Although not a chore most people enjoy, vacuuming is essential to keeping a clean and healthy house, as well as preserving carpets and keeping them looking their best. The right vacuum cleaner can take the hassle out of this chore and make cleaning carpets relatively quick and easy, but how can you tell which vacuum is right for you? Flat or upright? Canister or bag? HEPA filter or Vortex suction? Wading through the claims and promises of different manufacturers can be an endless and confusing process. A competitive, comparative analysis of vacuums is in order.

Different Designs

Once upon a time, the world of vacuums was a small one. All vacuums worked in basically the same way and for the most part offered the same features. These traditional vacuums, which are still popular today, use a rotating brush to gently beat dust and dirt particles from carpets and a fan composed of angled blades to, in essence, suck the dirt into the machine, where it is stored in either a vacuum bag or canister. The strength of suction in these models depends on the power of the fan and how full the vacuum bag or canister is. While generally dependable, there are a few downfalls to these traditional models. The number of parts needed to operate a traditional upright vacuum (the fan, motor, belts, etc.) means that over time parts will have to be replaced as they wear out. This means time spent in the shop for your vacuum and money from your wallet. Also, the basic design of these models necessitates the messy and thankless job of emptying the bag or canister on a regular basis.

Another popular vacuum-cleaner design that originated in the early 1900’s is now making a comeback. The central vacuum system, which uses a motorized fan in the basement or outside the house to create suction through a series of interconnected pipes in the walls, turns your whole house into a cleaner. To use this vacuum, you turn on the fan motor and attach a hose to any of the various pipe outlets throughout the house. The dirt is sucked into the pipes and deposited in a large canister, which you only empty a few times a year.

Yet another variation on the traditional upright vacuum that many people swear by is the steam cleaner. This machine injects superheated steam mixed with a special carpet shampoo into carpet fibers, and then sucks the water and accompanying dirt back into a collection tank. While steam cleaners do tend to result in a deeper clean for carpets, they also take significantly longer to use and require drying time for the carpets after each use.