5 Best Hard Floor Cleaners

I've lived all over the USA and never once happened to have hardwood floors in any of my apartments or homes. When I moved to Europe, I was surprised to find that nearly every flat I looked at had nothing but hard floors, whether it be wood or tiles. My flat is a combination of both, and I have a few carpets of my own as well. Not being able to see the point in having multiple vacuum cleaners, I decided to get something that could be used on both, and not leave me wishing I'd splurged on one of each.

I was also looking for something which wouldn't cost a fortune -- I didn't want a mammoth cleaner for a flat that was mostly tiles and didn't need a fancy carpet cleaner; but nor did I want a vacuum that had so little suction that I could get better results hand-picking the lint from the rug myself. (Ladies, you know what I'm on about!) These vacuum cleaners range from cheap to more expensive, and some have more bells and whistles than others -- but they all have very good features and very good reviews. As you can see, there is something for every budget.

The Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub is one of the medium-priced models, and omigod have you seen what this can do? It's not meant for carpets -- It's only to be used on hard floors, but if that's all you have, this is what you want. (Actually, if you've got brand new flooring, this is probably what you'd want to use regardless.)

It vacuums, washes and dries your hard flooring, including marble, wood, laminate, tiles and more! It weighs about 30 lbs, has loads of brushes, a hose for getting into hard to reach areas -- and this thing can even bend its way around the commode! I want one!!

The Hoover Flair Upright Stick Vacuum is pretty much the newer model of the vacuum I have. I have a Euro model, so mine has a different name, but its the same thing. I love this baby! It's very light, and the suction is very, very strong on hard flooring. It cleans my floors very quickly and very well and does not scratch. It's not perfect on carpeting, so if you have plush carpets you may want to consider something else. But if you only have a few area rugs this will be more than enough for you; go slowly and you'll get it all. It doesn't have a bag, you just open and empty the handled scoop thingie. And, of course, it comes with hoses and accessories. It's hard to find a better value for this price.

This Dyson All Floors Vacuum does what you might expect: It works on all surfaces, from carpeting to hard flooring. It turns and bends and defies gravity and flies to the moon (ok, maybe not that last part) and it's strong enough for a man, but made for a woman; it won't damage your floors or super delicate carpets. It's got a HEPA filter that you can chuck in the washing machine and re-use forever. These babies are particularly suitable for homes of those with allergies or asthma, and if you yourself have a dust allergy, you never even need to come in contact with what you suck up -- you just press a button and the bottom opens and voila! No more gick in the Dyson. Obviously, this is more expensive than the other models, but sometimes these things are worth it.

 I remember when the Dirt Devil brand was first marketed. It was cool, and the commercials were as well. They've come a long way since then, and they make comparable vacuums to the other companies you might be more familiar with.

This Dirt Devil Extreme Power Stick Vacuum, for example, can be used on carpets as well as hard flooring, and empties in pretty much the same way as the other stick vacuum. It's easy to move around and folds down when you're finished using it. And since you can shut off the rollers, you needn't worry about damaging your pretty hardwood surfaces.

The title of this baby says it all: The Hoover SteamVac All Terrain vacuum cleaner does everything you could possibly hope for. In a vacuum, anyway. Not only can it clean your carpets and hard surfaces, it steam vacuums them! Best of all, it's an automatic process; you don't have to be a genius to use this thing properly. All the tools you need are included so you can start cleaning straight away!