HEPA Filter Vacuums Are the Best for Allergy Sufferers

Using a Hand Held Vacuum to Clean Stairs

The Difference Between an Extractor and a Shampooer

A carpet extractor is a machine that injects a cleaning solution into a carpet and then extracts the dirty solution back out. A carpet shampooer sprays the carpet, typically with a foaming agent, which is then massaged into a carpet with a rotating bar or spinning brushes. These days, you can typically find carpet cleaning machines usually are a combination of the two. If you want your carpets to dry faster, a carpet extractor might be your best bet since the machine sucks up the excess water with a powerful suction.

Keeping It Clean While Dumping the Dirt

All vacuums require some sort of maintenance and the dust cup of a bagless vacuum cleaner will eventually need to be dumped. A single plastic grocery bag will be all it takes to make emptying the dust cup on a bagless vacuum a simple, hassle-free task. Put your hand inside the bag and with your bag-covered hand, grip the dust cup. Pull the bag over the cup. Give the reservoir a quick dump and pull the dust cup out, quickly tying off the bag. (Be sure to pick a bag that has no holes in it!)

Choosing a Bagless Vacuum

• you have a high maintenance/active household (or any other environment) with children and/or pets. You are saving the expense of constantly buying vacuum bags and avoiding the aggravation of not having one when you need one. There is also the option of retrieving an item that was accidentally sucked up, which is common in households with children.
• you want a vacuum with better air flow and HEPA filtration for allergies. Simply washing the pleated filter and replacing the HEPA filter once, maybe twice per year will keep your home and vacuum in tip-top shape.

When Purchasing Robotic Vacuums Makes Sense

You've probably seen the commercials or maybe even had coffee with a friend while their robotic vacuum did the cleaning. These are convenient devices and robotic vacuums can be a great choice if:

• you like the idea of something that can not only vacuum without requiring your presence, but will clean under beds, tables and other spaces an upright vacuum can’t.
• your schedule is busy or you feel it would be nice to have a way to touch up your home in between regular cleaning routines.
• you have a medical condition that prevents or makes vacuuming difficult or impossible.
• you just don’t care for the chore of vacuuming or would like to shorten your list of chores.

Upon purchasing a unit, read the owner’s manual and instructions thoroughly. A robot vacuum runs on a rechargeable NiMH battery that will need to power up for a specific amount of time when it first comes out of the box.

Vacuum to Keep a Wood Floor Clean Longer

Wood floors are beautiful, but their finish can be broken down over time quite easily by dirt and debris. In order to keep from scratching the floor’s finish with brooms and dustmops, it is better to use a hard surface vacuum with soft bristles to thoroughly get a wood floor clean. Hard surface vacuums can usually be found in upright form or as a stick vacuum.