Your Ideal Vacuum Cleaner

Your Ideal Vacuum Cleaner

Don't underestimate the power of a good vacuum cleaner. If you are thinking about shopping for a new one to replace the old wheezing one you have.

For homes with more carpets and rugs than hard floors, upright vacuum cleaners with rollers brushes that reach deep down to loosen dust and dirt are best.

There are actually quite a lot of things to consider before buying the perfect vacuum cleaner for your home. By matching a vacuum cleaner to your environment and lifestyle, you can make the most out of the time you spend cleaning. Below are some great pointers for you to consider before buying and ensuring that you find the ideal vacuum cleaner for your home.

Establish Your Needs

It's best to know what your needs are before heading out and simply getting the cheapest deal you find or grabbing the newest technology available.

How deep is your carpet pile?

Do you want to use your vacuum cleaner on hard floors and carpets?

Do you have stairs, high ceilings, or other difficult-to-c1ean areas?

Do you have allergies?

Answering questions like these will help as you look at the various vacuum cleaners because no one vacuum cleaner is ideal for every situation.

A Quick Guide To The World Of Vacuum Cleaners

There are altogether seven types of vacuum cleaners and below are the list and a quick look at what their individual strengths are:

Upright vacuum cleaners: They are best used to clean large floor spaces, clean thick carpets and they are amazing when it comes to picking up pet hair.

Robotic vacuum cleaners: This type of vacuum cleaner is great for autonomous vacuum cleaning, edge-to-edge cleaning for large, flat floor space and cleaning confined spaces.

Steam cleaners: Steam cleaners give you a hygienic way of cleaning surfaces and floors around the home. They are also great to clean car interiors and garden furniture. Finally, the steam cleaners are great for a multi-purpose DIY tool for jobs around the home including wallpaper stripping.

Cylinder vacuum cleaners: They are great and efficient for general purpose cleaning around the home and car interiors.

They are also good for cleaning areas that are hard to reach such as the stairs and under furniture. Finally, they are also great for cleaning upholstery, crevices, curtain fabrics, car interiors and removing pet hair.

Wet and dry vacuum cleaners: They are great for cleaning up wet spills on the floor and other areas around the home. As for dry vacuum cleaners, they are suitable for a similar range of uses as a conventional vacuum cleaner.

Finally, both types of vacuum cleaners are good for vacuuming a range of floor types and surfaces.

Handheld vacuum cleaners: They are best used in three main ways. Handhelds are great as a portable mean of cleaning in the home, car and workplace. It's also great for reaching areas that you'd find awkward to reach with a conventional cleaner.

Finally, handhelds are also great for small cleaning jobs that need to be done quickly.

Bagless vacuum cleaners: This type of vacuum cleaners can be used for a wide range of vacuum cleaning jobs around the home. Instead of the dust going into a dust bag, bagless vacuum cleaners use a cyclonic system that sends the dust into a dust container. You then empty the dust container when it's full, so you don't need to worry about buying replacement dust bags as you would with a bagged vacuum cleaner.

Floor Type

For homes with more carpets and rugs than hard floors, upright vacuum cleaners with rollers brushes that reach deep down to loosen dust and dirt are best. If you are be vacuuming several kinds of carpet, look for a model that switches between low-and high-pile settings. If you'll be vacuuming carpets and hard floors, choose a model that lets you turn off the roller brush so that you don't scratch your floor surface. Canisters are best if you will be primarily vacuuming hard floors. They are also better than uprights for vacuuming stairs and getting under furniture and into other hard-to-reach areas. They are also easier to carry, making them ideal for multi-level homes. Depending on the surfaces you plan to clean with a canister, you may have to use multiple attachments.

Note that attachments may need to be purchased separately, which would add to the overall cost.

Space

If you live in a small house or an apartment, you can still reap the 12-amp power of a full-size vacuum cleaner in a compact or lightweight design. Compact vacuums typically include a telescoping hose, which makes them easier to store. They generally weigh less than 12 pounds, and they're easier to navigate under beds and around furniture. If you live in a large house, you will want the benefit of a full-sized vacuum cleaner. Not only will it make a larger swath with each pass, but the greater dust capacity means you won't have to change bags or empty dustbins as often. Remember to look for a model with the automatic-cord-rewind option.

Suction Power

Rugs and carpets that are subjected to heavy food traffic require a vacuum cleaner with superior airflow and suction. Airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Suction is measured by a vacuum cleaner's "water lift" - how many inches of water could be lifted through a tube if it were attached to the vacuum hose.

A water lift of 80 to 100 inches is considered good.

Pets

A mini or handheld turbo brush included in some models, but also available separately, is essential for removing hair and dander from your pet's favourite upholstery (the sooner the better). You may also consider cyclonic suction, a feature offered by several manufacturers. This spins debris away from the filter, which prevents hair from building up and impeding the vacuum's suction.

Features

There are plenty of features in the newer models so it's best to familiarise yourself with some of the jargon terms so you won't get confuse or intimidated. Below are some of the basic ones that you might want to consider having in your new vacuum cleaner.

Hepa filters: Watch out for Hepa (high-efficiency particulate air) filters. They're made of fine mesh to trap the particles that cause allergic reactions.

Turbo tool or brush: A powered brush that rotates at high speed - it's especially good for picking up pet hairs.

Retractable cable: The cable rewinds at the touch of a button. This saves you from having to stoop and keep the cable neatly and safely stored inside the machine.

Variable suction: Adjustable suction allows you to turn down the force of the suction when you're cleaning a thick rug or even delicate curtains:

Onboard tool storage: Great where space is short.

Accessories such as parquet brushes, crevice tools and upholstery tools are neatly packed on board the main vacuum.