How Often Should You Vacuum?

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Having a home comes with many responsibilities, and amongst them, cleaning. And within the cleaning, one of the basic tasks is vacuuming the floors, whether it’s carpets or hard floors.

Some people enjoy vacuuming, as it can be quite an easy task that is over and done relatively fast, while others absolutely despise it and put it off for as long as they can.

But the unfortunate thing about cleaning is that it isn’t a one-time job. It needs to be done regularly, and yes, this includes vacuuming pretty often. 

Of course, the number of times that you vacuum, when your house cleaning or office cleaning, will depend on many different things. Not only on how dirty your floors get but also on how much you prioritize keeping them clean and putting the effort in!

But is there a certain amount of times a week that you should be vacuuming? That is if you’re supposed to vacuum weekly… Are you? 

Many people wonder just how often it is that they should be vacuuming in their homes. You could vacuum every day if you wanted, but that’s probably not necessary.

So how often do you really have to vacuum, so that your house is decently clean, but without you putting in more effort than necessary? Well luckily for you, we’re going to talk all about this. 

Let’s get right into it! 

What Is The Recommended Frequency For Vacuuming? 

There isn’t a specific strict frequency that states exactly how often you should be vacuuming, mainly because it depends on each person, their home, their vacuum, and their cleaning habits.

It’s different for everybody. And as a general rule, you should vacuum when you feel like you should, depending on the state of your home, how you live in it, and how you feel about it. 

That being said, there are plenty of guides and recommendations about the average frequency that is considered to be good for vacuuming within your home, so that is what we’re going to talk about! 

There are three main different categories when it comes to the standard or recommended frequency for vacuuming, so it’s important that you look up the right one when wondering how often it is you should vacuum: 

Vacuuming Carpets

The recommended frequency for vacuuming carpets is frequent. And yeah, that sounds pretty vague, how often does frequently mean?

Basically, frequently means multiple times a week, and the exact amount of times per week will depend on factors specific to your situation. 

For example, a carpet that gets a lot of traffic (such as a carpet in a room that is used constantly) should probably be vacuumed at least twice a week, as it will get dirty pretty quickly due to usage. 

Carpets that don’t get as much traffic, on the other hand, (such as carpets in rooms that are only used once a day, or every other day) can just be vacuumed once a week. 

And carpets that are located in areas of the house where they are barely used…well, if they don’t get dirty then there’s no need to clean them that often, maybe once every two weeks!

But again, this depends on how dirty they get, according to their position and usage and conditions.  

The most important thing with carpet floors is to make sure you vacuum properly, especially because vacuuming is one of the only ways you can really clean that floor on a regular basis, so you have to make it count!

Vacuuming Hard Floors

One of the best things about hard floors is that they don’t get as dirty, and when they do, they are super easy to clean, as all the dirt is on the surface, and not trapped by any fibres such as with carpets.

So as a general rule, you should only have to vacuum your hard floors around once a week. 

Of course, this again depends on how dirty the floor gets. If you bring in a lot of dirt from the outside, and the floor gets visibly dirty, you might have to up the vacuuming.

Or you might have to vacuum at extra times if you dirty it at a specific time, due to something you have done. 

But yeah, hard floors don’t need as much vacuuming, and in fact, you can probably just use a sweeping brush most of the time. 

Vacuuming If You Have Pets In The House

If you have pets, such as a dog or a cat, then you’re going to have to up the frequency of your vacuuming.

The main reason: pets are dirty. And in the home, pets will leave hairs everywhere (unless it’s a specific breed of animal that does not shed any hair!) 

If you have a cat or a dog, then you’re probably already aware of this, but the carpet floors, and even the hard floors, will be full of dirt and hairs, and this happens every single day. 

So as a general rule, if you have pets in the house, you should vacuum every single day. It’s a chore, but it’s important in order to avoid pet allergies, and similar. 

If you don’t quite have the time to vacuum the entire house every single day (which is more than understandable), then try to vacuum the important areas such as your bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen.

Or maybe limit the areas in the house in which your pets are allowed! 

Factors That Affect How Often You Should Vacuum

Although we have given you some recommended frequencies for vacuuming in the house, it is important to remember that the number of times you vacuum should depend on your specific situation, home, and vacuum.

Always take into account your own factors, so that the vacuuming routine suits your needs and preferences as best as possible. 

Here are some of the factors that affect how often you should be vacuuming: 

The Type Of Floor

Different types of floors require different types of maintenance, with some needing to be cleaned more often than others.

Carpets, for example, need to be vacuumed pretty often, as dirt gets trapped in their fabric and can accumulate really fast. Hard floors, on the other hand, don’t need as much vacuuming, as they don’t get as dirty! 

How Dirty Your Floor Gets

Vacuuming should be done in order to clean the floor, when necessary. If the floor isn’t dirty, then you don’t need to vacuum, as simple as that! 

If your home gets dirty really fast, then you will have to vacuum more often to keep on top of the dirt. But if your home is barely used, or dirt barely gets in, then you won’t need to vacuum as much. 

Your Priority Levels In Regards To Cleaning

Different people have different levels of priority when it comes to cleaning. Some people want their homes to be perfectly clean all the time, in which case they are likely to vacuum a lot more often.

Others don’t mind the house becoming a little dirty or a bit of a mess, so they will prioritize other things above vacuuming! 

It’s your time, so you get to apply effort to the different tasks you wish. 

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The Power Of Your Vacuum Cleaner 

The better your vacuum cleaner is, and the power that it is, the less often you will have to vacuum. Why? Well, because if your vacuum is high quality, it will clean the floors a lot better, so it will take a longer time before they reach that level of dirt again.

So it can be really worthwhile to invest in a better vacuum cleaner so that you don’t have to use it as much!

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