Author Topic: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet  (Read 15291 times)

yorkville

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Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« on: January 16, 2015, 11:28:59 PM »
I live in an apt with wood floor. Is a vacuum cleaner necessary in this case? I have been using swifer to clean around the house, seem to be adequate.

sol

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2015, 11:42:56 PM »
Only if you decide to put down area rugs and then put furniture on top of them so that they're too inconvenient to pick up, carry outside, and shake out.

Get two brooms and a mop.  You'll be fine.

Primm

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2015, 12:58:51 AM »
I have a broom, a microfibre floor sweeper thingy and a mop. No need for a vacuum cleaner. Polished wooden floors here, no rugs.

yorkville

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2015, 01:42:16 AM »
I guess one less item in my ongoing effort to simplify my life.

chouchouu

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2015, 02:20:25 AM »
I do find it keeps cleaner for longer.

Nudelkopf

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2015, 02:58:07 AM »
I live in a drought. Stuff gets dusty quickly.. A vacuum cleaner is very much loved here. I'd say yes.

Lily

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2015, 07:19:36 AM »
If you think it seems to be adequate, then I think that's your answer.

I lived for a while in an apartment with wood floors, flat-woven carpets, and a cat, with no vacuum cleaner. It was fine for me- I shook the rug outside, swept the floors once a week, and swiffered as needed during the week (using squares of polar fleece fabric instead of disposable swiffer pads). I only bought a vacuum cleaner when my cat-allergic boyfriend moved in.

Rural

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2015, 07:14:25 PM »
I'd say yes if you have any upholstered furniture, but maybe not a full size one.

tardis

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2015, 10:27:46 PM »
You could just live in the place for a bit, and if you find yourself needing one buy it then.  I can't see needing one, but if you do, you can always do it later.

blainem13

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2015, 11:36:07 AM »
I would say a good quality (not disposable) stick vac would be best.  Broom clean isn't actually very clean, and swiffer cloths are expensive.  However, we're extremely clean and live in a very dirty city (NYC). 

Cassie

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2015, 12:08:25 PM »
I ended up getting one only after inheriting my son's very large shedding dog. Before that broom & mop were fine.

Armer Student

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2015, 12:57:06 PM »
Although it's not mustachian (as in 'muscle over motor') I'd get a Vileda ViRobi for swiffering™ wood/laminate/vinyl floors. It works for most people and saves time/energy/space.

mydogismyheart

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2015, 04:19:13 PM »
I have hw downstairs and carpet up.  I still use my vacuum downstairs because I feel like it really sucks out the dust bunnies from tight corners and under furniture really easily.  But if a broom and mop works for you then definitely go for it!

Primm

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2015, 05:50:00 PM »
I have hw downstairs and carpet up.  I still use my vacuum downstairs because I feel like it really sucks out the dust bunnies from tight corners and under furniture really easily.  But if a broom and mop works for you then definitely go for it!

See, I'm of the opposite view. Before I sold my vacuum cleaner I used to vacuum the hard floors and then mop. The mop would be filthy. Now that I sweep and mop with the ones pictured below, I get less dirt on my mop, so the floor is obviously less dusty and dirty after being swept than after being vacuumed.




iwasjustwondering

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2015, 06:49:29 PM »
I have all tile and hardwood, with no area rugs.  I still use my vacuum cleaner (which my mom bought for me something like 15 years ago) to get the dog hair off the living room couch and chairs.  The family room couches have machine-washable slipcovered, so I just throw those in the washing machine.

I do think that sweeping the floors gets them cleaner than vacuuming used to.  It's more of a pain to get into the corners with a broom, though.

DecD

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2015, 08:18:48 PM »
When my older son was little, his preschool teacher admonished me for not telling her that he was afraid of the vacuum.  I remember thinking "I didn't know he was scared of the vacuum.  He's never seen a vacuum."  We only had hardwood floors in the house. :)

We got by fine without a vacuum with no carpet!

MoneyCat

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2015, 08:35:27 PM »
We don't have carpeting and we use a vacuum cleaner that we bought for an old apartment before we bought a house.  Honestly, it is worthwhile because it saves us a lot of time when we are cleaning, which is why vacuum cleaners were invented in the first place.  Technology can be useful sometimes.

MrsPete

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #17 on: January 18, 2015, 08:37:52 PM »
I despise vaccuming, but I don't think I'd like to do without one -- even if I did have all wooden floors.

I use mine to vaccum the ceiling fan blades about every other month.
I use mine to vaccum out the nasty stuff that accumulates between the glass panes in my windows. 
I use mine to vaccum our rugs -- not throw rugs, but 5x8 type rugs -- too big for me to easily take out to beat, which wouldn't clean them anyway. 

stripey

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2015, 10:47:07 PM »
I haven't had one for the last five years (hardwood floors). Will proabably get a little hand-held thing at some point for doing the car and occasionally vaccuming the upholstery, but at the moment I just borrow the neighbours for the couple of times a year I find the need for one. No biggie.

Having said that, if I got one I suspect I'd be using it all the time.

Cassie

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2015, 03:23:20 PM »
I got the roomba version that is made for pet hair & it works great while I do nothing.

sunshine

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #20 on: January 19, 2015, 04:44:51 PM »
We have all hardwood and ceramic tile. I use a shop vac with attachments for the door mats. I use a broom and a steam cleaner.

TrMama

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #21 on: January 19, 2015, 04:57:41 PM »
If you are a grown up who can manage to eat without getting 5lbs of crumbs all over the floor AND can manage to sweep without walking through the pile of crumbs before you get it off the floor into the dustbin, then yes, you can get rid of your vacuum.

However, if you have small people in the home who randomly zoom from room to room like a crumb tornadoes, then you may appreciate the vacuum.

If you live in my house, you will have to listen to me rail about how no one who lives here was raised in a barn and there should not be crumbs in every. single. room. You will get to listen to this tirade while I run the vacuum.

If you really want to simplify, you can get rid of your mop and wash the floor on your hands and knees with a rag.

iwasjustwondering

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Re: Is vacuum cleaner necessary in a house without carpet
« Reply #22 on: January 19, 2015, 05:14:00 PM »
If you are a grown up who can manage to eat without getting 5lbs of crumbs all over the floor AND can manage to sweep without walking through the pile of crumbs before you get it off the floor into the dustbin, then yes, you can get rid of your vacuum.

However, if you have small people in the home who randomly zoom from room to room like a crumb tornadoes, then you may appreciate the vacuum.

If you live in my house, you will have to listen to me rail about how no one who lives here was raised in a barn and there should not be crumbs in every. single. room. You will get to listen to this tirade while I run the vacuum.

If you really want to simplify, you can get rid of your mop and wash the floor on your hands and knees with a rag.

I didn't want to go there for fear of sounding psycho, but I was always taught that mops were for lazy people.  I do 80% of the mopping with an actual mop, but when the floor really needs to be clean, it has to be done by hand. 

 

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