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Modern vacuum cleaners have, thankfully, improved a huge amount since first being patented in 1869. They are now one of the most useful tools in the home with plenty of options to think about:
Upright or Cylinder? Both have their advantages; which one you choose will depend on the size of your home and your personal preference. Cylinder models just suck whereas upright models use a rotating brush as well to dislodge dirt particles.Handheld These are small, light and portable; ideal for using in a limited space.Wet & Dry Cleaners As their name suggests can be used to suck up liquid as well as dust from most surfaces.Bagged or Bagless? Most manufacturers now make both types; the first usually being cheaper than the latter although bagless models can save you money on replacement dust bags.Power Given in watts. The higher the wattage the more powerful the cleaner so the more thoroughly it will clean your carpet.Filtration “ Standard”, as in most machines “S-class” (a manufacturing standard for anti-allergenic filtration) and HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) as in some more expensive models. Some filters will need replacing while others will last for the lifetime of the machine.
Upright Cleaners
Are particularly effective for cleaning large areas of carpet. They are especially useful if animal hair is a problem as they have a rotating brush to dislodge hard –to- remove particles from your carpet. They also have adjustments to lower the cleaning brushes according to the depth of your carpet to produce better results. They are not great at getting into tight spaces although they usually come with a set of tools for these smaller jobs. You might like to check how easily these extra tools can be attached to your upright before you buy as some are more trouble to assemble than they’re worth. They can also be fiddly for cleaning stairs; make sure that the hose attachment is long enough for the job and that the tools can get into all the nooks and crannies. You should also be comfortable with the weight of the machine as you may have to lift it if you will be vacuuming at different levels in your home; some can be quite heavy.
Cylinder Cleaners
These are usually lighter and easier to manoeuvre than uprights and may be a better option if you do not have large expanses of carpet; the cleaning brush on them is usually wide enough to handle most jobs and is attached directly to the hose. They come with a set of tools for smaller areas and can be especially handy for vacuuming soft furnishings and curtains. Most come with cord rewind button (although this is usually the first feature to stop working!) and some with extension hoses to make cleaning the stairs a bit less of a chore.
Handheld
As the name suggests these are small, portable and usually very lightweight. They are ideal for cleaning the car or for quick clean-ups round the home. Usually mains powered but battery powered versions are available – may be a good choice for caravans, garages or workshops as they take up hardly any space. They sometimes come with a choice of cleaning heads for really hard to reach places. This type of cleaner is usually bagged.
Wet and Dry Cleaners
These can go where most vacuums fear to tread! Some are great at unblocking sinks although on the whole, are not brilliant at actually cleaning carpet. They maybe worth considering for DIY cleanups more than as a general purpose carpet cleaner or if you live with someone who has messy hobbies.
Bagged or Bagless?
Bagged vacuums need to be emptied frequently to keep the machine working at its best. Some bags are reusable whilst others are not. Check which type of bag the model that you’re considering buying uses. Some bags can be quite expensive and not very easy to find at your local supermarket and are sometimes quick to go out of stock when new vacuum models become available. It may be though, that you consider this method to be more hygienic as all the dust is contained within a sealed bag. Bagged cleaners are considered the best option for asthmatics and allergy sufferers.
Bagless machines collect the waste into a cylinder (usually see-through) that will also need emptying often. They are not recommended for asthmatics because of the dust dispersed when emptying. Asthmatics would be advised to opt for a bagged cleaner that has been approved by the British Allergy Foundation. However, you may decide that you like to see the results of your hard work going into the cylinder and a bagless machine will certainly show you this! They are usually more expensive to buy than bagged versions but may be worth it considering as there is no further outlay.
Power
Measured and shown on models in WATTS. As with all electrical tools, the higher the wattage, the more powerful. A machine with a higher wattage should clean your carpets better than a lower one. A good upright will be about 1300 watts and a cylinder about 1400 watts. Some machines will give a power variation on a sliding scale. This is a very useful feature when cleaning around curtains and ornaments. It means that you do not suck up the children’s toys quite so much either.
Filtration
This has no bearing on how good a machine is at sucking up dirt. It relates to how allergen-free the air is when it’s blown out of the vacuum. This can make a huge difference to asthma sufferers or people with dust allergies. “Standard” filtration is found on most less expensive models and is not suitable for people with allergies.
S-Class and HEPA systems have been especially designed to improve the quality of the air leaving the vacuum by reducing the amount of allergens that is expelled by the machine. If you have a dust or similar allergy or suffer from asthma this type of filtration would be best. Both S-Type and HEPA filters can be lifetime versions although machines with these versions are more expensive.
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