Order of Things

Updated on October 22, 2010
T.N. asks from Saratoga Springs, NY
23 answers

Say you were cleaning the family room (hahaha, hypothetically, of course)...

Do you dust first then vacuum, or
Vacuum first then dust.

And is it a random decision or is there a Method to your Madness?

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K.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

I start at the top and work my way down. That way, any dust or crumbs that fall onto the floor when I'm dusting get sucked up by the vacuum when I get to the floors. The last thing I do is mop the floors and work my way out of the room while doing it.

4 moms found this helpful
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N.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Dust then vacuum.

The dust falls to the floor and I like the way my carpet looks right after I vacuum so I try not to walk over it so I can enjoy it for a few minutes at least!

4 moms found this helpful

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I just start from the top of the room and work down. Since everything is going to settle to the floor, sooner or later, I figure that more will get clean that way. So I guess I dust first.

Of course, this is EXTREMELY hypothetical! :^)

4 moms found this helpful

D.M.

answers from Dallas on

If I am doing it all I clean up and straighten up first, then dust, then vacuum, sweep, and mop. However the normal routine is straighten up and put things away and sweep. I feel really useful when I get that far.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.L.

answers from Seattle on

We vacuum much more often than we dust so they aren't usually done the same day, let alone the same time.

Previously, I would clean from the top down of any room. So, windows, counters, floors, etc.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.!.

answers from Columbus on

My husband and I disagree on this one. I dust then vacuum b/c I am wiping the dust onto the floor. He says he vacuums first b/c you stir up the dust whil vacuuming and that is why it is better to dust after vacuuming.

To solve our disagreement one week I do it "my way" upstairs and he cleans the downstairs "his way". Then the next week we exchange and he does the upstairs and I do the downstairs.

:)

3 moms found this helpful
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R.B.

answers from Atlanta on

I dust then Vaccum, because when you dust sometimes it fall to the floor, like when i dust the fans. then i vaccum it all up. To me it feels cleaner

2 moms found this helpful

L.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I only read the last response from Denise P, but I was thinking the same thing. That vacuuming stirs up dust, so I do it first, and wait a little for the dust to settle before actually dusting.

2 moms found this helpful

T.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Definately a method to the madness. It's dust then vacuum. If you dust first then all the dust you loosed has time to settle down onto the carpet, then you vacuum up that dust when you vacuum.

2 moms found this helpful

R.B.

answers from Dallas on

Dust then vacuum.
If any dust falls while dusting I guess I technically think I would then vacuum it up.
R.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Redding on

I used to make a lot of money cleaning houses.
The rule of thumb is to start cleaning everything from the top and work your way down.
Sometimes if I have to tidy in a flash, I will vacuum first and then dust only because sometimes particles from vacuuming will land on my darker furniture and when the sun streams in just the right way you can really see it.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I've always heard that the vacuum stirs up dust so to dust last.

2 moms found this helpful

C.A.

answers from New York on

I dust first then vacuum cause the dust falls to the floor. I think of it as top to bottom. Its kind of like washing your car. You wouldn't do the bottom and then wash the roof. Cause when you rinse the dirt and grime goes down the bottom that you just washed. Or when you take a shower you would wash your hair first. You wouldn't want the dirt from your hair going onto your clean body.
I used to work for a cleaning company and they always had us dust first and then vacuum. When I do my spring cleaning I start at the ceiling and work my way down. You wouldn't want to dust the tables and then clean the ceiling fan. I have cats and when I do the kitchen floor I will use the broom first then I vacuum to get any loose and flying hairs and then I will mop. The cat hair drives me crazy and its gross when you mop and there is a clump of cat hair on the mop. Yuck!!! So good luck to you in your cleaning process.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

I vacuum first, then dust. The vacuum stirs up a lot of dust in the air, so I don't want to have to dust twice.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.K.

answers from Boston on

I dust then vacuum.

1 mom found this helpful

D.M.

answers from Denver on

Dust first. Then vaccum up whatever I broke when I knocked it onto the floor.

1 mom found this helpful

T.M.

answers from Modesto on

always vacuum first because it stirs up dust. Wait for the rooms to settle 30 minutes and then dust. I have no rhyme or reason but generally start off in the livingroom and work my way back to all the other rooms. If the cord get's too short I sometimes SKIP whatever the last spot was gonna be ;)

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

I dust first. Then vacuum the edges around the room then the room itself.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.T.

answers from Atlanta on

I have a cleaning business and we typically dust then vacuum. Some people like to "dry dust" their furniture and that's when you see all the dust fall right back on the furniture. If you have a lot of wood furniture and pet hair, and vacuum after you dust sometimes the dust flies back onto the wood and it doesn't look liked you've dusted at all. If you use a furniture polish (like Pledge) you should be fine with dusting then vacuuming.

Purchase a good Microfiber cloth to grab most of the dust before it hits the floor.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

dust first - then vaccuum - then sweep. we have hardwood floors throughout with large area rugs.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.F.

answers from San Francisco on

I've heard you should vacuum then dust because the vacuum stirs up dust. By the time I DO dust it's pretty thick and clumpy if you know what I mean ;-). So I dust then vacuum.......

1 mom found this helpful
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V.M.

answers from Erie on

Personally as long as it gets done one way or the other, it doesn't matter to me. Its the act of doing it, or should i say attempt to do it, since I would rather be playing than cleaning any day.

1 mom found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I dust first as well... it usually ends up on the floor. After I sweep/vacuum, I can do a quick once over with a wipe to any surfaces.

1 mom found this helpful
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