This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of BISSELL Homecare, Inc.. All opinions are 100% mine.
So it isn’t rocket science, right? Even my nine year old is capable of turning on a vacuum and pushing it around to suck up some dirt. However, I find that a few vacuuming cleaning tips and techniques are helpful in order to get the job done right and protect my belongings and my machine in the process. I spend a lot of time and resources in decorating my home, and I want it to continue to look like new until I come at it again with a can of paint or a sledge hammer–whichever comes first *wink*. A quality vacuum like the BISSELL® PowerGlide® Pet Vacuum with Lift-Off® Technology and good cleaning practices are essential in making my home feel like new!
Before we begin, I should note that I am a pretty terrible housekeeper. I would much rather push a paint roller than a vacuum and I don’t really enjoy painting all that much…so you can deduce from that little confession that my house is a mess 75% of the time. When I do decide to clean, I usually go all out and I want it done RIGHT.
Tips on How to Vacuum
1. Mark your calendar. Regular vacuuming is important in keeping your space looking and feeling fresh and clean. Setting a once a week date on the calendar for cleaning will help keep you accountable. A date with your vacuum if you will—and you don’t even have to shower, shave, or get out of your yoga pants for this date! If you have pets who enjoy throwing their fur like confetti, kids who enjoy sneaking food onto the couch, or husbands who enjoy wearing their shoes throughout the house, (ahem…not mentioning any names here) you may need to vacuum your high traffic areas daily. If practical, incorporate vacuuming/cleaning into your kiddos’ daily chores to help alleviate some of the burden on yourself.
2. Dust, wipe, and straighten before vacuuming . I know. Sometimes it is all you can do just to rouse the motivation to plug the darn thing in and press the power button. However, if you take a few minutes to pick up the toss pillows off the floor, put away the toys, and brush off the layer of dust on the entertainment center before vacuuming, you will be much happier with the end results. Dusting or wiping off counters before vacuuming allows the dust/crumbs to settle on the floor which you are about to clean. If you dust post-vacuuming, you run the risk of dirtying the floor you just worked so hard to clean.
3. Shake out small rugs and pick up large debris. I am not great at following this tip. I have sucked many a small rug up into the vacuum’s brush-roll and often use my poor vacuum as a shop vac. As a result, I’ve damaged rugs and am probably shortened the lifespan of my vacuum. Small objects will often clog the hose of your vacuum and can damage the inner-workings of your machine. It is best to bend down and pick up the giant piece of mulch or lego head rather than vacuuming it up. Rug edges will fray over time with heavy vacuuming. Try and work from the center of your area rug outward and use attachments on the edges.
4. Empty your bag or canister frequently. Vacuums do not suck as well when they are overfilled and can actually put dust and debris back into your room when overfilled. Pay attention to the canister and empty it frequently. I carry around a trash bag with me when I vacuum, so I don’t have to run to another room to empty the canister.
5. Use your vacuum attachments. Most vacuums come with a crevice tool which is great for cleaning baseboards, edges of the room, in between couch cushions, in between the stove and the countertop, and even in between the keys on your computer keyboard.
Another great vacuum attachment to use is your upholstery attachment. My couches are leather, but I like to use my white slipcovers to change the look and feel of the room. Unfortunately, my pomeranians Eowyn and Pippin also like my white slipcovers! They are lucky they are so cute :). My upholstery attachment on my BISSELL® PowerGlide® Pet Vacuum does a fantastic job at sucking up all of the fur.
I have to note that one of the things I adore about the BISSELL® PowerGlide® Pet Vacuum with Lift-Off® Technology is the lift-off canister. I have two staircases to clean in my home and both of them are STEEP. Vacuuming the stairs is nothing short of scary when trying to balance an upright vacuum on a step. With the lift-off canister I can just walk up the stairs cleaning as I go which makes things so much easier. To see it in action, please watch my short video below. It’s so much easier to show you how this baby works than to just tell you about it!
Right now BISSELL is holding a fun contest celebrating our everyday messes, you can hop over to their facebook page for a chance to enter to win your own BISSELL® PowerGlide® Pet Vacuum with Lift-Off® Technology. Good luck and happy cleaning!
kristin says
Love the vacuum, thanks for sharing your tips!
XO
Kristin