Recently I went on a educational tour of the newest possibilities in dirt sucking technology, scouring the internet for top ten lists and consumer reports on vacuums. We’ve come a long way from “the whirlwind” invented in 1868 which involved manually rotating a crank while pushing it across the floor. Now we have an entire cornucopia of high-tech, low-maintenance machines: canister vacuums, carpet cleaner vacuums, upright vacuums, stick vacuums, handheld vacuums, pet vacuums and robotic vacuums.
Our previous vacuum was a Miele canister vacuum (with bags) that was still sucking strong after over twenty years, despite being held together by an old leather belt and turning off only when unplugged. According to three different vacuum repair guys, those Miles are the gold standard of home vacuums, lasting longer than any of the others (including the bagless canister Mieles), but I’ve never been fond of lugging ours around corners and up the stairs.
We’re not going to go through a detailed consideration of which specific brand is your ideal mate…we’ll let the gold standard, Consumer Reports, do that. But we are going to give you the 411 on different types of vacuums for you to consider as you do your research. And do do your research, the last thing you want is to end up committing to a bad relationship like the Broken-hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy.
Upright vacuums are best on rugs and carpets. Some can be adjusted to work on wood floors, and both bag and bagless options are available. However, they are not as versatile as canister vacuums, have trouble getting debris stuck in corners, and have fewer attachments.
Canister vacuums are the most powerful and most versatile. They have multiple attachments that allow you to suck furniture, shelves, walls, hard wood floors, carpeted floors, curtains, and stairs. But as I said, you have to lug it around corners, furniture, up those stairs you’re cleaning and, if you’re not fond of constantly having to adjust the position of the machine, maybe this versatility isn’t for you.
Stick vacuums are best for quick dusting and pickups. They don’t do deep cleaning. Even the pet hair versions sometimes struggle to really get all the debris off the floor. Many are cordless which allow for the ability to move quickly and seamlessly throughout rooms and up stairs, but using them on full power sucks the battery life fast.
Handheld vacuums, also known as Dustbusters, are really meant for small messes. Did you spill cake crumbs over the floor? Does a shelf need to be sucked clear of dust and cat hair? Is there a tight corner in your car or behind the toilet you need to address? Portable and both corded and cordless, handhelds are not meant to pull full freight. They’re perfect for those momentary lapses of sanitation.
Robotic vacuums seem like they should solve all your problems. They are perfect for houses where you have no furniture or animals that might mistake it for a toy. They work in rooms with few obstacles on the floor. They don’t do deep cleans or get into small corners or cover non-floor areas. And if you’re a hoarder, um, just no. They have not yet reached the promise (or threat!) of taking over all needed cleaning duties. But hey, if you want a light sweep and don’t want to get up from binge watching Gilmore Girls, then this metal puppy is for you.
PopUP CleanUP does both regular and deep cleans for commercial properties as well as pre, live, and post event cleaning in the Greater Los Angeles Area.
