinyls clean. If you need our friendly, expert advice, we’re ready and willing to help. Alternatively, for more help around the home, take a look at our Ideas Hub, which has a range of advice and inspiration, including everything from how to wallpaper successfully, to tips on making your rented house feel like a home.

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