Vacuum Cleaner Tips And Recommendations

By: Marcus Perchowski Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Choosing the right vacuum cleaner ought to be a pretty easy job shouldn't it? Don't they all essentially work the same? Well, you would think so! It's a good idea to research what top consumer testing groups discovered during their product evaluations.

Consumer Reports accomplished just that and thoroughly tested a number of popular vacuum cleaners. After putting these machines through their paces, testing on a variety of real-world situations, an apparent winner should be discovered. Right? But it boggles the mind when after all this in-depth testing, their findings don't often jive with owner feedback. Quite often the review team may not rank a unit very high but reviews submitted by owners of the product showed a totally different account.

So much for scientific testing!

Even with differing recommendation as to which is the 'best' vacuum cleaner to get, here are some basic tips to consider when you're out shopping for a new vacuum cleaner.

A basic question is the length of the manufacturer's warranty? Vacuums do need maintenance so a lengthy warranty is also a plus. Especially if you're forking out out considerable money to purchase a new model.

Some budget-priced vacuums lose their appeal fast when they run into frequent breakdowns. It's hardly a deal if it needs to be replaced every year or so.

The hose is another consideration. Does it stretch out sufficiently for those extra jobs you want to get done like cleaning the stairs or sweeping out the car? Will the hose reach the curtain tops? Is the vacuum equipped with important attachments needed to do a thorough cleaning? Crevice attachments, dust brushes and miniature heads can greatly assist in specialized clean-up tasks.

If you'll be cleaning bare floors, do the roller brushes turn off? Rapidly rotating brush heads can nick the surface of hardwood floors. "Beater brushes" are great for lifting up ground in dirt but some models do a less-than-satisfactory job of cleaning close to walls. A model equipped with an edge cleaner enables you get right next to obstacles.

If you're selecting a 'bag' model, make sure your local store sells the make and size you'll need. If not, you'll have to order them through the mail and that can be a major nuisance. Vacuum cleaner bags are available in a very wide assortment specially designed for the make and model of your unit. Your local store may have on hand the brand name but be sure they also supply dust bags for your particular model type.

If you opt to forgo the bag-type cleaners, there's still some replacement costs involved. Many models have filters that must be replaced. A pricey unit may require expensive replacement filters too. So you'll also need to check out where these specially-designed filters may be purchased.

There are two basic types of vacuum cleaners: Canister and Upright. Canisters work exceptionally well on hard floors and stairs, but efficiency varies significantly on carpet. Canisters tend to cost more than an upright and due to their greater weight and size, don't maneuver as well. Canisters can be very cumbersome if your cleaning tasks involve moving the unit up and down stairs.

The top-rated canister vacuum when tested by Consumer Reports went to the Kenmore Intuition 28014. This Kenmore model permits carpet height adjustments, brushes that can be disengaged for bare floors and comes with a an indicator to let you know when the dust bag is full.

The cord on the Intuition is retractable and has a HEPA filter for cleaning the air as well. Consumer Reports "recommends" this vac and it has a price tag around $600. It weighs about 26 pounds.

Uprights perform admirably on bare floors, and like their canister cousins, results on carpets are varied. To clean thoroughly also requires adequate power achieved by way of the hose and attachments.

Consumer Reports tested many upright vacuum cleaners and the Hoover WindTunnel Anniversary Edition U6485-900 edged out the competition in head-to-head testing. This model uses a dust bag system.

This Hoover vacuum is self-propelled so moving around the WindTunnel is a piece of cake. It's equipped with a HEPA filter, full-bag indicator, and the brushes can be turned off to protect hardwood floors.

Consumer Reports labeled the Hoover WindTunnel Anniversary Edition a Recommended Buy. Selling price has a wide range of $180-$280 so comparison shopping is a must.