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How to clean the common areas of your house
In an ideal world, we’d spend more time preventing dust and debris build up in the main areas of our home. But, as Dyson’s first Global dust study reveals, one in three people clean only when they spot visible dust on their floors.
Yet with the right tools, accessories, and vacuum cleaner, it’s possible to keep your home looking spotless. To help you tick all the boxes during your next dedicated deep clean, here’s Dyson’s step-by-step guide to cleaning common, high-traffic areas of the household, such as the staircase, hallway and living room.
To cut down on cleaning time, here are our top three preparation tips:
- Gather your supplies and accessories before you begin.
- Work on one area of the house or room at a time.
- Clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces.
How to clean your staircase
What you'll need:
- Cordless vacuum cleaner
- Crevice tool
- Mini-motorised tool
- A damp, lukewarm cloth
Our top tip: When cleaning an area as fiddly as the staircase, opt for a cordless vacuum as a versatile alternative to the traditional corded, cylinder vacuum.
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Step-by-step guide:
- Begin at the top of the staircase with the Crevice tool, which can be attached to the vacuum in handheld mode for ease of use.
- Make your way around the edges of each step, especially the back where debris likes to gather. Any loosened debris that isn’t collected by the crevice tool will be removed at a later stage.
- When you reach the bottom, replace the Crevice tool with the Mini-motorised tool and continue in handheld mode.
- Return to the top of the staircase to clean the tread of the stairs, again making your way downwards. Cleaning from the top down means you'll pick up any fallen, airborne dust as you go.
- Finish up by running a damp, lukewarm cloth down the handrail or banister. Handrails can be a hotbed for germs, so you may want to repeat this step with some disinfectant.
How to clean your hallway
What you'll need:
- Cordless vacuum cleaner
- Combination tool
- Dusting brush
- Stubborn dirt brush
- A cloth and warm water
Our top tip: For ease of use and reach, opt for a lightweight, cordless vacuum cleaner when tending to ceilings and skirting boards.
Step-by-step guide:
- If you're vacuuming both the ceiling and the floor, start with the ceiling so that you capture any airborne dust that may land on the furniture or floor below.
- Attach the Combination tool to the base of the vacuum cleaner wand and use the wide nozzle to start. Slowly run the vacuum along the line where the ceiling meets the wall. Switch your vacuum to Boost mode to capture any cobwebs that typically harbour in the corners of those hard-to-reach places.
- Moving onto the walls – which are neglected by 50 per cent of UK people according to the Dyson dust study – remove dust with a damp cloth, cleaning wipes or the vacuum. If you’re opting for the latter, slide down the brush of the Combination tool to clean without damaging any paint, wallpaper or air conditioning units.
- To clean the skirting boards, attach the dusting brush accessory to the base of the vacuum cleaner wand and again, put the vacuum in Boost mode to quickly suck up all that settled dust. If there is still ingrained dirt or marks, use a cloth and warm water to gently remove them.
- At high-traffic areas in the home, specifically around the entry and exit points, take some extra time cleaning the floor.
- For hard floors, use a Soft roller cleaner head which has been engineered specifically for wooden or tiled surfaces. Work in patterns so you know where you’ve been, or use a vacuum cleaner with laser technology to reveal invisible particles.
- Following a thorough vacuum, use a clean mop with hot water and some disinfectant to kill any germs. It’s important you don’t mop until after vacuuming, to avoid creating a more favourable habitat for dust mites.
- For carpeted floors, use a High Torque cleaner head that intelligently adapts its suction to deep clean carpets. Again, work in patterns to avoid missing any spots.
- Lastly, revisit your hallway entry and exit points where dirt and mud may have been trodden into the floor. The Stubborn dirt brush, which can be attached to your vacuum in handheld mode, should be your go-to accessory for tackling dirt and dried mud. Use your vacuum in Boost mode to combine powerful suction with the stiff nylon brushes that help unearth debris.
How to clean your living room
What you'll need:
- Cordless vacuum cleaner
- Soft dusting brush
- Light pipe crevice tool
- Low reach adaptor
- Hair screw tool
- A dry rag
- A cloth and warm water
Our top tip: In households with two to three bedrooms or pets, opt for a vacuum cleaner with a large cleaner head and bigger bin to clean more quickly.
Step-by-step guide:
- Re-attach your Soft dusting brush accessory for the curtains or blinds where dust likes to gather. The soft nylon bristles will gently capture any dust mites without damaging the textiles. Continue with this accessory in Eco mode when cleaning your window sills and around framed art.
- Just like the curtains and blinds, lamps and light fittings are prone to dust collection and are neglected by 43 per cent of UK people, according to the Dyson dust study. If left for too long, the dust can burn on hot bulbs, producing VOCs and odour. Use the Soft dusting brush for the outer lampshade and opt for a dry rag to wipe down the light fittings on the inside. Avoid using water near sources of electricity.
- Cleaning around furniture can be tricky, especially if it’s too heavy to move. The Light pipe crevice tool is ideal for getting into narrow spaces and behind large furniture. Pull your cabinets, bookshelves, chairs and sofas out from the wall just enough to reach behind them. Attach the Light pipe crevice tool to the end of the vacuum cleaner wand and guide it over the skirting boards and the area where the floor meets the wall.
- For those nooks and crannies that are particularly difficult to navigate, such as radiators, the LED lights of the Light pipe crevice tool will help you to see where you’re cleaning and illuminate the dust yet to be captured.
- Cleaning under furniture is easy with a Low-reach adaptor, which bends to comfortably reach further under low furniture – meaning you don’t have to crouch down with it.
- When it comes to your living room upholstery or pet beds, the Hair screw tool is undoubtably your best option, particularly for households with pets. Its anti-tangle brush bar spirals long hair and pet hair up and into the bin. Attach the Hair screw tool to the vacuum in handheld mode and glide it slowly over sofas, chairs, pillows, and bedding.
- Finally, before you take your vacuum cleaning to the floors, tend to any cabinets and coffee tables using the Combination tool or a dry rag to remove excess dust, and then wipe down with a cloth and warm water to return their shine.