To think it's pointless to vacuum then dust?

[ChristmasStocckings]

So every time my partner does any cleaning around the house he does it in a strange order. He always vacuums and/or washes floors before he dusts furniture or wipes down kitchen benches. He swears this is the best way to do it.

AIBU to think this is completely pointless? That you should clean from top down because all of the dust, dirt, and crumbs are just going to end up on the floor?

Is he doing it on purpose so you take over that job from now on?

You are right! He's wrong. When I did my Brownie Homemaker badge in about 1978, we were taught to dust/wipe surfaces first, then vacuum/sweep so we get all the bit that have fallen on the floor.

Well the dust falls into the floor do you dust first. My husband does weird things like that but as long as he’s cleaning I bite my tongue.

I was taught to vacuum first then dust on the basis that vacuuming kicks up the dust that then settles on furniture etc which can then be cleaned up with a damp duster (to minimise it floating back around the room again)

Its a moot point in Chez Noodle as I tend to do.them on different days.

@PolPotNoodle

I was taught to vacuum first then dust on the basis that vacuuming kicks up the dust that then settles on furniture etc which can then be cleaned up with a damp duster (to minimise it floating back around the room again)

Its a moot point in Chez Noodle as I tend to do.them on different days.

My mum said this about the dust and so I still vacuum first.

He’s being a tit but if he wants to be ineffective it’s his call. Ignore him!

Yep, also taught to vacuum first. Tho in the kitchen I'd do surfaces first before floor.

I think he’s doing it wrong deliberately so you do it instead.
Just bite your tongue and do a quick dust when he’s not looking 😉

Ah I remember this from Home Economics. I always thought it made more sense to dust first, but we were taught to vacuum first for the reasons mentioned above.

He's still leaving the room with less dust in it than when he started. It's more effective the other way round, but that doesn't mean that what he is doing is having no effect.

Do you enjoy being micromanaged yourself? You may be heading for a 'Oh, do it your-bloody-self, then'...

I always vacuum first for the reasons stated above

Yep that's definitely the wrong way round. FWIW DSS does it on purpose, so perhaps your husband does too? DSS will hoover up in the kitchen (even though I ask him to mop that floor, it never gets done when it's his turn), and THEN he'll wipe down the worktops, so there's more crumbs on the floor than when he started.

It's so pointless, but in our case he's definitely doing it so I'll stop asking him to do it, because clearly it's so much of a struggle being asked to hoover/mop downstairs floors (the whole two rooms we possess) once a week.

It's a good point, is he damp dusting or dry dusting?

If damp dusting the order probably less relevant, if dry dusting then yes you dust the vacuum

Vacuum first as above.

In the kitchen though, surfaces first then floor. The surfaces aren't just dusty, they have crumbs etc.

Vacuum first except in the kitchen

I think in the kitchen I would do top down because there are actual bits that fall onto the floor but elsewhere vacuum first because of vacuuming throwing up the dust, which I learned from experience.

Actually tbh the other reason I vacuum first is that vacuuming is a harder job so I like to get it out of the way. In the kitchen the floor also gets steam cleaned which has to be done last to give it time to dry.

I would not however comment on anyone else’s order whether dh, my kids or the cleaner. Do what works for you.

Definitely vacuum first!

What kind of housework anarchists swipe surface crumbs onto the floor?

I was always taught (by my ex-RN father, who was far more domesticated than my DM) that you clean from the top down. That way, any dislodged crap ends up on the floor, which is done last.

Don't people just vaccum the dust as sweeping it anywhere will just move it into the air so that it settles down after cleaning, regardless if you dust before or after vaccuming?

He isn’t doing it on purpose so I will just do it! At least that’s not what i think he is doing...

I vacuum and then dust with a damp cloth as the vacuuming creates dust. I think he is therefore right. I sometimes vaccum the air too if I can see dust floating about in a sunny day

I was brought up with damp dust, hoover- then polish!
As not many people actually polish furniture as such anymore, I would wipe dirty surfaces first (worktops, tables, chairs etc, then hoover and damp dust where needed to finish off.
This is all hypothetical really as I rarely do either now

Depends on your hoover. Some do actually return quite a lot of dust. Older ones or very very cheap ones.
I can see his logic if he is used to it.

I vacuum first and then damp dust. I don't wipe stuff on to the floor though. He's right.