Buying a vacuum cleaner for your home is a necessary expenditure but before making that purchase, there are some important factors that must be considered to help you buy the right vacuum cleaner. Home cleaning is important, basic, and on the surface, simple. However, proper home cleaning is complex and requires several details and instructions to get it right.
A vacuum cleaner works on various surfaces but not all vacuums are multi-surface efficient. Some vacuums work best on specific floors, while others work well on all types of floors. Asides from considering the type of flooring, you should also consider cost, suction power, size of your home and vacuum, the purpose of the vacuum, and required maintenance.
Don’t leave this decision for a third party unless they have a proper understanding (visual) of your home and your purpose for wanting a vacuum.
6 Factors To Consider When Buying A Vacuum Cleaner
The size of your home
The first factor that should be considered when buying a vacuum cleaner is the size of your home. Are you living in a small apartment or have recently moved into a bigger space with your family?
Smaller apartments will benefit from smaller and more portable vacuum cleaners. Canister, handheld, and robotic vacuum cleaners are your best choice in this regard. These vacuum cleaners have high maneuverability and can clean tight corners efficiently.
On the other hand, larger apartments may require bigger vacuum cleaners. An upright vacuum cleaner handles bigger cleaning areas and is more comfortable for your back. A bigger apartment also means storage is readily available.
Choosing a vacuum without considering the size of your home can cause several problems including a shorter lifespan for your vacuum and poor cleaning service.
The need for a vacuum
Why do you need a vacuum? Unlike smaller and less significant home appliances, vacuums serve a specific need which is to clean. What/where are you cleaning? If you’re cleaning only indoors, then a regular upright, canister, handheld, or robotic vacuum is sufficient for your needs. However, for outside cleaning, you need to have a shop-vac.
Shop-vac, also known as wet/dry vacuum cleaners clean large, industrial spaces efficiently. The wet version can handle moisture without experiencing defects. If your cleaning needs are just your car and pet, then a handheld is perfect for you.
So, be sure to know why you need a vacuum before you place an order.
Anyone suffering from allergens in the house?
Allergens reduce the quality of our health and can cause terrible reactions. Advanced vacuum cleaners have HEPA filtration that helps to filter the exhausted air from your vacuum. A HEPA filter removes 99.97 of molds and bacteria. It also removes dust.
Look out for vacuums with HEPA filters to ensure that you and your family have good respiratory health.
Frequency of use
What will be your frequency of use? Are you looking for a vacuum to use every day? If you live in a dusty or muddy environment with occupants wearing shoes inside the house, you may want something more portable because of the constant mobility. Constant use can, however, reduce lifespan.
Flooring type
A basic important factor to be considered is your floor type. While there are several multi-surface vacuums, most vacuum types are best suited for specific floor types. Upright Vacuum types are designed to handle bare floors, carpets, and most floor types in large areas.
Noise
Another factor to consider is noise pollution. Regular vacuum cleaners are silent while shop-vac are notorious noise pollutants. Using a shop-vac indoors can immensely reduce the quality of life of residents.
Cost of Vacuum Cleaners
Regular vacuum cleaners are reasonably priced. You can get a cordless stick vacuum cleaner for as low as $90, depending on your location. However, most of the regular vacuums are priced between $200-$500. You can go for a more expensive vacuum cleaner depending on your needs.
However, the rule of thumb is to put quality above cost. Don’t go for the cheapest and don’t assume that the most expensive will best suit your cleaning needs. But you should note that higher priced vacuums are fitted with extra features to better ease your cleaning chores.
For example, most advanced and highly-priced vacuums are automated, fitted with sensors, have boundary restrictions, and a bunch of other substantial features. However, these features are not a must-have.
A good vacuum cleaner should reach at least 8 years, with the possibility of reaching far more. Good maintenance and fair usage will see your vacuum to its last days.
On a tight budget? Then purchase something between $200-$500. This price group has everything that should be fitted into a regular vacuum.
Recommended Vacuum Cleaners
Are you having some trouble choosing the perfect choice for your home? If so, let’s help you narrow down your options. Here are some of the best vacuum cleaners currently available for sale.
Dyson V15 Detect Absolute
The Dyson V15 Detect Absolute is arguably one of the best vacuum cleaners in the country. Combined with its multi-surface function, this vacuum is well capable of cleaning dust and dirt effectively from all types of surfaces. This product is cordless, bagless, and has the HEPA anti-allergen filter to keep you healthy.
Dyson does a good job of collecting pet hair and with its high suction power and compatibility, Dyson is capable of reaching tight corners in your home.
Miele Complete C3 Powerline
The Miele complete c3 powerline is designed to clean tough floors and surfaces. Although corded, this vacuum is no stranger to a thorough home cleaning. It’s multi-surface with tremendous suction power that can be adjusted to suit your specific needs.
iRobot Roomba S9
The iRobot Roomba S9 is a robotic model that helps to clean your home with much input. It’s cordless, fitted with sensors, bagless, and has the HEPA anti-allergen filter. Although not as multi-surface as the others, the Roomba S9 is capable of cleaning various surfaces like carpets, hardwood, and pet waste.
Features of an Indoor Vacuum Cleaner
Most homeowners are enticed by large suction power and the cost that they throw every other factor in the wind. Buying an expensive vacuum with terrific suction power is great for your cleaning needs but does it support easy usage. Also, you should consider the price of maintenance.
Here are the features of a regular indoor vacuum cleaner.
Portability
Modern regular indoor vacuum cleaners should be portable. While there are efficient upright heavy vacuum cleaners, most brands are hurriedly moving towards portability.
An indoor vacuum cleaner must be portable and easy to use. It should also be flexible enough to reach the tight spaces and corners in your home. Robotic, handheld, and canister vacuum cleaners are some of the most portables in the market.
Hepa filter
Every indoor vacuum cleaner should be fitted with the HEPA anti-allergen filter to prevent allergens, molds, and dust. Therefore, outdoor vacuum cleaners shouldn’t be used in a living room. Hepa filters help to remove up to 99.97% of dust, molds, and bacteria from the air.
Telescoping Wand
Advanced vacuum cleaners have a telescoping wand that helps users to clean deeper depth and length without necessarily moving from point A to B. It also reduces the need for excessive bending and provides support for your spine.
The telescoping wand is important for tight spaces and smaller apartments that require smaller vacuum cleaners. Look out for a vacuum with a telescoping wand to reduce cleaning stress.
Variable power setting
Suction power is important for cleaning surfaces. The higher the suction power, the better the vacuum is at cleaning dirt, dust, and debris. However, not all your surfaces at home will require 300 watts of suction power.
Conclusively, you should consider your floor type, budget, features of the vacuum cleaner, suction power, style, portability and cleaning needs before buying a vacuum cleaner.