In what feels like less of a trend and more like the correct way to do something, people on social media have discovered “slow vacuuming”. Instead of doing a quick once over, they are taking their time over any and all carpeted areas – it’s just vacuuming, but slowly.
Proponents of slow vacuuming claim it removes dirt more effectively, thereby keeping carpets cleaner for longer and airborne allergens at bay.
The main draw is how these videos end: with a dusty-bunny money shot of appliance dust compartments filled to the brim. While slow vacuuming videos have been posted on social media since 2021, the method has had a resurgence: one TikTok video from March has been viewed more than 13m times, the same month that global Google search results for “slow vacuum” reached their peak.
Content creator Amy Coulston shares cleaning and budgeting tips with her 94k TikTok followers, and thought the technique could help her vacuum less. Since purchasing her own home and having dogs, one a border collie, she has been “very focused” on maintaining a clean house. With the slow method, Coulston has noticed her carpet feels lighter and smells better. She now slow vacuums her bedroom and living room rug once a week.
While slow vacuuming might invoke other slow, mindful or even boring approaches to everyday life, this is not the case for Coulston. “My dogs are terrified of the vacuum … and they attack it,” she says.
How slow does Coulston go? She spends about 20 to 30 seconds on each small section, which has overall doubled her total vacuum time.
Adrian Lini, small appliance expert at Australian consumer advocacy group Choice, says: “Most people could probably slow down their vacuuming.” In order to pick up and dislodge dirt, vacuum cleaners need to be used at a gentler pace, he says.
Sean Stanley, operations manager at Butler Carpet Cleaning in Sydney, agrees. By taking your time, the head on the vacuum cleaner can properly agitate the fibres in the carpet, loosening dry particles so they can be sucked up. “It’s pretty straightforward really,” he says.
But Lini cautions that slow vacuuming too often can lead to damaged carpets. People online are showing a “crazy amount” of dust they’ve picked up, says Lini – but there is a good chance that most of that is fibres from the carpet itself. Vacuums are designed to agitate the carpets, so if slow vacuuming is done too often, the carpet could fray and break down quicker. “The carpet isn’t like this indestructible thing,” says Lini.
To make the most of the time on the floor, Stanley and Lini have some general vacuuming tips. They recommend vacuuming both against and with the direction of the carpet pile. This moves the fibres around so dirt doesn’t just get pushed around on top or become further embedded. Stanley also says it’s important to keep your vacuum clean, particularly the filter, for maximum suction.
Lini says the best thing people can do to keep their carpeted areas clean is to keep the dirt out in the first place – including taking off shoes inside the home. “No matter how good the vacuum is, it can really only get so far,” says Lini.