Many homes these days have a combination of flooring including carpet, wood, and tile. Each surface requires its own method of cleaning. But when it comes to general daily floor care, like cleaning up the dust and dirt and pet hair, you can use the same tool for every floor – your vacuum cleaner.
Most of my floors are wood but I do have tile in the bathroom and three large area rugs in the living room, family room and bedroom. I also have a hairy cat and a black lab who are both shedding machines. As a result, I clean my floors DAILY. I prefer to sweep and vacuum every day but most of the time I don’t get both done. If I have to choose, I vacuum because I can get every floor surface with the vacuum.
A house guest once asked me why I used my vacuum instead of a swiffer. There are two reasons:
- It would cost a fortune to use a swiffer because I have so many non-carpeted areas and lots of pet hair. I would have to change the pad in every room. That would get expensive fast.
- The vacuum gets both wood and carpet so it saves time and effort.
In case you’re thinking of giving it a try, here are a few things I’ve learned after years of vacuuming wood & tile floors:
- You can vacuum throw rugs but it’s tricky. I don’t. Instead I either shake them outside or gently shake them onto the floor and then vacuum what came off the rug.
- An extension cord on your vacuum will allow you to go longer distances without having to move the plug. I have a route that allows me to get everywhere I need to without having to re-plug even once.
- You can vacuum ceramic tile unless the surface is uneven. You might also want to avoid vacuuming any tile floors with very small tiles. I did that on our fireplace hearth and chipped a couple of the tiles. I vacuum it with the hose attachment but not the vacuum itself.
- If you have a bagless vacuum, be sure to clean the filter frequently. I clean mine every time I vacuum because of the pet hair. I have a brush hanging on the wall above the garage trash can that I use to brush out the filter.
- While I have the vacuum out, if I have time, I also vacuum furniture tops, under furniture or in corners.
- My favorite vacuum is an upright with on board attachments. I’ve had some great vacuums in the past but the one I’m currently using I would NOT recommend.
Just in case I’ve given anyone the impression that I thoroughly vacuum every day, that’s not the case. I vacuum most of the floors but if I can’t get a certain area, I skip it. I vacuum often enough that I know I’ll get it next time. My dog and cat are terrified of the vacuum so if they’re snoozing on their bed in the office, I shut the door and skip that room. I just do what I can.
So if you haven’t tried vacuuming your non-carpeted surfaces, give it a try the next time you need to clean your floors and see what you think. Let me know whether I convinced you or whether you’re sticking to your swiffer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You might also like:
10 Tips For Better Laundry
Window Cleaning Made Easy (well, easier)
Mopping Made Easy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve never tried to clean wood floors any other way! What did people use before the swiffer? They are terribly expensive.
I have a 1976 Electrolux tank vacuum, I get it serviced periodically and it works beautifully on all surfaces.
I very occasionally damp mop my wooden flooring, with a small amount of apple cider vinegar in a pail of lukewarm water. I use a piece of an old bath towel, dip it in the pail, wring it out well, and use a stiff-bristled brush on a pole to push the cloth across the floor. I learned this technique when I lived in Rome and it always seemed so much more effective than sponge mops. Just toss the towel into a hot wash with bleach and reuse.
I tried a Swiffer because everyone said it was so awesome, but nearly all of my floors are hardwood and I have pets who shed a lot, so it was really expensive! My husband likes to use the dust mop. I hate that thing but I can see how it does a better job with the pet hair. I vacuum just about every day and sometimes I sweep the floors with just a regular old broom.
I bet that bath towel technique of cleaning the floors does work well. I use a string mop for weekly cleaning and one of those Swiffer type mops for quick clean-ups from the dog or grandkids. Never did like sponge mops.
But apple cider vinegar! I hate that stuff!!! My husband likes using vinegar for everything but I hate the smell!!! It does a good job, though.