What exactly does your vacuum cleaner do?

Interested in knowing how exactly your vacuum cleaner works! The working depends on the type of vacuum cleaner. For first time buyers, this may be a shock but vacuum cleaners have two types. Yes! It’s true! But you don’t have to panic; each of the models is explained in the next section.

In cylindrical cleaners the dirt and dust is sucked in by a fan turned on by the motor which travels from the cleaning head through the hose and into the dust bag. Theses cleaners rely totally on the suction to pull the dust in, they are usually more powerful in terms of wattage compared to upright cleaners. 

In upright cleaners, the fan is driven by the motor located in the head which pulls the dirt and dust into a bag through a tube. Upright cleaners usually have a revolving belt driven brush and an agitator beater bar that facilitate to loosen and sweep the ingrained minute dirt from the carpet.

What type of vacuum cleaner would you need?

While deciding on the type of vacuum cleaner you don’t have to get involved in the technical specifications, it all depends on the purpose of the vacuum cleaner and where you are going to use it.

The two types of vacuum cleaners: cylinder and upright have certain advantages and disadvantages and the choice you make is largely down to personal preference.

If you want lighter and smaller cleaner you should go for Cylindrical models  as they are perfect for use on upholstery, stairs and easy to manoeuvre in awkward and difficult to reach areas like around and under the furniture. However, they are difficult to control and have less dust capacity and suction power compared to upright models. Difficult to use on large carpet areas.

Upright models are more suitable for large carpet areas with a powerful rotating brush. If you have a large house, the longer head and hose lengths will make your work easier. These are generally heavy and harder to push around and lift.

Should you go for a Bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner?

This is one important aspect you need to spend time on while buying a vacuum cleaner. It is a highly debatable point amongst manufacturers when considering the cost effectiveness and the hygiene impact of bagged and bagless cleaners.

Bagged cleaners are obviously cheaper than bagless ones but you end up spending on the disposable bags thus making them more or less same on the capital front. Bagged cleaner are considered to be more hygienic and ideal for asthmatics and dust allergy users with no or minimal exposure to dust while empting. However, the only indicator for a full bag is when the suction power falls, there is easy way to see if the bag is full.

Bagless cleaners are initially expensive but in the long run turn out to be cheaper than bagged cleaners. There is no fuss of inserting fresh bags frequently but there is a risk to exposure to dust and can be fatal for dust allergic users, however, some cleaners come with anti-bacterial protection which substantially reduces house dust mite and cat allergen content

The performance of a vacuum cleaner depends on whether it is bagged or bagless is total myth and the output is in no way tampered. 

Where are you going to use it?

Not many people are aware that initially, cylindrical and upright vacuum cleaners were developed for two different purposes: cylindrical cleaners were developed for hard floorings whereas upright vacuum cleaners were developed for carpets. The clear distinction between the cleaning heads of the two cleaners reflects their purpose of use: cylindrical cleaners do not have a rotating brush seen on upright cleaners head used to clean minute dirt from carpets. However, with the advancing technology and various attachments available, today, cylindrical cleaners are available with a rotating brush making it suitable for all floors.

You can choose the type of cleaner depending on the type of flooring in your house: cylindrical for hard floors and upright ones for carpet floors. However, if you have a mixture of both in your house, you can choose either cleaner with a detachable rotating brush as an accessory or a turbo brush with on/off button if you want to avoid accessories.

What type of filter you need?

Filters are another important point to be considered while buying a vacuum cleaner.  There are mainly two types of filters available in the market namely micro filters and High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA). It is these filters that conclude the efficiency of a vacuum cleaner as. The size and amount of dust particles that are expelled out from the vacuum cleaner depends on the type of filter you are using and need to cautiously considered if the user is allergic to dust or asthmatic.  

Micro filter: This is the most basic filter and the cheapest. Available as both washable and disposable ones, theses filters are available with all vacuum cleaners. However, theses filters drive out some dust particles back in the air proving lethal especially if the user is allergic to dust allergy or has asthma. Basically these filters only rearrange the dust and may be give satisfactory results especially in case of people who are meticulous over cleanliness.

HEPA filter: HEPA are more advanced compared to the micro filters. They are able to trap minute pollutants and other particles like pollen and dust mite faeces which have high probability of ejected out in the air in case of micro filters. These are the best available option if you are allergic to dust or have asthma.

They can remove dust particles up to 99 percent and actually suck the dust in rather than rearranging it. Most of the HEPA are washable and reusable. But are expensive compared to the basic micro filters.  

Confused about the power & wattage?

Many people get confused with watts and air watts mentioned for a vacuum cleaner. To simply put, watts is a measure of the amount of power going into the vacuum cleaner and air watts measures how much of that power get converted to suction. If the wattage is higher, the air watts rating will be lower which results in compromising the suction power and hence poor efficiency. So when buying a vacuum cleaner, it is more competent if the air watts is higher than the wattage. 

We hope this information was sufficient and has overcome your confusion and hassles of buying a vacuum cleaner.

We hope this information was sufficient and has overcome your confusion and hassles of buying a vacuum cleaner. We would love you hear about your decision and why you chose a particular cleaner. HAPPY CLEANING!