13 extra ways to use your vacuum around the house – San Diego Union-Tribune

By Jolie Kerr

For The Washington Post

Deep-cleaning jobs, including and especially those we associate with spring cleaning, can evoke images of dragging out buckets and mops and sponges in preparation for a lot of scouring and scrubbing. And while many seasonal cleaning jobs do require a bucket full of suds, there are a great many tasks that can be done with a trusty stalwart of housekeeping: the vacuum cleaner.

A good vacuum can do so much more than just keeping your floors free of dirt, crumbs, hair and other detritus. Ahead, with the help of experts, we’ve rounded up 13 ways to use a vacuum for deep-cleaning jobs, from eliminating dust on window treatments to freshening up your bed.

Upholstered furniture

“How do you clean a couch?” sounds like the setup for a groaner of a joke, but it’s actually a good question — and one that has a very simple answer: You vacuum it!

Most vacuums come with an upholstery brush attachment, or one can be purchased separately, designed for use on soft surfaces. Work from the top of the furniture, vacuuming in straight overlapping lines to remove dust, hair, dander, pollen and other soils, leaving upholstered furniture looking and smelling fresher.

Mattresses

Just as with upholstered furniture, vacuuming will leave your mattress cleaner and fresher smelling by removing body soils that build up while you sleep. Use the upholstery attachment to vacuum the top and sides of the mattress; for bonus cleaning points, flip the mattress and vacuum the underside as well.

Pet beds

Your mattress isn’t the only one that deserves attention when spring cleaning season rolls around! Our furry friends make a furry mess of their beds, and the best way to keep all that hair and dander at bay is with regular vacuuming.

Don’t forget the area around and under the pet bed, too, where clumps of hair gather to form unsightly dust bunnies.

Window casings and treatments

If the blinds in your living room are wearing a layer of dust like it’s a winter sweater, you are not alone.

“When it comes to cleaning, curtains and blinds are neglected,” says Luke Stitson, a lead research engineer at Dyson. He recommends using a soft dusting brush attachment to vacuum curtains, blinds and other window treatments where dust likes to gather.

While you have the vacuum out, go ahead and use it on the window casings as well, where dirt and dust can build up out of your line of sight.

Baseboards, ceilings and walls

Baseboards, ceilings and walls are another oft-neglected area of the home, according to Stitson.

“Ceiling textures can harbor dust and cobwebs, and vacuuming is often the easiest way to clean them,” he says. “Dust on certain wall types can contribute towards the growth of mold.”

When vacuuming both the ceiling and the walls, he recommends starting with the ceiling followed by the walls, “so that you capture any airborne dust that may land on the walls or on furniture or the floor below. Cleaning from the top down ensures that you pick up any fallen airborne dust as you go.”

Finish the task by using the dusting brush attachment to go over baseboards. “Baseboards can feel like an arduous deep-cleaning task that involves a lot of crouching and scrubbing, but it doesn’t have to be,” Stitson says.

Small gaps

“Dust and dirt can gather in small nooks and crannies, such as between kitchen appliances and cabinets,” Stitson says. Use a crevice tool to clean gaps, corners and other hard-to-reach places.

Some other gaps to look out for include the areas around electrical outlets, recessed lighting fixtures, pipes and chimneys.

Vents, air purifiers and fans

Ensuring vents, air purifiers and fans are clean and free of dust is crucial to keeping them in good working order — and for maintaining healthy air quality levels in your home.

“Dust builds up inside air vents and air purifiers, reducing efficiency. Use your vacuum to suck up dust from vent covers and around air purifier filters,” says Kubra Gegin, a marketing manager for Sharper Image. A vacuum fitted with a small brush tool can be used to clean fan blades as well.

Lamps and lamp shades

Stitson says that most of us are not cleaning our lamps and their fabric shades, and it contributes to poor air quality in the home.

“Dust can gather in lampshades and light fittings,” Stitson says, “which can then burn on hot bulbs, producing VOCs and odor.”

He says to use the dusting brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner, adding an extendable adapter if needed, to reach high lamp shades or light fixtures.

Bookshelves

This should come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with bookstores and their reputation as dusty old spaces: “Bookshelves accumulate dust quickly, and vacuuming prevents dust buildup,” Gegin says.

She says to gently vacuum the tops of books and along spines to prevent musty smells and to eliminate dust buildup.

The shelves themselves should also be dusted regularly, and a vacuum fitted with a soft dusting attachment can make short work of the job.

Closet shelves and dresser drawers

If your seasonal cleaning to-do list includes rotating your summer and winter wardrobes, bring your vacuum along for the job — your closets and dressers are dirtier and dustier than you think! In addition to vacuuming closet floors and open shelving, “Use the vacuum inside dresser drawers and closets to remove dust and lint that settles over time,” Gegin says.

It’s not just the shelves and drawers that gather dust in a closet; infrequently worn clothing and accessories also gather dust while not in use.

“Over time, shoes collect dust, dirt and lint inside,” Gegin points out. “Use the vacuum to freshen them up, especially for boots and sneakers.”

Cabinets and pantries

Like closets, dust will accumulate in and on kitchen cabinets, drawers and pantries over time. Experts recommend dusting these surfaces before applying liquid cleaning agents to avoid tiny scratches caused by dirt and grit, which can leave finishes looking dull.