Which is your preference?

Well it depends really how you dust, If you use a damp cloth to remove the dust then you can vacuum first. Or if you have Spontex duster wipes , these little duster´s stop the dust from settling back on your furniture so you can vacuum first. It also depend´s on the type of vacuum you own. So I normally dust before I vacuum, Have to go with your mother´s preference

Maybe back when your mother was younger, vacuums used to spit out alot of dust, what with the bags and everything, so it probably was better to vacuum first. But now, vacuums run much cleaner and don't spit out so much dust, so it would be better to vacuum after you dust. That's just what I think.

After cleaning display homes over 20 years we have to agree that dusting before vacuuming is the thing to do,

(also according to Don Ashlet, master cleaning pro)

The dust falls to the floor and gets picked up with the vac, plus nice clean vac marks with no foot prints.

don't knock the dust onto th floor or back in the air, get it with a slightly wet cloth or furniture cleaner and then vacuum.

I would say you two should each do your own method. After which, wrap some scotch or masking tape around your hands and start dabbing the floor. Whoever has the cleanest tape wins!!!

i say yuore right. it makes more sense!