Started spring cleaning yet? Here’s how you can keep your home dust-free, germ-free and stain-free with Dyson V11 Fluffy cordless vacuum.
In many Asian homes, families are accustomed to spending time on the floor — whether it’s children playing, sitting to watch television, taking a nap, or even having meals together, tatami style, on a low table. While achieving a “barefoot clean” situation is essential, it’s time to rethink your daily cleaning routine to keep you and your loved ones safe, especially during vulnerable times like these.
With the help of Dyson experts, we break down the different cleaning methods and habits to understand what really works best when it comes to cleaning the different surfaces and areas of the home — and it’s more than that you think. Here are five things (and places) you should be cleaning properly before Chinese New Year, with the help of the Dyson V11 vacuum.
1. Hard floors
Are you the kind who go straight into mopping floors, thinking that wet cleaning is the best way to cleaner floors? Stop. Right. There.
When dust didn’t removed fully prior to wet cleaning, you basically end up with a dirtier surface because dust is smeared across hard floors during the mopping process. Whether it is marble, tiles or hardwood, a simple act of vacuuming not only helps to rid dirt, debris and stray hairs but also invisible dust that cannot be seen with the human eye. Then, proceed with using disinfectant to clean.
“You are not trying to remove germs but rather you are trying to kill them. The combination of mopping to kill germs and suction to remove fine just are two very different jobs. They need to work in unison to achieve that ‘barefoot clean’ feel. You really must ensure you are vacuuming properly, with the most effective technology to try to remove all of the dust before reaching for the mop,” explains Sharon Yap, Head of Technology Development at Dyson.
She also recommends that you vacuum your floors at least once a week — especially in high traffic areas of the home like the kitchen, living area and bedrooms — to prevent dirt from grinding in. Dampening dust on floors — even fine dust unseen to the naked eye — could mean that you’re creating a habitat more favourable to dust mite and mould proliferation.
2. RUGS and Carpets
Despite the popularity of carpets and rugs in homes around the world, few people are confident on how to clean and maintain them. On top of regular cleaning to prevent visible build-up of dust and dirt, understanding how to manage embedded fine dust and remove stains can be a challenge.
“Carpets can hide dust and dirt between their fibres, as well as harbour microscopic life — such as dust mites, moulds and allergens — all of which can impact your wellbeing. Do it’s important not to wait until your carpet looks visibly dirty before vacuuming,” says James McCrea, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Dyson.
Of course, the vacuum cleaner is the first port of call when it comes to cleaning carpets while maintaining the appearance. James suggests that you start by vacuuming slowly as it gives the airflow and brush bar more time to “agitate” the dust and dirt between the carpet fibres and remove them entirely. It also means you’re more likely to capture invisible allergens hidden deep in the carpet pile.
If you’re using the Dyson V11 vacuum, it also senses the surfaces that you’re vacuuming and adjusts the suction accordingly. Using the right accessories will also help you remove the dust effectively — both visible and invisible dust respectively. Start with the crevice tool to clean hard to reach places around the edge of the carpet. Then change to the mini-motorised tool to remove dust buried in thick pile rugs.
“Go over the same spot — but not too often. More passes over an area will give the machine the best chance of cleaning carpet well, but any more than two or three times gives minimal suction, according to our research in the laboratory,” he continues. So cleaning carpets regularly once in every few days should suffice, if you’re using the right vacuum cleaner and tools.
3. Sofas and couches
With all the bingeing on Netflix, your time spent on the sofa has increased significantly during the pandemic. But how often do you clean your couch?
Whether it’s fabric or leather, the areas around and under sofa cushions can harbour dust and potentially millions of dust mites and their faeces. This can trigger allergies or any health hazards. So with the Lunar New Year coming, it’s a good reason to start vacuuming and thoroughly cleaning your sofa — then you can chill with peace of mind.
According to James, mini-motorised tools are ideal for cleaning soft furnishings and it is a good idea to run through the vacuum a few times to ensure that every corner of the couch is free of dust. (writer’s note: you’d be surprised with what’s in and on your couch).
At the very least, you’ve done your part to keep you and your loved ones safe — especially for those visiting this Chinese New Year.
4. Curtain Creases
It is hard to notice the dust and dirt that accumulate between the curtain creases, but if you look close enough, you’ll find it absolutely terrifying. Once these are disturbed, they can become airborne and easily inhaled — causing all sorts of triggers to your health and well-being. Use soft brush tools or combination tools to gently remove dust from curtain creases without moving them too much. You may also use a connector to ensure sufficient length for better reach if you do not have a ladder at home.
“While it may seem like an effort to change tools mid-vacuum, using the right accessories can help you remove dust effectively,” James ensures.
5. Mattresses
When spring cleaning for Chinese New Year, how many of us actually prioritise our mattresses? While it might look clean, the mattress could be a hot bed of microscopic life, impacting your wellbeing while you sleep. Dust mites, bacteria, viruses, pollen and other allergens make up the complex metric that is household dust, which also exists in your mattress.
“Wherever you spend the most time and shed the most skin, that’s where you’re most likely to find dust mites,” says Gem McLuckie, Lead Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson. “And we spend 1/3 of our lives in our beds. In fact, most of us are probably sleeping in a bed full of dust mite faeces at some point in life.”
So if you relax with breakfast in bed in the mornings, or cost up with a pet at night, you might consider cleaning your mattress even more regularly. The frequency with which you clean your mattress, according to Gem, depends on the mattress itself and how susceptible you are to dust mite allergens. While it is good to spray anti-bacterial solutions and wash sheets and blankets regularly, it is always a good idea to vacuum your mattress a few times a year to keep dust and allergens at bay.
Use a vacuum with a high-power or Boost mode to deliver the suction you need to remove as many mites, skin flakes and allergens as possible. For Dyson V11 users, the mini-motorised tool in handheld mode is ideal as it won’t damage the surface of your mattress but still has stiff nylon bristles to ‘agitate’ the fibres in your mattress and loosen dust mites and other debris. Once you’ve deep cleaned the surface of your mattress, switch to the crevice tool to remove hidden dust around the edges of the mattress. Then flip your mattress over and vacuum the other side too to keep concentrations of invisible allergens low.
You may also want to clean any visible stains — bleach-based products for oxidisable stains caused by tea, coffee or red wine; and biological laundry detergent for enzymatic stains like blood, urine and sweat. Be sure to dry it out fully before remaking the bed, or consider a mattress protector to absorb excess sweat and dust flakes from being absorbed by the mattress.
When all these are done, you can give yourself a pat on the back for giving your home the spring clean it deserves — and if you’re spending most of your time at home right now, why not invest some time in making sure all is spick and span!
To find out more about the Dyson V11, click on the official website here.
