July 11, 2018
How to Split Up Vacuuming + Washing Floors
If you follow my cleaning routine you know that I vacuum the floors on Wednesdays and wash floors on Thursdays. (You can find my FREE cleaning routine calendar here.) Just this division is confusing for readers and new followers of my routine so I thought I’d answer some questions and clear up any confusion. Ready?
DAILY MAINTENANCE
Every day of the week I have ‘check floors’ as part of my routine. This means that after meals we check the kitchen floor and sweep or vacuum as needed. If I see something on an another floor in the home, I do a quick sweep or vacuum. This checking of the floors is something that I do, my husband does, and the kids will also grab a broom and help out. It’s not intended to be a full-on floor sweeping or vacuuming, it’s a daily dirt clean up. With 3 kids and a dog, this is necessary. I will say that our dog barely/rarely sheds so that’s definitely helpful and she does nab food that spills if we aren’t quick enough.
WEDNESDAY | VACUUMING DAY
Why do I vacuum on Wednesdays? Because I dust on Tuesdays. Dust settles and vacuuming it up is the best possible way to clear it from your home. Find a vacuum cleaner that works for your budget and home. Whatever vacuum cleaner picks up the dirt and keeps your floors clean, use it and implement it in your weekly cleaning routine. I also like to use a broom or sweeper in between vacuuming to keep the floors clean in between weekly vacuuming.
THURSDAY | FLOOR WASHING DAY
I wash floors on Thursdays because all the hard floors were thoroughly vacuumed the day before on Wednesday. I realize that it would be even more thorough to vacuum and wash floors all on the same day, but that takes so much time, don’t you agree? So, years ago when I was developing my cleaning routine, I split it up and vacuum on Wednesdays and wash floors on Thursdays. Do I have to re-vacuum on Thursdays? No. I do CHECK FLOORS before I wash the floors but rarely do I need to re-vacuum. Any re-vacuuming is minimal and it is usually in the kitchen under the kitchen table or around the island.
IF THIS DOESN’T WORK FOR YOU, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
By all means, make my routine work for you. If you can’t get past the delay between vacuuming and floor washing, here are a couple ideas for making it work for your schedule and cleaning preferences.
- vacuum late in the day on Wednesday and wash the floors early on Thursday
- vacuum + wash the floors in one half of your home on Wednesday and in the other half on Thursday (this could be split up by levels or rooms)
- vacuum and wash bathroom floors on Monday (when you clean the bathrooms) and split the rest up either by day or by room
Tell me? Are you getting used to the routine? What adaptations have you made? Share in the comments! New here? Here’s my Start Here page and my Cleaning Favorites page – welcome! And if you haven’t checked out what’s in my cleaning closet, go here!
Rochelle Says
I can’t seem to manage vacuuming my whole house (2500sqft) and the stairs in 10-15 mins. It takes me about double that amount of time, sometimes longer. What can I do better?
hazel Says
Hallo Becky, I dust and if in the mood, vacuum just after it. Like you, I regularly sweep the floors too and am learning to cook in a much neater way (less housework!)
Sherry Says
Help….I am in need of our password, please. Thank you.
b r Says
Post authorcan you email me?
Claudia Dal Molin Says
I highly recommend doing both at the same time with the Bissell crosswave (it washed and vacuums at the same time). I do this for my hardwoods and it works as advertised. I still vacuum the carpets with a dedicated machine (miele).
Elva Ramadan Says
Hey! When I was younger, helping to clean, I was told to always vacuum before I dust. Reason being: vacuuming creates/stirs up dust.
b r Says
Post authorIf dusting and vacuuming is done regularly I find that doing the dusting on one day and vacuuming the next is the best way to split it up and I don’t find that vacuuming stirs anything up 🙂
Kristin Says
I find that my Dyson Cordless vacuum makes vacuuming so easy. It does operate on a battery, so I have about 20 minutes to knock out my whole house (single story, about 2200 sq ft). Having a battery charged vacuum forces me to vacuum efficiently so I complete the whole house before the battery is drained. Not having to wrestle with the cord is a game changer!
Debbie Says
I split the vacuum and mopping shortly after starting your system. My home is tri-level with carpeted bedrooms upstairs, mid- and lower levels are hard flooring and area rugs. I check floors most days with my Dyson cordless. On bathroom day I vacuum/sweep and mop the master bathroom and vacuum the upper level capeted areas with full size Dyson (bedrooms, hall). (My daughter cleans her bedroom and takes care of the main bath, which is basically hers unless we have overnight guests.) On vacuum day I take care of the flooring on the main level living/dining/kitchen (vacuum/mop) and on wash floors day, the flooring on the lower level family and laundry/1/2 bath (vacuum/mop). This is working better for me.
Elaine Says
Thanks for helping us understand how best to tackle & tweak this (big) job. Your system really works, am telling friends about it.
You’re great!
Ashley Says
When I started your routine, it just made sense to me to go ahead and wash the bathroom floors on Monday when I am cleaning the bathrooms. I have 4 bathrooms so this majorly cut down on the amount of time spent washing floors on Thursday. we have a German Shepherd that sheds ALOT, so I also just run a quick swipe of a cloth to catch any excess dog hair before I wash the floors. That helps with catching all that excess dog hair.
Jennifr Says
The routine is so helpful. And if i miss a day, its not hard to catch up. I will soon be working outside the home and i know this will save my sanity!
Carol Says
I’ve been following a modified schedule the last few months. I have a Roomba so when I’m vacuuming one floor, I let the Roomba work on the other floor. I’ve found the Roomba to be helpful with cleaning under furniture and beds, so it seems to be a good add to my routine. I clean bathrooms the next day, so I’m able to use a handheld vacuum for any new hair on the bathroom floor (my nemesis!) and mop the bathroom floor pretty easily.
thanks for the schedule, it’s really helped! I’m also teaching my daughter how to clean this summer, and the schedule is a great way to teach her without it being overwhelming.
Jen Says
I love your routine but have tweaked it to work for my schedule. I do the daily tasks, do bathrooms and dusting on Monday, Tuesday I am busy so no major tasks then on Wednesday or Thursday I do my floor washing and vacuuming on the same day. My house isn’t that big and I’m an empty nester so it works for me. I keep Friday as a catch all day and do my sheets on Saturday. Towels are done during the week since it is only me and my husband.
Kathy-Ann Rollins Says
I love your routine! I modified it to do vacuum/mop upstairs Thursday and downstairs Friday. I gave my oldest son the job of checking/vacuuming the kitchen floor and rug as part of his daily chores. 😉
Denise Groulx Says
Well, I’ve started your vacuuming/mopping the floors a while ago and I love it. It’s easier for me. Splitting this chore in two helps me et more done in other areas of my cleaning routinte. I’m 67 years old and I realize I don’t have the energy level I had in my 20’s and 30’s. So many thanks for your good suggestions.
Andrea Says
I have to modify three times a year! I am a professor and every semester my schedule changes. I don’t want to have bathrooms on the days I work from 12-10! But the principles still apply! I just wish it was possible to move the days around In the graphics you supply. They look so much nicer than what I create. During the summer, when I can follow your schedule, I print them out and glue them into my planner
Debra Says
I was hoping to find out how many times you vacuum back and forth in what would be a natural, normal arm swing. When I was in high school I attended a field trip to a carpet/furniture store, the home economist who worked there told us to go back and forth 10 times in one direction and then 10 times perpendicular to that. I’m just interested in how you define vacuuming.
b r Says
Post authorHi Debra! Just 2x one one direction and one the opposite direction – 20x?!