A Buyer's Guide to Vacuum Cleaners

!±8± A Buyer's Guide to Vacuum Cleaners

Vacuum cleaners have been an indispensable part of our lives for decades. Not only are they great time savers and easy to use, but they allow a level of deep cleaning other systems can't approach. The original vacuum cleaners were simple cans with tubes attached but over the decades have evolved into high-tech devices in a wide range of styles and boasting an array of functions. So before you buy, you need to be clear about your options. Here's look at the major players in the vacuum cleaner world.

Upright vacuums

These are the standard vacuum cleaners you push around using their long adjustable handles. They trundle around your living room on rollers, their beaters knocking dust and debris out of your carpets. They can be bagged or bagless. Upright vacuum cleaners are the best type for cleaning large expanses of carpet.

Broom vacuums

Broom vacuums, also known as stick vacuums, are perfect for smaller apartments, or for quick clean ups. They look like slender upright vacuums but lack rollers and beaters. Most broom vacuum cleaners use a dirt cup, not a bag, to trap debris and dust. Broom vacuums well on hardwood floors, furniture, curtains, hard-to-reach spots, and in cramped spaces.

Hand held vacuums

Hand held vacuums are light weight items that can be either corded or battery powered cordless. If you are considering getting a hand held vacuum cleaner, you should consider how much you're going to use it. If you plan to use it regularly, you should get a corded one. Otherwise you might have a problem with the battery running down. For smaller jobs, though, the cordless items is fine.

Canister vacuums

These are the chubby vacuums that glide around behind you as you vacuum with a nozzle on the end of a flexible tube. This nozzle makes canister vacuum cleaners perfect for hard floors, curtains and stairs.

Robotic Vacuum Cleaners

These came onto the market as recently as the year 2000. They are the creme de la creme of the vacuum cleaner world and would appear truly miraculous to the Mr Hoover, the great popularizer of vacuum cleaners in the early 20th century.

Robot vacuum cleaners do the cleaning work for you. They glide around your home, deftly avoiding your furniture and sucking up all your dust and dirt. And when they've finished their chores, they return to their recharging station to juice up and get ready for their next sortie.

A Buyer's Guide to Vacuum Cleaners

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What is the Best Vacuum Cleaner For House Cleaning Needs?

!±8± What is the Best Vacuum Cleaner For House Cleaning Needs?

With so many vacuum cleaners on the market today how can a consumer know what one to buy for house cleaning purposes? It is never easy to sort out the pros and cons but that is an excellent starting point to begin the search for the best vacuum. I have researched the market and spent many hours pondering which machine would be the best. I wrote a list of what was important to me before researching what was available. I did not do the research because I love vacuum cleaners but instead because I use and depend on them everyday in our cleaning business. Vacuum cleaners come in two basic types as most people know an upright and a canister.

In today's market some vacuum cleaner companies make a backpack vacuum, which as the name suggests is a vacuum that straps to your back. A few home cleaning service companies use a backpack vacuum but that is not a usual choice for a home owners use. Why carry a vacuum on your back when there is no need to? My research brought to light one brand of vacuum that consistently scored higher than the rest and most of the time at the number one spot.

What were important to me were several criteria.

First, the machine must do an excellent job picking up dirt, dust, and debris. As you can imagine, our customers would be upset if their floors were not clean after we completed our work.

Second, the machine should be durable and dependable. I have used machines that are a waste time because the belts break frequently or the hose clogs easily.

Third, the vacuum must be light. Home cleaning is a physically challenging endeavor especially when doing several in a day. Usually cleaning the floor is the most physical part of our daily house cleaning work. We have clients that purchased the wrong machine for home use. Little or no thought went into how difficult it would be to lift the heavy machine they own to the second and third floors. Pushing a heavy vacuum around from room to room can be a drag if the machine is too heavy.

Forth, ease of use was important to me. Bending over to wrap a cord up every time you are done is not what I would consider for a vacuum cleaner as easy to use, especially when there are other options available.

Fifth, good vacuums come with a HEPA filter. If you suffer from asthma or allergies a HEPA filter will keep your air clean. I can still remember as a child the smell of dirt and dust in the air after mom was done vacuuming around our home. All professional house cleaning service companies use machines with true HEPA filtration.

We tested and daily use the Miele canister vacuum. At this time they discontinued their flagship model vacuum which went by the name Blue Moon but they still have many top of the line models to choose from. All their vacuums have many features that will help you to do the job easier and quicker. Check their web site at milele.com for all your your vacuum needs.

What is the Best Vacuum Cleaner For House Cleaning Needs?

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Best Canister Vacuum - Power Makes the Difference

!±8± Best Canister Vacuum - Power Makes the Difference

The best canister vacuum is subjective to what you want the most. There are those that are great performers and are reasonably priced like the Hoover WindTunnel Bagless S3765-040. The area this vacuum cleaner falls short on is its ability to pick up pet hair out of the carpeting.

If light weight is what you need, then the Miele S4212 Polaris could be the right one for you. It works great on bare floors and controls the dust excellently. Its light weight makes it very versatile and has a variable power supply. Its small size and light weight has its drawbacks, though. This vacuum cleaner lacks the power to effectively clean carpeting and the small bag needs to be emptied more than most other vacuums. It is also quite expensive.

If you have allergies or pets in the house, then the Kenmore Institution 28014 is a best buy. The powerful suction of this model speaks for itself. The exhaust is highly controlled so little to none of the pet dander or allergy-causing molds can escape. This model does the job, but with all that power comes additional weight and a higher than average price tag.

The SEBO C3.1 has an advantage most others do not have and that it is very quiet on the lower settings. It can clean both bare floors and carpeting and has a telescopic wand. The price tag is what most consumers are wary of because the performance does not justify the price.

These are the best canister vacuum in the four different categories that drive most consumers to a purchase. The right one for you is the one that fits your needs the best.

Best Canister Vacuum - Power Makes the Difference

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