Vacuums and Vacuum Cleaners

Information current as of

As recently as 25 years ago household vacuum cleaners were heavy, bulky, cumbersome cleaning tools that either had you wrapped up in long cords or stressing your back muscles to the breaking point. Vacuuming is a legitimate form of exercise due to all the walking, bending, reaching and stretching the chore requires.

Today you can still find these heavy bulky vacuums, but you'll also find cool new inventions like the Roomba vacuum that drives itself around your floor like a pet, searching out areas that need cleaning. Whether or not you think they do as good a job as standard upright or canister vacuums, these fully automatic units are certainly fun to watch.

Vacuums are sold through household stores, home improvement outlets, door to door (Kirby vacuums) and online. You can buy them used through sites like ebay.com

They are no longer just the large metal monsters that scare your kids and pets, they also come is bright modern colors (Dyson vacuum).

Use this site to do a quick comparison of the top vacuum brands out there.

You can also find listings of where to buy vacuum bags, parts and accessories, those are very easy to find on the internet.

Another brand that is sold door to door is the rainbow vacuum. These models are also expensive, and have that extra shock feature by having your dump the dust (turned to mud) out of the water collection unit. It's enough to make anyone throw up, but they do seem to work.

Vacuuming is one of the many necessary cleaning actions necessary for the elimination of household allergens including dust mites.

What to consider when buying a vacuum:

• do you have pets? Some vacuums pick up pet hair better than others.
• Do you have a budget? There are definitely wide ranges in price, from just a $100 up to $2000 or more.
• HEPA Filtration. This is touted as a major benefit in the reduction of household allergens
• Weight. Do you have a problem carrying large heavy objects? Then focus on  smaller vacuum cleaners
• Accessories. Do you need a free canister vac or extra attachments?
• Bags vs direct dump areas. Some units require you to empty a bag which releases the dust back into the air again.
• Maintenance. Look for a unit that is easy to maintain at a low cost, or at least has a repair shop close by.