Here’s What You Should Do Last When Cleaning

Everyone has their own cleaning routine. Whether you tackle dusting first or cleaning your toilet, you’ve probably got preferences. But is there a correct order to clean?

If you want to keep your home clean longer or increase your cleaning efficiency, then your best bet is to make vacuuming the last step in your cleaning routine.

During the cleaning process, it’s normal for extra dirt and dust to fall onto the floor. Think about all those bits that float around when dusting! If you vacuum first, you’ll either end up needing to vacuum all over again—wasting both time and energy—or the debris will be left there making your house less clean than you’d wanted it to be.

Vacuuming, sweeping, or mopping last ensures everything is actually spotless. No matter what fell to the floor—dust, bits of food, or debris—if you make cleaning them your last step, it won’t matter how haphazardly you cleaned everything else. Doing so will help your efforts last longer between cleans since you’ve captured every bit of dirt and dust.

If you’ve already got a cleaning routine down but vacuuming, mopping, and sweeping aren’t the last items on your to-do list, it might be time to rethink your cleaning schedule. Ultimately, you’ll be left with a cleaner home.