*This post is sponsored.
I am kind of a practical girl. A couple of years ago for my birthday I asked for a paint sprayer, for Christmas last year I asked for some new pots and pans and for Mother’s Day I asked for a new vacuum. I know it’s not everyone’s jam, but having nice new things to help around the house really make me happy because they help me with my everyday tasks. Unfortunately that “new vacuum” didn’t last long (it started squealing like a dying cat and even cleaning and unclogging every part of it didn’t help) so recently when liZ and I were each given a brand new Maytag vacuum and the box arrived I was as giddy as a school girl.
And when I got it out of the box I found that I love it even more. It’s lightweight but has suction like nobody’s business and my kids even thing it’s pretty fantastic.
It has attachments that work…and if you push the back lever twice the vacuum will lay completely flat so that you can get underneath furniture. Now that’s something that my old vacuum couldn’t do…it’s an awesome feature.
Also, because my house has so many different rugs and carpets to vacuum I also love that on the back of the vacuum there is a height adjustment knob with settings designed for all different surfaces. It will do anything from hardwood floors to a shag rug at the turn of a dial.
And speaking of tips for vacuuming….liZ and I brainstormed and came up with 14 simple tips for better vacuuming. I am sure that at one time or another you have known most of these…but truth be told, some of them I have forgotten. So maybe using one or two new ones will help you too!
#1. Always dust before you vacuum. If not you will spread a thin layer of dust across your newly vacuumed flooring!
#2. Vacuum in both directions whenever possible. (Moving your vacuum both North and South as well as East and West.) This will ensure that the fibers will be cleaned from every direction.
#3. Vacuum slowly…pushing your vacuum at a slower pace will allow your vacuum to pick up the maximum amount of dirt, dust, and pollen as possible.
#4. Regularly check your vacuum brush and clip out hair and thread as necessary. This prevent the brush from getting jammed and becoming unable to spin.
#5. Do not wait until your bag is full before you empty it! Change your vacuum bags when they are between 1/2 to 3/4 full.
#6. Begin vacuuming in a corner of a room and work backwards making multiple passes. This will eliminate immediate foot prints and will remove 85% more dust and allergens from your carpets.
#7. Use the correct setting for your flooring. For example if your vacuum has different settings (or height adjustments) for carpet or hard wood use the correct settings…they are there for a reason!
#8. Use the correct tools and attachments for the items and areas you are vacuuming.
#9. Hold the cord in one hand while vacuuming to prevent it from being run over by the vacuum itself. The cord can become damaged especially if it becomes entangled in the brushes.
#10. Clear the area that you are going to vacuum of any garbage or small items before you begin to vacuum. (Or drape a small garbage bag over one arm…perhaps the arm that is holding the cord…while you are vacuuming so that you have a handy place to put garbage while you work on cleaning up.)
#11. Have a set day of the week to vacuum each room…carpets should be vacuumed at least once a week.
#12. Do not vacuum small throw rugs they can easily be sucked into the brushes of your vacuum.
#13. If you see a loose thread sticking out of your carpet or rugs snip them with scissors rather than pull on it or trying to vacuum it. This will prevent it from unraveling and creating a hole.
#14. If your vacuum does not have attachments you can always use a broom to sweep along the edges of the walls and in the corners to clear out dust and debris before vacuuming.
And the best part of today’s post is that hopefully you get to use those simple tips for better vacuuming as we get to give away to one of you the same Maytag Vacuum that is worth over $600 dollars! Wahoo!!! All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter below and you are in. Best of luck!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Clean the tub after you take a bath. The tub is more porous then, and it’s easier to get clean.
Teach the children how to help. It’s more work in the beginning, but worth everything later.
Set a schedule for cleaning so you can work at maintaining a clean house a little bit every day. And have your kids do chores 🙂
Do a little every day!
I use a Magic Eraser to clean my kitchen sink – it gets rid of the stains and pan marks without a lot of scrubbing.
Using the dryer sheets for cleaning the edge of the base boards works wonders and keeps them dust free longer! Not just for the dryer those dryer sheets!
My best cleaning tip is to do it in sections, rather than to try to do it all at once. It is less overwhelming that way!
The ten minute tidy. Set the clock and tidy one area for ten minutes. Get the kids involved and you’d be amazed how much gets done!
Make sure that you are cleaning a little every day, so that you don’t get behind. I have found that once I’m behind it is way harder to get back on top of everything.
The best cleaning tip I have is to clean and put away stuff as you go. It saves time later!
My best cleaning tip is to do a little at a time, all the time. A couple minutes focused here and there really really makes a big difference!!!! P.S. That sounds like an amazing vacuum!!!!
My best tip is to clean often – do a little everyday so big jobs do not build up.
Thanks for the tips. I really need to change my vacuum bag, and would love a new vacuum! My tip is to dust with a slightly damp rag. It picks up more and stays on the rag.
Vacuuming with toys always out is hard! But I’m working on being regular. Work definitely goes faster when I’m listening to podcasts!
no one is going to like this — hire someone to clean every week or every other week.. It forces one to put there things away so the cleaning person can get to everything and save us time to do what we like to do– I can’t imagine one would really like cleaning
My best cleaning tip is to do a little bit each day. No more than 15 minutes. By the end of the year, your home will be spotless. Thanks for the giveaway!
My best cleaning tip is clean things as they get dirty so you have to spend less time cleaning the entire house.
mine would be to set a little calendar up and spread out the cleaning duties 🙂
Don’t always wait to make sure the dishwasher is *completely* full to run it – sure there’s some “waste” but it’s better to have clean dishes and a dishwasher that’s ready for another load than to realize you’ve waited too long and have MORE than one dishwasher’s worth and the dishes are piling up and oh god you have to cook dinner and… you get it.
my best cleaning tip is clean continuously so it doesnt get too dirty, making it harder
Use baking soda and vinegar for most everything.
When you have a spare 10-30 minutes do a chore instead of derping
My best tip is to make a to-do list!
My best tip is to do a bit of cleaning every day. That way it doesn’t ever get really, really overwhelming or dirty.
I get the kids to help! A little bit each day so it’s not too much on deep cleaning days. We put on the music for 20 minutes per day and just clean up!
My best tip is that white vinegar can replace a lot of other cleaning sprays. Some people hate the smell, but it evaporates pretty quickly.
My best cleaning tip is that baking soda really cuts through grease in the kitchen–on walls, ceilings, pans, the top of your refrigerator….or maybe just mine?
for us, it’s good keeping a schedule 🙂
I am not a great cleaner, but I do know teaching your kids to help from young age is really helpful!
To remove makeup (lipstick, eyeliner, etc.) from carpet, blot with acetone nail polish remover. The smell is strong, so make sure the area is ventilated. Once gone, use water to get rid of any residue. Of course you want to spot test first.
After vacuuming, mop your floors with water that has a the appropriate solution for their surfaces. If you have linoleum like I do because I rent in an OLD bldg, because the floors are waxed at least once a year, I use water with a drop or so of dish washing liquid AND hydrogen peroxide to thoroughly clean them and get stains out without marring the wax. Then a pass with clean water to get that up.
Finally, make folks take their shoes off when they come in. I’m crafty so I crochet slippers in acrylic and cotton so my guests are comfy no matter the weather or what they’re wearing on their feet!
I also concur with another commenter that baking soda and vinegar is good enough to clean everything. I have the systemic form of Lupus and bleach irritates me. Vinegar cleans off oils and mold; bkg soda scrubs without scratching. Not that there’s much that accumulates enough to require that much scrubbing! And after baths or showers, I keep a spray bottle with vinegar, dishwashing liquid and alcohol to spray in the bathtub to prevent mold. The best defense though is to keep the bathroom doors open ALL the time to keep air circulating. Mold doesn’t stand a chance between the two!
My cleaning tip is to clean one room at a time. I feel that I’m a lot more focused when I clean one room at a time.
our best cleaning tip is to have a schedule and a place for everything
Wipe out your bathroom sink every morning after brushing teeth and getting ready for the day. Paper towel the counter and then the sink. Your bathroom is easy to keep clean and looks nice.
Clean OFTEN! Never leave a room without picking something up.
Stay on top of cleaning!! I prefer to have a certain day to do everything and do it every week. The longer things go the harder it is to clean or want to tackle!
Make it fun. I put on some 80’s and 90’s pop, and it becomes a family activity. We boogie while picking up laundry or trash in the den. It takes longer, but if my toddler learns we all pitch in, it’s worth it. She loves helping. 🙂
My tip is don’t clean like me!! Enjoying reading all these tips and expanding my ideas for cleaning. It is not my strong suit.
Put things away when you are done with them. And everything needs a designated spot.
My best cleaning tip is to do a little each day. It makes things so much easier than doing it all on one day.
I always change the direction that I vacuum. I love the sight of freshly vacuumed carpets. I vacuum at least twice a week.
After folding the laundry, I take the used fabric softener sheets to dust. It picks up quite a bit of dust .
Other people had the same tip, but do it often and regularly even if you don’t feel like it.
White vinegar is great for cleaning hard water build-up on faucets and toilets as well as cleaning glass tables!
One step put away. If something has a home, take it straight there and put it away. Otherwise you just create more work for yourself!
D-eclutter thoroughly just once like in Marie Kondo’s book and then cleaning will always be easier. Her book has honestly changed my perspective and the way I live .
Mt best cleaning tip is to keep an old toothbrush on hand for those hard to reach areas.
Always start at the top and work your way downward.
My tip is make sure you wash throw blankets often enough because they collect dust and germs too.
My best cleaning tip is to get everyone to help. Make a game of it or a competition and have fun. It is amazing how much can get done this way.
Set a time goal to finish by. Work quickly. Then take a break.
My best tip is not to let things pile up to the point where it feels impossible to tackle!
use a cleaning calendar 🙂
Don’t slack, it’s worse later. Better get it done and clean today, than to have twice the mess tomorrow.
My tip is to keep cleaning supplies easily accessible. If you have to retrieve the vacuum from the attic, you’ll vacuum less frequently (and work harder when you do).
Blast some tunes! Cleaning goes by so much faster when you’re rockin out to some T Swift or Kool & The Gang.
Also we like to have guests over often as it forces us to keep the house clean.
My best cleaning tip is to make up a weekly schedule. Divide what you want cleaned throughout the week. That way everything will still get done but you don’t get too overwhelmed.
Great tip for better vacuuming. White Vinegar is a natural cleaner. My best tip is that white vinegar can replace a lot of other cleaning sprays.