Five Vacuum Cleaner Secrets

Just because you clean your house doesn’t mean you know as much as you should about vacuum cleaners.  Usually we choose a vacuum cleaner based on comfort/weight and price, but there’s more to be considered. 

Since the first step of any decorating project, unfortunately, is cleaning, check out the information on vacuums you need to know before choosing one.

1. Upright vacuum cleaners were made specifically for wall-to-wall carpet. 

Uprights have an agitator, the revolving brush that’s rotated by the belt (which you never replace until it breaks and makes the house smell like burned rubber).  The agitator brushes the carpet and loosens dirt and dust and the sucking action removes it.  You can use an upright on bare floors, but the agitator makes so much air movement that dust and dirt is scattered before it can be sucked up.

2. Canister vacuums are more versatile in whole house cleaning.

If your home has bare floors and carpet, a canister vacuum takes on hard surfaces better than an upright vacuum.  The canister also has a longer hose and is easier to use when vacuuming tight spaces and under and around furniture.  There are onboard attachments available for deeper carpet cleaning such as that of an upright.

3. CFM is an important rating of vacuums.

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute and refers to the amount of airflow that the vacuum can circulate each minute.  This is how the suction is created.  Obviously you want a higher CFM for more suction.  Unfortunately, sometimes you have to do a little research to find out a model’s CFM, it may not be listed on the outside of the box.  By the way, canister vacuums have a higher CFM rating than upright vacuums do.

4. Commercial vacuums don’t differ much from residential.

You would think a commercial vacuum would have a higher CFM than a residential vacuum.  Not usually, the main difference between the two is the length of the cord.  Commercial vacuums have longer cords so they can cover more of an area without having to switch outlets.  If that’s an important buying consideration, you can always use an extension cord on your vacuum for the same result.

5. Price is not always indicative of quality.

Consumer reports recently rated the top dollar $300-$500 ‘designer’ vacuums at the bottom of their list.  Many times the higher priced models simply offer more bells and whistles than the lower priced models.  Don’t get sucked in, price doesn’t always mean quality.  Research opinions before you buy.  Both Walmart and Target’s online shops offer opinions from customers on products, I usually check both before buying to see what people are saying after using the product.

If you’re thinking of buying a vacuum cleaner, or having trouble choosing a model,  do some research before you purchase.