I’m a floorcare expert but secretly hate cleaning – this is the vacuum hack that’s sliced my cleaning time in half

I may be Ideal Home’s expert for all things cleaning and floorcare, but in reality, I try to spend as little time as possible cleaning my home. And do you want to know the secret to my success (and oodles of free time)? Having two vacuums!

Yes, no home would be complete without one of the best vacuum cleaners. This appliance is key to a clean home, offering you the chance to remove dust, debris, and even pet hair from your hard flooring and carpets - and it’s highly likely that you’ve already found one that suits your home perfectly. But if you’ve not considered adding a second to your roster yet, I’d highly recommend that you do.

I now use two different vacuums as part of my cleaning routine, and it’s halved my cleaning time. And while I appreciate that vacuum cleaners aren’t the cheapest appliances in the world, buying a second one has made me richer than ever by allowing me to spend less time cleaning and more time on what I actually want to do. So, allow me to convince you that two vacuums are always better than one…

Why you need a second vacuum cleaner

I’m a huge fan of having two of every cleaning tool. I’ve already convinced the Ideal Home team to buy a second mop, and I always think that two is the magic number when it comes to our homes. After all, most houses in the UK have two floors.

But I don’t expect you to spend your hard-earned money on another vacuum cleaner just like the one you already have. For this second vacuum, I’ve found that having something completely different works wonders. For example, you pair a corded vacuum cleaner with one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners - perhaps even keeping the corded downstairs, while using the cordless on and up the stairs.

This is echoed by Tom Akers, Miele GB’s Product Trainer, who says, ‘Many households will benefit from having two vacuums. A cordless model is ideal for quick, everyday pick-ups, while a corded cleaner offers deeper, more powerful cleaning when you need it. Using both means you spend less time switching settings, cover more ground quickly and enjoy a consistently cleaner home with far less effort.’

Alternatively, you could pair your full-size vacuum with one of the best robot vacuums or even just a handheld vacuum for smaller cleaning jobs. And if you have pets or kids, the best vacuum mops can work wonders. Personally, I use my robot vacuum daily, letting it clean my floors while I take the dog for a walk, so I don’t need to be involved at all.

Most of the time, I now only have to use my actual vacuum cleaner for more targeted cleaning. And as vacuuming used to take up most of my cleaning time, it’s amazing to see how much I’ve freed up by having a second model to take the pressure off. I’m not the only one who thinks so, either.

Katie Lillywhite, floorcare expert at AO.com, says, ‘Easily the biggest benefit is convenience, and it makes it far easier to deal with day-to-day mess. This will stop you from having to haul your main vacuum upstairs and allows you to do cleaning, little and often, to effectively stop dirt from building in the first place.’

The beauty of opting for two very different vacuum cleaners is that they’re also easier to store. In fact, you probably already own the biggest vacuum you’ll have, so your second vacuum should be easier to slot into your home without taking up too much space. Many cordless vacuums - such as the best Shark vacuums - fold down for easy storage, and you could even build or buy yourself a robot garage to tuck a robot vacuum out of sight.

You could even go one step further and opt for three different vacuums - like our Deputy Editor for Print, Ginevra, has done. She has one of the best Henry vacuums, a robot and a handheld, and she wouldn’t be without any of them. She told me, ‘In my defence, my house is spread over three floors!’

She adds, ‘All in all, I hate vacuuming, so I want to do it as little as possible. I use the handheld every day for quick clean-ups (little and often), and for anything else, I use the Henry as that speeds through big cleaning jobs far quicker than my handheld Shark would. As for my living room, I don't ever have to think of cleaning it as my robot vac takes care of that!’

With this in mind, I’m officially creating a new rule: you should have the same number of vacuums as you do floors in your house! Then, you’ll be a happy bunny with more free time than you know what to do with.

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So, will you be adding another vacuum to your cleaning roster?