Cleaning Moment: Vacuums to Avoid, IMO

Here at Naomi Organizing we realize that occasionally the subject of cleaning overlaps with organizing. Part of cleaning includes vacuuming floors. And since vacuums can be pricy, as well as come in all kinds of varieties, I am a former owner of a cleaning company, and I am all about making our lives more efficient— it just makes sense to share my thoughts on picking the right vacuum.

Has your robo vacuum made saved you significant time in cleaning?

There are cordless, robot vacuums, upright, canister, bagged, and bagless vacuums. Some are loud, others are more more quiet, some last a few years, while others can last 20 plus years. Some have little to no maintenance, while others need monthly maintenance, some can be repaired, and others were made to be tossed after 2 years (that last one is sad :( So which one is right for your needs and which ones are our favorite?!

My Favorite Brands

As a former owner of a cleaning company, I never wanted to find myself stuck with an unreliable vacuum. So after a lot of research, I found out that some brands were originally only used in commercial cleaning, and later released their products for residential use. Thank goodness, because these brands make incredibly durable, hard working vacuums, that offer the customer a totally amazing experience. Which brands, you may ask? Brands that may not be as well known to most American consumers, however I think deserve to be praised. These brands include Sebo, Lindhaus, Miele, Nacecare, LG, and Zero G. Compared to the popular brands here in the US, such as Dyson and Shark, they are quiet close in price. The best way to save money would be to purchase them from a dealer. These companies work closely with local vacuum dealers and want to protect that relationship, supporting small businesses—so its a win/win!!! (Now it is important for me to mention that I have the most experience with regular plug-in vacuums. I have not owned a robot vacuum, yet.)

Then why aren't more people in the US buying from these brands? The lesser known brands market through their dealers and word of mouth, while Shark and Dyson invest lots of money marketing through paid commercials. that is why until now you probably haven’t heard of Miele, Sebo, and Nacecare.

In choosing your vacuum, it is helpful to consider if your home mostly carpet, hard floor, or 50/50?

Maintenance

People are busy, and while we know that any piece of equipment needs some form of regular maintenance. Hower, there is maintenance and there are unnecessary headaches and hassle. If there is any that is an unnecessary hassle, then let's avoid that kind of vacuum.

I personally prefer bagged vacuums simply because they require the least amount maintenance, better for you vacuum, provide better air filtration, and the bags are easier to dispose of. Bagged vacuums fill up with debris, and the user simply removes the bag and replaces it with a new one. Also vacuum bags these days are really affordable, in comparison to decades ago. This is when Dyson became famous for releasing a bagless vacuum because they felt the consumer would prefer to save money on bags and in a gimmick that worked, they claimed that consumers prefer to SEE the dirt that they had vacuumed in a clear dirt bin.

Bagless vacuums require regular monthly filter cleaning from the consumer, replacing the expensive pre-motor filter (often a detail the consumer is completely unaware of) about every year, causing more dirt to enter the motor housing (wearing out the machine faster), and shoot a plume of dust into the users face when trying to empty the dirt canister. I find this a hassle and unnecessary.

Bagged vacuums have filters too, however they aren't expensive and are easy to replace. Plus the filters don't need to be washed. The some vacuum bags are made with extra benefits for allergy sufferers, such as filtering HEPA filtering, charcoal (helps eliminate odors), Silver micron infused (inhibits growth of bacteria) etc. When you remove the bag, you just need to close the opening, and throw the bag into the trash. No plume of dust in your face!!

We do realize that at this time, stick and robo vacuums only come in bagless models. So for that reason and also they have really made vacuuming easier and saved the consumer a lot of time, we make an exception for these types of vacuums and appreciate their value!

If the are you need to vacuum is small like a kitchen or small apartment, an stick vacuum mop can be all you need.

Vacuum body style

Upright vacuums are recommended for homes that are more than 50% high pile carpet. Often they come with an extension hose to vacuum between narrow and hard-to-reach areas. I used a combination of upright and canister vacuums in my cleaning business. While they can vacuum hard floors, they may leave some debris behind because of they were originally made just to clean carpet.

Canister vacuums are more versatile as far as cleaning different areas. Most models are for vacuuming hard floors and low to medium pile carpet. They are the more economicly priced canister vacuums. However there are some with a power head meant for vacuuming high pile carpet as well. Canister vacuums that we really like and use in our cleaning company are Nacecare (known as Numatic in the UK), Sebo and Nilfisk.

Stick vacuums and robot vacuums are the most popular vacuums today. Stick vacuums can be really handy because they are lightweight and as long as their battery has been charged, they don’t require the user to plug them in the wall. They are the extension pole of the vacuum in a form of a stick and no canister behind it, to make it easier for the user to maneuver through the house. However, there are stick vacuum-mops that offer the mopping benefit as well.

Robot vacuums can now vacuum AND MOP FLOORS!!! Honestly I think just robot vacuuming alone is one of the most incredible modern day inventions. The time that they free up for the user is a benefit. Robot vacuums may not perform every task perfectly, however they seem to be getting better and better. I don’t have one particular brand preference, however I have heard really impressive things about the Roborock brand.

Hopefully, this article has been helpful regarding what to concider when purchasing a vacuum. These are my personal thoughts and I was not paid by any company to share my opinion.