You're Probably Vacuuming Wrong—And Making Your Floors Dirtier
But ignoring it isn't exactly an option. Dust, dirt, pollen and pet hair don't just dull your floors—they mess with the air you breathe. If you've been vacuuming regularly but not seeing the payoff, your technique might be the culprit. A few small adjustments can make a major difference in how clean your home actually feels. From vacuuming in the right direction to using your attachments more strategically, these tips can help you get the most out of every session without breaking a sweat.
We've tested a bunch of vacuums to ensure we're giving you the top recommendations for the best cordless, robot and budget vacuums on the market. That said, it doesn't matter how great the product is — if you're misusing it, you won't be able to take advantage of all its benefits. Thankfully, we're here to help.
The right way to vacuum clean your home
CNET
Those short, quick, back-and-forth motions that the majority of people do when vacuuming isn't sucking up all that dust, dirt and lint that is embedded into carpets and floors. The more efficient way to vacuum -- and the way professional cleaners do it -- is to go forward, in structured rows.
You'll first start by vacuuming a row of your carpeting in one direction, wall-to-wall. This first pass should be against the nap of the carpet to make it fluff up and to make the deeply embedded dirt come up easier. A way to tell if you're vacuuming against the nap correctly is if the carpet piles stick up or look a little darker.
Next, push the vacuum back over that strip you just vacuumed. This will lay the carpet back down flat and will suck up the rest of the dirt you missed on the first pass. Once you're back to your starting place, vacuum another strip right next to the first, overlapping slightly. Keep repeating this routine until the whole room has been vacuumed thoroughly.
Once you've completed that step, go perpendicular: If you were vacuuming north to south the first time, vacuum east to west on this second pass. If you think of your floor as a grid, you're going to want to pass over each square both ways for the best results.
Yes, it's extra work and maybe it even seems like overkill, but this method ensures you get every bit of dirt and debris, which will keep your carpet cleaner and looking newer for longer.
For more helpful vacuum info, explore the best Roomba alternatives to keep your floors clean and the best robot vacuum deals available now.
More vacuum tips
FAQs
How many times should I repeat this technique?
You should repeat this technique as many times as it takes to vacuum overlapping strips across the entire room. Then, you should start the same process vacuuming the floor in the direction perpendicular to when you started.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Teen Decides to Eat at His Favorite Restaurant for His Birthday. His Parents Say He Should've Catered to His Brother
A teen finally gets his dream birthday dinner, but it leads to fights, blame, and a battle over family favoritismNEED TO KNOW A 16-year-old chooses his favorite restaurant for his birthday dinner after years of being denied it His younger brother, who usually gets his way, sulks and insults the restaurant, causing a family fight The teen is blamed by his parents, leading him to ask Reddit if he was wrong for finally picking a place he enjoysA teen seeks support from the Reddit community following a birthday dinner that sparked family tension and exposed deeper issues of favoritism. In a post, the 16-year-old explains how what should have been a joyful celebration turned into yet another reminder of how his family dynamics leave him feeling second best. 'My parents never let me eat at my favorite restaurant when we celebrate my birthday or other stuff,' he writes. 'My brother doesn't like the food there and they say any celebration needs to include stuff we all like.' But he points out a double standard that's hard to ignore. 'We always eat at his favorite place,' he says, even though it's a 'really small pizza shop' where the food is, in his words, 'awful.' 'I should like some of the stuff but it tastes so gross,' he continues. 'I'm not the only person who thinks so either but since my brother loves it they don't care if I hate the food there.' There have been times when he's had nothing but water during meals there. On other occasions, he's forced himself to eat and ended up feeling sick afterward. His dad even gets stomach issues from the food, but still goes along with it to please his younger son. Meanwhile, none of the 16-year-old's top choices are ever seriously considered — even on his birthday. 'They always go with choices I'm just okay with because my brother likes them,' he shares. 'I have tried telling them I don't like those restaurants anymore and they say I can find something but none of my top five places work for my brother.' Meals out only happen for special occasions like birthdays, graduations or really good report cards. Still, even on those rare outings, the family always defaults to places that cater to his brother's preferences. So when his grandparents came to visit in June, right around his birthday, he saw a rare opportunity to actually celebrate his way. They asked him privately where he wanted to go, and he didn't hesitate. 'I told them about the Thai place that's my favorite ever,' he writes. His grandparents, well aware of how overlooked he usually is, told him his parents "couldn't dictate to them.' When the big day came, the grandparents surprised the rest of the family by announcing they'd be eating at the Thai restaurant, taking full credit for the choice. 'They said they heard us talk about that place before and knew it was my favorite and how they wanted to surprise me,' he says. The teen was thrilled and described the night as a rare moment of joy. 'It was the best meal out I had with my family in forever,' he adds. But his 14-year-old brother sulked the entire time. 'He insulted the food, the restaurant and the staff the whole night,' he says. The grandparents stood up for him and scolded his parents for allowing the behavior. That only escalated things into a fight between the adults at the table. Despite the chaos, he says he was just happy to enjoy a meal he genuinely loved. But the joy was short-lived. Later, his parents confronted him and said they knew he was the one who chose the restaurant, even though his grandparents had claimed responsibility. 'They told me I knew my brother didn't like it,' he recalls. He pushed back, reminding them that he's expected to go along with his brother's favorites all the time. 'He knows I don't like his favorite but [I have] to go there,' he told them. That didn't sit well with his parents. 'They told me not to turn it back on him, that I'm 16 and that's old enough to know better,' he says. They claimed part of being a good host is catering to your guests. But OP told them, 'He wasn't really my guest though,' which only made them more upset. Since then, the issue hasn't been dropped. His parents have brought it up several times and have even had more arguments with the grandparents because of it. Meanwhile, his brother has been lashing out in petty and childish ways. 'He threw water all over me and tried to make me eat mushrooms (ick),' he writes. The parents didn't discipline his brother for those actions. Instead, they blamed him, saying, 'It was my fault for the stunt with the restaurant.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He ends the post wondering if he was wrong for choosing his favorite place after so many years of being denied that simple joy. The reaction from readers makes it clear they don't think so. 'Good for your grandparents,' one commenter writes. 'Also, sounds like your parents are grooming a monster AH Golden Child.' He responds that it's not the first time his brother's behavior has caused tension with the rest of the family. 'They pissed off dad's side a couple of years ago when we all went to this really nice restaurant and he was loudly insulting the restaurant and the food.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Move Over, Training Wheels: There's a Better Way to Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike
The rider will graduate to longer and faster glides before learning to ride. Laura Motley and Jason Toledo/NYT Wirecutter While some kids learn to bike in a day, others take much longer. Likewise, some kids are ready to ride by age 2, and others don't develop the coordination or confidence until they're 5 or older. McFarland advises that parents stay the course but honor their child's pace. 'Different kids may progress through the process at different speeds, but there is not a better way to learn,' he said. Even some adults who are learning to ride for the first time use the balance bike method. Whether it takes your kid a day or a year to learn, these pointers will set them up for success. Get the right-size bike. If your kid is under the age of 4 or 5, they can start with a dedicated balance bike. Older, taller children may need to begin with a pedal bike, but any bike can be converted to a balance bike: Just remove the pedals with a 15 mm wrench (most bikes ordered online come with one) and lower the seat so they can sit on the saddle with their feet flat on the ground, knees slightly bent. For a proper no-pedal fit, feet should be flat on the ground with knees slightly bent. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The most important factor to consider when selecting a bike for your kid is size. 'Oftentimes parents buy big bikes that kids can grow into, which causes a lot of frustration for their kid,' Alison Dewey, education director of The League of American Bicyclists, told me. A low seat height offers a feeling of security and allows riders to push their feet against the ground with power and control. Build confidence with an anatomy lesson. 'A bike is basically a really large, cumbersome toy that has a mind of its own,' Dewey said. Explain the different parts of the bike to your kid, and have them hold the handlebars and walk beside it — this will give them a sense of how heavy it is and how it tends to lean and fall. Next, encourage your kid to sit on the bike and practice 'walking' while seated. Then they can start pushing their feet and gliding. A properly fitting helmet will also increase confidence (and keep them safe). Find the right environment. Large, open spaces like empty parking lots are more conducive to learning than sidewalks or driveways. 'A flat area free of obstacles with at least 100 feet or more open space will allow for unencumbered pushing and gliding,' said Doug Ballew, a cycling educator with Woom. 'That straightaway is where they're gonna develop their skills.' Both Ballew and Bassett recommend finding a location with a slight grade, if possible; a gentle downhill gives your kid extra momentum as they learn to glide. If your child is nervous about wiping out, you could take them to a local track. Many modern running tracks are made with synthetic materials that are gentler and springier than asphalt. Add pedals when they've mastered balancing. 'Don't force pedals on them before they have achieved 100% of the balance aspect of it,' Ballew said. 'They should be gliding for 25 feet or more.' (That wide open parking lot can help them reach this milestone.) When you add pedals, raise the seat a little so their feet are flat on the ground with their legs straight. As they gain confidence pedaling, raise the seat by small increments until they can sit on the saddle and touch the ground with the balls of their feet. Perfect the pedaling. Many kids find pedaling intuitive, but some need extra guidance. Dewey suggests teaching the power pedal position, where one foot is on a pedal positioned just past the highest part of its stroke, and the other foot is on the ground. The kid pushes off with the foot on the ground, and then down on the pedal. Then they find the other pedal with their other foot. For a proper push-off, set the child up in the power pedal position with one foot comfortably on the ground and the other on the opposite pedal. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Support your kid, not their bike. If your kid wants the comforting hand of a parent steadying them as they take their first strides and glides, feel free to offer it — but make sure you're touching your kid, not their bike. 'If you want to stabilize your child in some way, grab their shirt but don't touch the bike,' McFarland says. Holding onto handlebars or a bike seat interferes with their ability to balance on their own. You can also wrap a towel around your kid's chest and hold onto it for extra support. Consider the braking system. Some balance bikes come with hand brakes, but many don't. Many mid- and high-priced kids pedal bikes, like our top pick and upgrade pick, use hand brakes. Most inexpensive kids pedal bikes have coaster brakes, but they're rendered useless when the bike is in balance mode — these brakes are only activated when the pedals are in use and pushed backwards. 'Feet are adequate for braking while you're still [in balance mode and] developing those skills,' McFarland said. Even so, some kids are more comfortable with an added hand brake. Most experts I spoke with agreed that when kids transition to pedaling, it's easier to learn on a bike with a freewheel and hand brakes than on one with a coaster brake. It can be hard to get into the 'power pedal position' when your pedals can't move backwards without locking up (which is the case on a bike with coaster brakes). Although no technique totally eliminates the possibility of scraped knees, the balance bike method can make learning to ride a two-wheeler — once a scary rite of passage — more enjoyable. Parents and caregivers should respect their child's pace and remain patient, trusting in the process. 'It's going to take as long as it takes,' Bassett said. 'You don't want to add a negative experience to something that will be a lifelong joy.' That parental patience, along with a bike that fits and an empowering way to learn, will ensure that everyone enjoys the ride. This article was edited by Catherine Kast and Kalee Thompson.
Wall Street Journal
2 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
The Texas Walkout: All Hat, No Cattle?
A newsy analysis of the workings of D.C. (and beyond), providing the inside track on both the overhyped and overlooked events of the week. Subscribe here, and read this week's edition below:
