Hoovering is one of those thankless tasks that feels like a constant battle – no matter how much or how often you hoover there always seems to be more to hoover up.
And it doesn’t take long at all before dust, dirt, debris and even bits of food begin to pile up on your carpets, laminate floors and tiled areas.
But a lot of people may not realise just how often you’re supposed to be hoovering your house – it’s a lot more frequent than you probably think.
The National Carpet Cleaners Association says that high traffic rooms need hoovering most often, perhaps unsurprisingly.
And if you have pets or someone in your household has allergies, you’ll need to hoover even more often than average.
The NCCA says: “High-traffic rooms will need more attention than those not used often. Hallways, living rooms and playrooms are best hoovered twice a week, while bedrooms and studies may only need once a week.
Any room that people eat in will need the most hoovering, as food crumbs can attract pests.
“Similarly, if you or someone in your household suffers from allergies, you may want to vacuum more often. Especially during hay fever season, all sorts of irritants and allergens get embedded in the carpet. Some people find that vacuuming as often as every day is helpful in reducing their symptoms.”
But housework celebrity, Lynsey Queen of Clean, says that three areas of your house need hoovering every single day.
She said: “Vacuum the stairs once a week and the rest of the house twice a week. But high-traffic areas, such as home entrances, door mats, and kitchens should be vacuumed daily.”
Carpet company Tapi adds: “Other interiors bloggers suggest following this rule: Count the number of people in your household then vacuum one time per person per week – and pets count as part of the family. So if it’s just you and the dog, that’s twice a week. A family of five means you should get out the vacuum five times a week!”
As an aside, hoovering is the typically British term for using the vacuum cleaner – Hoover is a protected trademark, but only in the US. In the UK, the term lost its protected status and became ‘generic’ meaning anyone can say hoovering for any brand of hoover.