Vacuuming is an essential part of the cleaning process. You want your home’s surfaces to be clean and spotless. Getting rid of dust, allergens, pet dander, and other pollutants on your floor, carpets, and upholstery is essential for your comfort and health. Even if you have the best cordless stick vacuum cleaner on the market, it will only help you clean your surfaces if appropriately used.
Here’s how to make the most of your vacuum cleaner for an impeccable household!
Types of Vacuum Cleaners Available in The Market
Upright vacuum cleaners
Upright vacuum cleaners are the most common type. They have a long handle and a cleaning head, making them easy to use comfortably. Ideal for carpets and upholstery, these vacuums come with different accessories that allow you to access corners or other off-floor areas of your home.
Stick vacuum cleaners
Stick vacuum cleaners are very similar to upright ones. They are slimmer and lightweight, though. These vacuums are usually cordless and ideal for regular, quick cleaning tasks. Many reviews of cordless stick vacuums highlight that they are easy to store and use. Plus, the best cordless stick vacuum cleaner has plenty of settings to adjust to your needs.
Canister vacuum cleaners
Canister vacuums use a canister, cleaning head, and hose and want to be maneuvered relatively easily. You can use them to clean carpets and floors and easily reach less accessible areas of your home.
Robotic vacuum cleaners
On the newer generation of vacuums, you’ll find robotic vacuum cleaners. While these vacuums are typically less potent than the previous two types, they operate autonomously. You can schedule them for cleaning sessions; they work great for maintenance cleaning.
Handheld vacuums
Handheld vacuum cleaners are lightweight and portable. These vacuums are mainly used for cleaning pet hair and quick messes and can be very efficient for your home and car. They use rechargeable batteries and are usually cordless.
Preparing to Vacuum
Preparing your space for vacuuming correctly will make cleaning more accessible and efficient.
Eliminate the clutter so you can access the surface you want to clean. Doing so increases the coverage of the vacuum cleaner and improves your efficiency.
Toys or small objects can damage even the best cordless stick vacuum cleaners, so removing them from the floor is essential.
Also, dust the furniture before you vacuum to eliminate dust particles. Vacuuming should be one of the last steps of your cleaning process.
Checking the Vacuum Cleaner
Check your vacuum cleaner before using it to ensure it functions optimally. If the dust bag or canister is full, replace it before using the device again.
Full canisters or dust bags reduce suction power as the airflow is limited, and your vacuum cleaner won’t pick up debris and dirt as it should. Also, using your device without replacing a complete dirtbag puts unnecessary stress on the motor, reducing the cleaner’s lifespan.
Not to mention that full dust bags or canisters can overflow and spill dirt back on the floor. This problem is even with the best cordless stick vacuum cleaner due to their upright position. This would make all your work useless.
After you check the dust bag, look at your vacuum filters. Make sure they are clean and replace them as needed. Dirty filters reduce suction power and negatively impact indoor air quality by releasing allergens.
If you use a rechargeable vacuum, ensure the battery is fully charged before cleaning. The best rechargeable stick vacuum can last up to 40 minutes on a full charge.
Choosing the Right Attachment
Knowing what attachment tools to use will transform your cleaning process from average to efficient. Top cordless stick vacuums, for instance, come with an attachment for every surface. Even if you are not using the best stick vacuum, your appliance will likely have a few extra accessories.
Crevice tool: This narrow nozzle gives you access to tight spaces.
Upholstery tool: This attachment has a flat nozzle with bristles, making it perfect for upholstery furniture and mattresses.
Dusting Brush: Your Brush comes with soft bristles that protect the surface during cleaning.
Hard floor attachment: The bare floor brush has a hard floor tool that lets you vacuum or clean floors efficiently.
Turbo brush: This rotating Brush helps you remove pet hair or dander from any upholstery.
When you choose the attachment, it is crucial to consider the type of surface you need to clean.
Hardfloor surfaces: hard floor tool
Carpets: turbo brush or upholstery tool
Upholstery: upholstery tool
Adjusting Settings (if applicable)
The best cordless stick vacuum cleaners come with various adjustable settings. Adjusting these settings to your conditions can enhance the cleaning process and save you time.
Carpet height adjustment
The carpet comes in different heights. You can set your vacuum cleaner to a lower height for low-pile carpets to improve suction. Use a higher level for high-pile carpets to prevent the brush from digging too much into the fiber.
Suction power
While not present on all vacuum cleaners, some will allow you to set the suction power. You can use a higher power for carpets and rugs that require deeper cleaning and a lower power for curtains or upholstery to protect the fabric.
Brush roll on or off
The on or off feature on the brush roll can be very efficient. Use the brush to roll off when vacuuming tile or wood surfaces to avoid scratching. Turn the brush to roll on for carpets and rugs.
Handle height
Most stick vacuum cleaners come with an adjustable handle height. This setting allows you to adjust the handle according to your height to maintain a comfortable and ergonomic posture while cleaning.
Floor-type
Your floor type will also matter when you adjust your vacuum cleaner. Set it on a higher height and lower suction for hard floors to prevent scratching and debris scattering. For carpets, adjust the height according to the rug and use a high suction feature for a detailed cleaning.
Starting to Vacuum
How you are vacuuming is as important as setting the vacuum cleaner correctly. Here’s how you can make sure you get impeccable results:
Steady Strokes and overlapping strokes
Pay attention to the surface you clean, and take your time with the process. Maintain a slow yet consistent rhythm when you vacuum so the vacuum cleaner can capture all the debris and dirt. By overlapping your strokes, you make sure that you cover the entire area and get through all the dirt and dust.
Try to vacuum in multiple directions
Changing direction when vacuuming, from left to right or back and forth, helps unstick the debris and dirt on your carpet or the floor’s surface. Vacuum also diagonally to make sure you attack the dirt from all angles.
Pay extra attention to highly circulated areas
Hallways or living rooms are more circulated than other areas. You want to insist on such surfaces to catch all the dirt.
Reaching Difficult Areas
While cleaning a flat surface can seem easy, getting into your house’s tight, narrow areas can become challenging. This is where using the attachment tools comes into play.
Crevice Tool: After you attach the crevice tool, slide the nozzle into the area you need to clean. You can use this tool to clean between appliances or pillows, under the furniture, and in the less accessible corners of your room. Maintain a slow and firm movement to catch all the stuck dirt and debris.
Extension Wand: Attach the extension wand to the vacuum head or hose, depending on your model. Use this attachment to reach higher areas of your house, such as ceilings or corners.
Dusting Brush: Attach the dusting brush to the wand or the vacuum’s head. It is efficient at gently cleaning surfaces such as shelves and blinds. Go back and forth for efficient cleaning.
Upholstery Tool: once you attach the upholstery tool, use it on fabric furniture or mattresses. Glide it on the surface of your upholstery in a firm, smooth movement to capture all the dirt and hair.
Turbo Brush: Attach your turbo brush and use the rolling function to unstuck hair and debris from the surface. Then, move the turbo brush back and forth to capture all the dirt.
Emptying the Vacuum Cleaner
One crucial maintenance step is to empty the vacuum cleaner correctly. Empty the dust bag or the canister by following these steps:
- Turn your vacuum cleaner off
- Open the dust bag compartment and remove the bag
- Empty the bag’s contents and use a damp cloth to remove all the debris.
- Reinstall the dust bag in its compartment according to your vacuum cleaner’s instructions.
Some vacuum cleaners come with reusable filters that you can also clean to prolong their lifespan.
- Remove the filter according to the instructions
- Shake the filter and tap it to remove any blocked debris
- Wash the filter with lukewarm water if it is washable or replace it if it is not washable
- Reinstall the filter according to instructions
Wrap-up
A successful vacuuming process is about more than just using the best cordless stick vacuum cleaner on the market. Staying on top of maintenance and using your appliance correctly is just as important. Apply the tips in this guide to have an impeccable home every time you vacuum.
