Vacuum

[SumDay]

I was going to title this thread: "Well, this sucks" but figured I'd get in trouble. I did search on vacuum, but everything was old.

We sold our house, pending inspection. (fingers crossed) We have a central vacuum now, and I have a love/hate relationship with it. It's been 35 years since I used a "real" vacuum.

I will have a flight of steps to the basement to vacuum, so need something with a good attachment, or should I get two different units? I can't imagine a regular vacuum having a hose long enough so that you didn't have to move the actual unit up and down steps. I'm really out of it on this topic.

Any & all opinions and recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[Hermit]

We always had an upstairs and a downstairs vacuum.

 

[freebird5825]

I use a handheld vacuum for the steps. No cord to trip over, no heavy machine to carry up and down halfway while trying to vacuum.
Safety first !!!!
My vacuum is a Shark Rotator Professional. Very lightweight upright, easy to empty out the see-through collector cup, nice ergonomic handle, detachable handle for getting floor corners and crevices, swivels easily, small footprint for storage. Easy for me to safely carry up and down the steps when I need to do the seldom used basement carpet.
I no longer have a housecleaner, so this model fits my needs perfectly.

I still have my old Rainbow with extra long hoses for doing cobwebs along the ceilings. The Shark hose is too short for that.

 

[easysurfer]

I use a Hoover Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner. Bought that about 18 months ago and it is still going strong. Still using the original battery and sponge/filter. Battery lasts about 20 minutes before needing a charge.

If I had a bigger place, I'd probably get a full sized (or at least an extra battery) corded one, but the cordless is so convenient. The Linx does a great job picking up cat hair and cat litter tracks.

 

[48Fire]

We have a small Dyson, very easy for steps to vacuum or carry. I like that it doesn't have a bag, just a can to empty.

 

[Senator]

Here is what I use in my apartments, light, versatile. Great for stairs. It is a handheld, and an upright.

 

[travelover]

I use a handheld vacuum for the steps.

Same here - I have an old Dirt Devil with a beater brush and a cloth bag. Works well.

 

[H2ODude]

Wasn't going to post but then thought "egads, we have four vacuums!" so anyway...

First off, we have two floors, all hardwood but many area rugs. But the real "determinator" here is we have two Basset Hounds and a cat we inherited. Dogs stay downstairs. We have a portable battery operated Dyson for quick hair touchups and a Roomba that chokes every night on all the dog hair. But it does a wonderful job in that in the two years we have had it we've not seen a hair tumbleweed. We also have an older Dyson upright that is killer on the rugs. It gave out a few months ago and spent $200 to repair. Was pondering getting new one but the guy told me to look at them first...they don't make them like they used to. He was right. Admittedly heavy (too much so for DW to drag upstairs) but really powerful. Lastly we have a small 110v handheld w beater that gets used for the carpeted stairs.

I really think your choices are determined by a) pets? and b) floor surfaces.

We had a built in vacuum in house from 87 to 95. Thought it was cool at first but that long hose was a pain. Can't recall if it had a beater, I think it was "air" powered. I like the electric beater.

 

[Koolau]

We finally got down to living space on one level (no steps) and no carpet (all ceramic tile) and relatively small (a little over 1000SF.) For THIS configuration, we depend almost exclusively on our Roomba. We have a small hand-held for behind the toilet or other cramped quarters. I actually recommend the Roomba though I'm sure vacuuming by "hand" is a bit more effective. Our open plan (and open windows) insures that we get a new coating of volcanic dust each day. The Roomba is really great for "every day." If it misses a spot today, it's likely to get it the next. We are NOT clean-freaks, so we're good. YMMV

 

[samclem]

I use our canister vacuum on the stairs, I just carry the thing up a few at a time. Not super convenient, but okay.

I think a backpack vacuum would be great, something like this. No canister to bang into walls, corners and furniture, no heavy "upright" that can't get into tight spots and needs a special fitting/long hose to go up high. Stairs and the rest of the house would be a piece of cake. Just me and a trailing cord.

 

[pb4uski]

We have 6 vacs but it is not as bad as it sounds.

We have 2 main vacs in the house, one downstairs and another upstairs, plus a cordless stick vac for convenience. The house is all hard surfaces and a couple area rugs.

We principally use a Roomba for periodic "sweeping" and then vacuum occasionally. The thing I like about the Roomba is that it is easy and gets under beds, bureaus, etc and gets those little dust bunnies.

DW has a corded stick vac that we inherited from my grandmother that she keeps in her sewing room above the garage. I have a shop vac in the garage and we have an old Electrolux that sits in a corner of the garage gathering dust.

I usually sweep the stairs (hard surface as well) because it is easier and then either sweep up or vac the debris that ends up at the bottom of the stairs.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

My vacuum is a Shark Rotator Professional. Very lightweight upright, easy to empty out the see-through collector cup, nice ergonomic handle, detachable handle for getting floor corners and crevices, swivels easily, small footprint for storage. Easy for me to safely carry up and down the steps when I need to do the seldom used basement carpet.

I no longer have a housecleaner, so this model fits my needs perfectly.

I'd second the Shark Rotator Professional for a regular vacuum. It also claims to be fully sealed with a washable HEPA filter for allergies, something I've found really helpful. Being able to turn it into a canister vacuum works really well.

I've found what helps the best in needing to vacuum less is insisting shoes come off at the door, and any pets get brushed once a week. I haven't decided if shaving off all our hair will give any kind of ROI, because it still doesn't get rid of shedding dead skin.

 

[LRDave]

I had a T-shirt once with a cartoon of a floor fan talking to a Hoover.


The floor fan says: "You suck....."


The Hoover says: "Blow me...."


I was on Bourbon St. in my 20's and a bit drunk when I purchased it. I thought it was funny but I never actually wore the shirt, except to a Mardi Gras party once.....


Back to your regularly scheduled programming.....

 

[Tandemlovers]

I have owned four Sears canisters in the last 30 years, two of which are still working (passed on to daughters). We live in a two story house with wood floors and area rugs throughout, so I've always preferred a canister over an upright vacuum. The first Sears canister, purchased almost 30 years ago I gave to a cleaning lady and I doubt it is still working.

The old Sears canister vacs are heavy, and something of a pain to haul up and down staircases, but I have had pretty good luck with them reliability wise. An added bonus is that the dust bags are inexpensive.

About two years ago, I bought a Sebo canister vac and I mostly like it, though the hose is not as flexible as those on the Sears canister vacs, and the Sebo has a tendency to flip over sometimes when I'm not careful. Sebo's vacuum bags are made of a high quality material but they are expensive.

For our vacation house in Florida, I purchased a fourth Sears canister vac in February, and I would have to say I'm a bit disappointed in the newer design. The bare floor attachment is considerably narrower than the floor attachment of their older canisters, so you have to perform more strokes over the surface of a floor to get the job done. (You have to wonder whose idea that was!). The design of the upholstery brush is not ideal. Still, it gets the job done and is okay for less than year round use.

Good luck with your decision!