Is It Rude To Vacuum At Night?

To find out what people think about late-night vacuuming sessions, we surveyed 105 people for their opinions.

Our survey revealed that approximately 25 % of people find it rude to vacuum after 9 pm. About 15% of those surveyed said it was fine to them if someone vacuumed up to 10 pm. Only a small number of people felt it was okay to do so after that time.

It certainly depends on the circumstances and where you are located. It may be an emergency to clean up a spill. For routine household chores, you certainly don’t want to bother someone else in the home.

If you live in an apartment, think about how the noise could affect those that live around you.

There are times when work schedules and such make it necessary to vacuum at night. Evaluating your options, surroundings, and how others will react can influence your decision.

You can also consider quiet, cordless vacuums or robotic vacuums that do the work without the noise.

You don’t want to make anyone made in your home or enemies of those you live by because they think it is rude for you to vacuum at night!

The Survey

We polled 105 people in the United States to find out what they think about vacuuming late at night. The survey panel was mostly made up of people in their twenties and thirties, with a heavy weighting in the 25-35 age bracket.

According to our poll, about a quarter of people think vacuuming after 9 p.m. is impolite. They thought it was a good time to honor those who live in your neighborhood and your house. Around 15% of those polled said they didn’t mind if anyone vacuumed before 10 p.m. Only a few people thought it was acceptable to do so after that time.

Is it Rude to Vacuum on Sundays?

Many people only have the weekend off, and they have to get the cleaning and the shopping done. Some feel Sunday is for rest and worship and to spend with family. They find it rude to vacuum at any time on a Sunday.

To find out the percentage of people who are bothered by vacuum cleaner noise on Sundays, we asked 105 people whether it is okay for them to vacuum on a Sunday.

Only about 10% of those surveyed feel it isn’t acceptable to vacuum on a Sunday.

If such an individual lives in your home or around you, do what you can to be respectful so they don’t think you are rude!

If someone you live with tells you they aren’t comfortable with you vacuuming on Sundays, respect them and don’t do it. Choose your battles wisely, and this isn’t worth arguing over.

Some flexibility on your part, even if you don’t agree with them viewing it as rude, can go a long way to keep harmony in the home you share with them. They may be a relative of old-fashioned ways. It may be a roommate you have a year-long lease with!

Be aware of those around you, if they can hear you vacuum. It may offend them if you do it on a Sunday. Even if you do it Sunday afternoon, they don’t agree with it.

If they take the time to share this with you, thank them for being open about it. Do all you can to no longer vacuum on Sundays unless it is an emergency. It can help you forge a decent relationship with those you live around.

You don’t have to become friends and hang out, but you don’t want it to be uncomfortable when you see each other either. Never laugh if someone tells you they find it rude you vacuum on Sundays.

Instead, let them know you didn’t realize it was an issue and you will make some changes to your routine. Show them respect even if you don’t agree with their take on the subject!

Emergency Cleaning

There are times when vacuuming has to be done, no matter what time of day or night it is. If you have children or pets, the chances of this occurring now and then increase.

There is no other option to clean up the mess than to get the vacuum out. Otherwise, it is going to be worse and tracked through the place.

Clean it up without a second thought but do apologize later if necessary.

What to Say:

“Sorry I woke you up with the vacuum, the cat knocked over a plant and the mess was all over!”

“I apologize if you could hear us vacuuming late last night. We had an emergency that couldn’t wait until morning.”

“This cleanup won’t take long, I am sorry to interrupt your program. I wouldn’t do it now if it wasn’t necessary.”

“It won’t take me long to clean this up, but absolutely necessary to turn the vacuum on to do a good job.”

“Thankful the vacuum could tackle that job, but feel bad due to the time it took place. We will do all we can to reduce the chances of it happening again.”

Fits into your Schedule

Life is busy, and vacuuming needs to be done regularly. If you have children or pets in the home, you may need to vacuum daily!

Find a time that fits into your schedule without interrupting anyone else. Try to create a routine so household members know it will take place.

What to Say:

“I will be cleaning on Saturday nights so anyone sleeping should wear earplugs or risk getting woken up by the vacuum cleaner.”

“I don’t want to vacuum too late as a courtesy so I am going to get it done after work and before dinner. It won’t take long and it will be completed before anyone tries to sleep.”

“Will it bother you if I vacuum in the evenings? Between classes and my job, I just can’t find another time to complete the task.”

“The evening is the only time I can get the vacuuming and other chores done. Can we make that work?”

“I know you are into that program but I need to vacuum. Do you mind if I do it and you can pause your show for just a bit?”

Be Mindful of the Time

Can you arrange your schedule so vacuuming at night isn’t going to be a habit?

Perhaps you can get other chores done at night and move that one to an earlier slot. If not, find a way to make it happen.

What to Say:

“I need to vacuum quickly; it won’t take too long at all. Do you mind?”

“Can you help keep things picked up during the day so there isn’t a need to vacuum at night?”

“Wow, I better get the vacuuming done before we relax for the evening. Then it won’t be bothering anyone due to the time.”

“If you fold the laundry I can vacuum at the same time. It will save time and help us get it done earlier.”

“If we are going to vacuum today, we need to get to it. Otherwise, it will need to wait until tomorrow because of the time.”

Be Aware of those in your Home

It isn’t uncommon for those in a home to be on different schedules. If you work during the day and your spouse works nights, a time to vacuum has to be hashed out.

If you have children, getting it done before they go to sleep will help keep it peaceful through the night.

If you have a roommate, find out what time they work or have class so they aren’t sleeping when you try to get this chore done.

What to Say:

“Let’s find a time that works well for us to vacuum so we aren’t bothering each other or those living next to us.”

“Since you sleep during the day do you mind vacuuming before you go to sleep? I can’t do it while you are in bed and I have to be out the door early. This will help keep the place clean and avoid problems with me vacuuming at night.”

“Late night vacuuming isn’t bothering you, is it? That is the only time I can really fit it in.”

“With our schedules, what do you think we should do about vacuuming to keep it at a reasonable time?”

“I seem to not get the vacuuming done until late. Let’s make it a priority on the chore list to end that scenario.”

Think about those Living Close By

You may have thin walls and people living close to you. In another article, we described how your fellow human beings could be deprived of sleep by the sound of your washing machine or a late-night shower.

If you are in an apartment complex or a duplex, be aware of those close to you. They won’t be thrilled if you vacuum late at night and they get up early for work. Do what you can to keep the peace and work with them.

Communicate to make sure it doesn’t become a tense subject.

Likewise, don’t assume someone living around you is being difficult if they do vacuum at night. If it happens often and bothers you, have a direct conversation with them to see what can be done about it. They may not realize it is heard by you or others living around them.

What to Say:

“Can you hear it when I vacuum at night? I don’t want to disturb you.”

“Cleaning at night works for my schedule, but I worry about bothering those that live around me. Is it a problem with your schedule?”

“Is it possible you could vacuum earlier in the day? We are often woken up when you do it at night. We get up so early for work and we would appreciate it if you could make some changes to when you do it.”

“If you have to vacuum at night, could you, do it on Friday and Saturday? We don’t have to get up early the following days so it won’t bother us as much. During the week we have to get to bed early to be ready for the next morning.”

“Let us know if you need us to change our routine. We strive to keep the noise down but it isn’t always easy to do so with our living quarters so close to each other.”