As I was vacuuming our home this morning, I thought of something I do as I vacuum you might find helpful in your own home.
Vacuuming in one of the very most important cleaning tasks you can do in your home. Dry soil is the number one thing that can cause damage to your floors. The airborne dry particulates can also cause havic with your indoor air quality. Vacuuming is essential for a healthy home and long lasting floors.
That said, it can also be a bit irksome to your body. As you vacuum, you are twisting and extending in ways you don't normally move during the rest of your week. This can cause shoulder and back strain.
Here are my top tips for healthy and effective vacuuming
1. Vacuum with great posture. I bend my knees slightly, stand up tall- lifting my chest up with my neck slightly tucked. As I vacuum, I also tuck my behind a little and relax my shoulders.
2. Move with mindful ease. When I vacuum, I breath in as I push the vacuum away and breath out as I bring it back towards me. This keeps me present as to what I am doing. As I vacuum I also switch arms as I move back and fourth accross a room. I let my legs and core muscles do the work, not my arms and back.
3. Vacuum slowly. No only is vacuuming slowly easier on your body- it is much more effective over fast vacuuming. When we had our carpet cleaning company, I rememeber reading- One slow vacuum stroke is better than 5 fast. Slow vacuuming, also helps keep you from running into your walls and furnature.
4. Use your legs to lift. If you need to move furniture or unplug your cord, bend down with your legs and not with your back. Keep your posture healthy and your head up.
5. Get a good vacuum. Vacuuming is essential for a healthy home and long lasting floors. Do not try to use an old, heavy, cumbersome, ineffient vacuum. This is a good place to spend your money wisely. Get a vacuum that is easy and effective to use, has a good filtration system- like a HEPA filter. I like a cord over 30 feet. If you have a large home- get one with a large head. Trust me a 17 inch head will save you hours and hours of vacuuming time.
6. Use the right vacuum head for your different floors. If you have hard surfaces, use a vacuum that has a hard surface head. For carpet, use a vacuum with a beater bar.
7. Keep your vacuum in good working order. Make sure you keep your filters in good working condition and your beater bar clean. The belts on the beater bar will expand over time making your vacuum less effecient. Make sure your bag isn't too full- your vacuum will not be near as effective with a full bag.
During the time we had our carpet cleaning company I must have vacuumed miles and miles of carpet. I can safely say I have perfected the art of vacuuming- effectively and safely. Don't let this helpful task cause you discomfort. If you have any questions just give us a jingle.
Happy vacuuming! Denise
No comments:
Post a Comment