No matter how gorgeous your home is, dust and dirt can still collect. Keeping them around not only makes your space dirty but also increases the risk of illnesses, such as allergies and asthma.
The question is, which vacuum cleaner should you pick? If you want to avoid the hassle of thinking, you can always schedule home cleaner services. These specialists can use the right vacuum depending on the surface and invest in the best brands and models.
But it still pays to know your choices, so compare these five popular ones:
1. Upright Vacuum Cleaners
Upright vacuum cleaners are also known as full-sized vacuum cleaners, and they’re perfect for cleaning the carpeted floors of your house.
Generally, these use suction to remove dirt and debris from your carpets, rugs, and bare floors. These come in various upright models with various features such as cord rewind, recline (meaning the vacuum cleaner can lay flat on the floor to clean under furniture), speed settings, attachments, and cyclonic technology.
There are numerous benefits to owning an upright model. For one thing, they’re versatile since you can use them for cleaning bare floors and carpets alike. These are also highly maneuverable, enabling you to clean your home’s hard-to-reach areas (under the bed, for instance). Other upright vacuum cleaner benefits include:
- Suction is powerful enough to pick up even dirt and dust hidden deep inside the carpet pile.
- It has a telescopic handle so that you don’t have to bend over all the time.
- There are models with extra-large wheels for floor cleaning.
- You can attach tools such as an upholstery brush, crevice tool, and dusting brush to get rid of dirt, even in hidden areas.
However, these models can be bulky and heavy, so they’re not ideal for cleaning stairs or the upper floors of your home. You also have to buy bags to store all that dirt you suck up in the machine, which adds to your expenses.
2. Canister Vacuum Cleaners
Canister vacuum cleaners are also known as cylinder machines. They can clean furniture, upholstery, stairs, and hard-to-reach areas. They usually consist of a bag attached to one end of the canister. The other end contains the motorized tube nozzle through which you suck up dirt and debris.
These vacuum cleaners are very handy because they can clean narrow spaces that upright models cannot reach efficiently (e.g., the stairs). It’s also easy to carry one of these around, so you can quickly get rid of dirt wherever it accumulates.
Canister models come with numerous attachments such as extension wands, adjustable extension wands, turbo brushes, upholstery/dusting brushes, crevice tools, and air-driven brooms.
Just make sure you choose the right height to match your preferences or needs. Also, note the types of surfaces you will be cleaning with it (hardwood floors versus carpet).
Although these are easy to use, you have to purchase replacement bags and filters. Also, dust and dirt can accumulate in the bag, so you have to clean it out regularly.
3. Stick Vacuum Cleaners
Stick vacuum cleaners are also referred to as handheld vacuums or stick uprights. These compact models don’t weigh more than 10 pounds, and they’re perfect for cleaning bare floors and spaces that your upright models cannot reach.
They usually consist of a stick handle and a detachable dirt cup where all the dirt you suck up accumulates. These come with a variety of attachments such as crevice tools, dusting brushes, extension wands, etc., so you can clean different surfaces with these nifty little machines.
However, stick models aren’t ideal for cleaning large areas because of their small size and limited suction. So if you want to clean your entire house, stick with larger vacuum cleaners such as upright or canister ones.
Stick vacuums also don’t have motors powerful enough to pick up dirt and debris deeply embedded in carpets and rugs, so these are perfect for mostly bare cleaning surfaces.
4. Pet Vacuum Cleaners
If you have pets, you know how difficult it can be to keep your carpet or carpeted stairs free from pet hair and dander. If this is a problem in your household, investing in a pet vacuum cleaner might be a good idea.
These models can pick up stubborn pet hairs while leaving the surface undamaged. They usually come with turbo-powered brushes and high-efficiency air filters.
Just make sure you watch out for allergies, as these machines may stir up allergens such as dust mites and pet dander that can exacerbate your symptoms.
5. Robotic Vacuum Cleaners
If you want to vacuum your house without having to do it manually, then investing in a robotic vacuum cleaner might be a good idea. These models are self-operating vacuum cleaners that rely on sensors and advanced mapping technology to clean floors automatically.
You can schedule these machines to clean at certain times of the day, which is great if you want to save on electricity costs. Just make sure you keep these machines away from areas prone to fall hazards, such as stairs.
These units usually need to be emptied after they finish their cleaning routine because dust can build up inside the machine while it’s working on your floors. You also have to take care of these units by regularly replacing their filters.
Take the time when picking the right vacuum for the house. After all, this is not a cheap tool. However, know that when you don’t have time to lift one, get a professional to do the cleaning instead.