The question has long been debated with some saying hoovering stirs up dust while others argue that dusting knocks particles onto the floor13:28, 15 Jun 2026Updated 13:38, 15 Jun 2026Many people have their own methods when it comes to housework. These can often be traced back to growing up and seeing how your parents cleaned their family own home.‌This can lead to disputes over what is the correct way to tackle a job - and that is no exception when it comes to hoovering and dusting. While it might be thought it was a straightforward question it has long sparked discussion on which is the correct way round to tackle the essential job.‌On social media several threads on Facebook all looked at the topic and there seemed to be no single answer. Posting on Cleaning Tips and Tricks, one questioned: "Just wondering, do people polish before hoovering, as I find the Hoover makes more dust?"‌Answering, Stacey kicked off with "dust then hoover" and was backed by Rececca who said: "I dust first. I tend to shake off the dust off the cloth to the floor so then I vacuum after." Karen agreed added: "Dust then hoover as dusting creates more stuff to go on the floor to hoover."But while they had some support the majority took a different view. Joy said: "I always hoover and then polish and dust." Clare added: "Hoover then dust otherwise the hoover throws dust over your just cleaned surfaces."‌Georgia said: "Dry cloth dust first, then hoover, then polish." Others had alternatives. Eluned said: "Hoover one day dust the next when everything has settled." And Gloria said: "I've tried both ways & didn't find any different."However, Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie, star of Channel 4's Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners and who has regularly appeared on ITV's This Morning, has her view of which way round it should be - and why. She previously shared her tip on Instagram, explaining her reasoning, and given an extra tip on the best way to hoover.In a clip titled: "A few cleaning tips to make your life easier" she said there was an important and time-saving reason to do it one way round. She said: "Make sure you always dust or vacuum surface before vacuuming the floor. This will save you having to vacuum again."‌Then she went on: "Vacuum your carpets in cross directions. If you are only going in one direction you are not getting deep into the carpet fibres and picking everything up."Content cannot be displayed without consentAnd she was backed by carpet cleaning experts Hoover which set out on its website exactly how to get the best result. It said: "House dust is a combination of dead skin cells, pet dander, pollen and hairs. Dust is constantly generated as we ourselves constantly shed skin, as well as our pets. The same with hair.‌"Because it is constantly generated, it will continually appear in the home or office - at first the particles will be small and ‘invisible’ but as it accumulates it will group together turning into the dust we can see - ‘dust bunnies’. Most of the time, dust is present in the air and it can stay in circulation by being disturbed through movement - this is especially true in high traffic areas such as the living room."This is the reason that, despite your best efforts during a deep clean - it will return. Regular cleaning, however, can keep it at bay."It continued: "You should use a good duster before using a Hoover, to pick up the dust that the vacuum cleaner can’t reach. However, be sure to use a microfiber cloth to capture rather than a feather duster or a cotton cloth - the latter tends to release more back into the air than it captures."Article continues belowThe site recommended as an alternative a cordless vacuum cleaner or a dusting brush attachment which "traps the dust so that it can’t be released again". It added: "Any dust that then falls on the floor can be picked up by the vacuum cleaner’s main head."