Go out to your vehicle and grab your two vacuums: your Oreck carpet vacuum and your Sanitaire floor vacuum. Be sure you have your backup vacuums in the car, because anything can happen!

Carpet and rugs

Use your Oreck for this. Plug in the cord in a spot where you will be able to reach as much floor space as possible so you won’t have to unplug it as often. Go clockwise around the home, vacuuming rugs and carpeting as you come along them. Work your way backwards on carpet to not step on what’s already been vacuumed. If a rug carpet length is longer than 3 inches per strand (use your good judgement), just pick it up and make the dirt and crumbs fall to the floor below.

Make vacuum lines as you go. Push the vacuum straight an arm’s length from you and bring it back diagonally an arm’s length. This should put the next vacuum line right on the edge of the last. For the next row, pull back two arm’s lengths and continue from that new point. Try to make all the vacuum lines point the same direction if you can help it.

Hard floors

Use the Sanitaire floor vacuum. Put the furniture brush head in your apron for when you come across furniture.

Start at the front door again, making your way forward and generally clockwise, careful not to miss a part of the hard floor. Keep the vacuum in your hand or behind you, being careful to not bump into things. Be sure to be thorough especially on edges, corners, and under things where you can’t see. If there’s still debris after this, it will make mopping much harder.

Be sure to lift up/move small knickknacks on floor(small trash cans, stuffed animal, etc.) and rugs and vacuum under them.