Cleaning the house with a vacuum cleaner requires some form of agility and mobility. This is because some vacuum cleaners are bulky and heavy weight. For younger people, this might not necessarily be an issue. But with elderly people, we will need to put a lot of things into consideration if they are to use vacuum cleaners. So what vacuum cleaner can the elderly easily use to clean the house? That’s what this post is about, so stay tuned!
It is only natural that the vacuum cleaner an elderly person uses must first be lightweight and easy to move around with. This is a prerequisite for the elderly as other factors can now come into play to make cleaning easier. Apart from being lightweight and mobile, other factors to consider when buying vacuum cleaners for elderly people are source of power, the type of vacuum cleaner and other necessary accessories.
Some elderly people like cleaning the house as a form of exercise. But this should be done the right way so it does not turn to a form of hazard for the person. Others do it because they are now used to it and there is nothing age can do about it. For some other elderly people, it’s a way to cure boredom. They used to have a full house but all of a sudden, everyone is all grown and left the house. So who then cleans the house when everyone is away? The elderly!
This is why having a vacuum cleaner that they would use with minimal effort is mandatory. So in this post, rather than highlighting the types of vacuum cleaner, we would be taking an in-depth look at the features of vacuum cleaners that are suitable for elderly people.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Without much ado, find below are the things to look out for when buying vacuum cleaners for elders.
Weight
The weight of vacuum cleaners differ across model and types. Vacuums with canister are usually the heaviest because you have to factor in the weight of the canister. The next is the upright type of vacuum cleaners, but the stick vacuum cleaners with cord are the least weighted to carry around.
Remember it is elderly people we are talking about here. So the lighter, the better. However, we cannot compromise weight for power, so there should be some form of good suction power even for the lightweight cleaner. So when buying a lightweight vacuum cleaner, also look out for the one that has good suction power. The house must be clean!.
By way of recommendation, we suggest you buy a vacuum cleaner of not more than 4.5kg in weight. Anything more than this can compromise the safety of elderly people.
Power
The source of power for the vacuum cleaner that the elderly people use is a big issue. There are lots of power options, but the most common are A.C powered and the battery powered. The plug in type are usually corded and ones with removable batteries are usually cordless. These power option have their pros and cons. So let us try to narrow it down to the ones that are beneficial to elderly ones.
For elderly people, the first thing to consider when it comes to power of vacuum cleaner is safety and then how easy it is to obtain this power. Vacuum cleaners with cord generally have more suction power, but the mobility can be limited due to the length of the cord. Another issue is that because there is a cord, there is danger of tripping due to entanglement at the feet. For elderly people who have seizures, dementia or Alzheimer, reducing their proximity to electricity is very important.
All the disadvantages of the corded vacuum cleaner can be eliminated with the cordless type. Especially for mobility and power. There is no danger of tripping since there is cable. Electric shock can be prevented as most recent models have a charging dock the cleaners can snap into.
Type of floor to be cleaned
The nature of floor that the elderly person is to clean is also a great factor in choosing the type of vacuum cleaner to buy. If the floor is covered in thick, plush carpets, a very powerful self-propelled cleaner is preferable, especially if there are pets in the house.
However, if the floor is made of ceramic, hardwood, or vinyl, then a cordless vacuum with stick would be a better option. Some really expensive vacuum cleaners come with mop sticks. This could also come in handy with these type of floors.
Lighting
This is a very important feature of the vacuum cleaner. Some models have and some do not. We recommend that you go for the ones that have. Sight often becomes an issue for elderly people. When cleaning in poorly lit rooms, the light in front of the vacuum cleaner can help for better vision and safety.
Some cleaners also have laser projections that help to illuminate dirt in areas that the ordinary eyes might find difficult to see. This kind of dirt can be found on rugs and carpets, most especially. The lighting feature is really good for cleaning under bed and furniture.
Bag or bagless
This feature is important if the elderly person will be doing the cleaning and the maintenance of the vacuum cleaner. Having a bagged cleaner is an advantage as it helps for storage and maintenance. Though finding a lightweight vacuum cleaner that comes with a bag is becoming a herculean task these days.
With a bagless vacuum cleaner, you would have to be cleaning it more often than not. The cleaner would have to be sectionalized, cleaned properly and then coupled back into a single unit. This won’t be an easy thing for old people to do. During assembly, if the parts are not aligned properly, or the seals are not properly placed, the cleaner would not function properly. Over time, the filters might clog, making the cleaner lose suction and power more often than not.
So in this category, we recommend a vacuum cleaner with bag. It might be hard to find, but its worth it.
Attachments
Actually, what makes our cleaning experience easy and better are the type of attachments added to the vacuum cleaner. And again, the type of floor will determine the type of attachment that will be needed. The most important attachments are a good cleaning head which is good for bare floors, carpets and rugs, and then a crevice tool that has a dusting brush.
If not that a motorized brush will need maintaining often, this would have been a very important tool to add to the vacuum cleaner. They clean up fur, hair, fiber, lint, and dust very well.
Filtration
Some elderly people have allergies. They react to stuff like pollen and dust. But with a HEPA filter, their reaction to this can be reduced to the barest minimal. HEPA filtration is so effective that it removes about 99.97% of particles and only exhumes clean air. This form of filtration is sublime. The only downside to this is that vacuum cleaners with this feature are really expensive. But for what it would do for the health of elderly people, it’s really needed.
Robots
Robotic vacuum cleaners, often referred to as self-propelled vacuum cleaners is also a great choice for elderly people. They are as powerful as the corded or cordless vacuum cleaners. They do all the work without getting into the way of the elderly person. In fact, he or she does not have to do much at all. There are different designs and sizes of robot vacuum cleaners. Most are upright so this will help older people operate it with minimum effort.
Conclusion
We might not have itemized the ones you should buy (that’s because we do not want to close your options), but if you use this post as a guide, then sooner or later you will get the best vacuum cleaner for elderly people.