The age-old question of whether to hoover or dust first has finally been settled by the Queen of Clean herself, Lynsey Crombie. The debate has long divided households, with some arguing that hoovering stirs up dust while others claim dusting knocks particles onto the floor, requiring a second clean.
The Great Cleaning Debate
Many people have their own methods when it comes to housework, often tracing back to childhood habits learned from parents. This can lead to disputes over the correct way to tackle a job, and hoovering versus dusting is no exception. While it might seem straightforward, the question has sparked lengthy discussions on social media.
On Facebook, several threads in the Cleaning Tips and Tricks group explored the topic with no single answer. One user asked, "Just wondering, do people polish before hoovering, as I find the Hoover makes more dust?" Stacey kicked off with "dust then hoover," backed by Rebecca who said, "I dust first. I tend to shake off the dust off the cloth to the floor so then I vacuum after." Karen agreed, adding, "Dust then hoover as dusting creates more stuff to go on the floor to hoover."
However, the majority took a different view. Joy said, "I always hoover and then polish and dust." Clare added, "Hoover then dust otherwise the hoover throws dust over your just cleaned surfaces." Georgia suggested, "Dry cloth dust first, then hoover, then polish." Others had alternatives, like Eluned who said, "Hoover one day dust the next when everything has settled," and Gloria who said, "I've tried both ways and didn't find any different."
Lynsey Crombie's Expert Advice
Lynsey Crombie, star of Channel 4's Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners and regular on ITV's This Morning, shared her view on Instagram. In a clip titled "A few cleaning tips to make your life easier," she explained the important and time-saving reason to do it one way round. "Make sure you always dust or vacuum surface before vacuuming the floor. This will save you having to vacuum again," she said. She also advised, "Vacuum your carpets in cross directions. If you are only going in one direction you are not getting deep into the carpet fibres and picking everything up."
Hoover's Recommendation
Carpet cleaning experts Hoover backed Crombie's advice on their website. They explained that house dust is a combination of dead skin cells, pet dander, pollen, and hairs, constantly generated by humans and pets. "Because it is constantly generated, it will continually appear in the home or office... Most of the time, dust is present in the air and it can stay in circulation by being disturbed through movement," they noted.
Hoover recommended using a good duster before using a Hoover to pick up dust the vacuum can't reach, but emphasized using a microfiber cloth rather than a feather duster or cotton cloth, which tend to release dust back into the air. They also suggested a cordless vacuum cleaner or a dusting brush attachment to trap dust. "Any dust that then falls on the floor can be picked up by the vacuum cleaner's main head," they added.
