Buying Guide Floorcare

The world of vacuum cleaners has transformed with modern technology. There are many different types available, suiting every floor surface imaginable. It’s worth carefully considering them, as they each have their purposes, advantages, and disadvantages.

An upright vacuum cleaner is a traditional type which you push by the handle, while the cylinder is a smaller unit which can be pulled along.

Although uprights tend to be heavier and more difficult to manoeuvre, they’re generally better at cleaning bigger floor spaces, especially carpets. This is because they have high suction power and revolving, belt-driven brushes to loosen ingrained dirt. They are ideal for larger homes, especially if you have pets – they’re great at getting rid of unwanted hair. Plus, they have some of the largest capacities among cleaners, and their long handles can help prevent back pain.

Cylinder designs benefit from being lighter, more compact, and easier to move around. This will help you clean difficult spots like the stairs and furniture, and they’re also ideal for use on hard floors. However, they need larger motors, which can take up a lot of the storage space inside, making them less energy efficient. While uprights always have rotating brush bars, many cylinder vacuums do not, making these models inefficient at picking up hair without an attachment.

Traditionally, vacuum cleaners have always collected dust and dirt in sealed bags.

Modern bagless designs are less fiddly to empty and save you spending money on replacement bags – this is also better for the environment. They collect the dirt in a container, which can be opened and tipped away with minimal fuss. They also avoid the problem of the suction becoming less powerful as the bag fills.

Bagged designs are better for allergy sufferers, however, as they lock dust and spores away more effectively, keeping them sealed in while you’re emptying. The British Allergy Foundation awards some bagged models with a Seal of Approval. This means they significantly reduce key allergens like dust mites and pollen. Bagged cleaners usually have a larger capacity too, so you don’t have to empty them as often.

You may notice that the cable length varies between different vacuum cleaners, but have you ever considered going cordless?

Cordless models use rechargeable batteries, giving you the freedom to move between rooms without changing plug sockets. They’re lightweight, easy to manoeuvre, and great for use in many different parts of the home. Some have docking stations for charging, and some can even be secured to your wall for mess-free storage. They’re always bagless, and many have the same, powerful performance as their corded counterparts.

You can find models which switch between stick and handheld versions, giving you the ultimate variety of places to clean. They often come with lots of attachments too.

While they have obvious advantages, cordless vacuum cleaners do have drawbacks. They can be expensive, and most have a battery life of 30 to 40 minutes – which may not be enough to clean your whole home – while others run for an hour or more. They also tend to have lower capacities.

Handheld vacuums are much like cordless cleaners because they’re battery-powered. They differ due to their smaller size, and their purpose – they are designed to be used as a supplement to your main vacuum.

While they’re not as powerful as other types, their portable design makes them useful for picking up dust and crumbs from the stairs, cleaning the car, and regularly getting rid of pet hair. Typically, they run for anything from five to 30 minutes.

The most futuristic vacuum cleaner on the list, robotic models will clean your floors to pay for this convenience, as they are the most expensive type.

These are best for light cleaning and smaller homes and are one of the easiest types to store, thanks to their compact size. They generally run for up to two hours before they need to be recharged – and many recharge themselves.

Navigation sensors let them make their way around, whether that’s through infrared signals, lasers, or cameras. Many robots create a floor plan to follow by scanning your home, giving you a better clean.

Plus, you don’t need to worry about robot vacuum cleaners getting stuck on different surfaces, as modern tank tracks let them stay on course without your help. You can even find models with voice control, making your life that much easier.

Wet and Dry vacuums give your floors a thorough clean and make housework a breeze, as you can get rid of liquids and solids with a single appliance. Some models even have a washing function, to give your carpets and rugs an extra deep clean.

These vacuums have two compartments, so wet and dry waste are stored separately. It’s a good idea to empty the liquid compartment after each use to avoid stagnant water. It may also be worth investing in additional attachments to clean different household surfaces effectively.

These multi-functional models are more common in the workplace, where the wet function will likely get more use. Wet and dry vacuums can be used for anything from cleaning spillages to dry vacuuming, to unblocking drains.

However, they are also great for use at home. They usually have a large dust capacity and a detachable hose to help make your cleaning go further. And, you can also find handheld versions for quick clean-ups.

Steam cleaners use high temperatures to rapidly heat water and clean a range of surfaces – including carpets, hard surfaces, upholstery, oven doors, and even taps – wiping away dirt and killing germs effectively.

Surfaces are often left nearly dry after use, so you don’t need to avoid the room for hours as you would if you’d mopped instead. And, this hygienic method is achieved just by using water. There are no hazardous cleaning chemicals involved, making these machines a great choice for families with pets or young children.

You can also find steam cleaners which double as vacuums with water-based filters.

Mops, Cylinders and Handhelds

Steam cleaners come in several different designs which are similar to upright, handheld and cylinder vacuums. Mops are ideal for hard floors, and some have variable steam control to clean laminate and wood. Handheld cleaners are best for hard-to-reach spots, but many models have small tanks. Cylinder models are the most expensive, versatile, and powerful designs, and are a good all-rounder for tough stains. They usually have the largest water tanks and can also clean around both kitchens and bathrooms.

2-in-1 Models

A 2-in-1 steam cleaner detaches from the stick, to convert from an upright to a handheld. This gives you the flexibility to use one unit for a multitude of tasks, from cleaning the floors to washing the windows.

Different Water Capacities

The larger the capacity, the more water the cleaner will hold (and the more steam it’ll produce) before it needs a top-up. At the cheaper end of the scale, there are water tanks holding less than 0.5 litres, while some can take as much as two litres.

A large water tank will increase the unit’s weight, meaning upright models are harder to manoeuvre, while smaller tanks may encourage quicker heating up.

Steam Time and Heating Time

Steam time refers to how long you can use the cleaner before it runs out of water.

Most offer around 10 to 20 minutes of use, but this can be as high as 40 minutes for the more expensive models.

If you see a heating time listed, that’s how long you’ll need to wait before the steam is produced and the cleaner is ready to use. This can be anything from a few seconds to 10 minutes or more. Steam mops provide steam on demand, but cylinder models use a pressurised steam chamber, so they can take several minutes to warm up.

Carpet washers use a water tank and detergent solution to give soft floorings a deep clean. Your carpets can be up to 10 times cleaner than if you’d simply vacuumed, with deeply ingrained grime and allergens removed. You’ll usually need to pass slowly over each part of the carpet multiple times. This can leave them wet for a few hours afterwards, so carpet washers are used less regularly than other floorcare appliances.

They are great at reducing the appearance of stains and embedded dirt and prolonging the life of your carpet. Some have special stain functions, like boost sprays, to lift stubborn marks. Carpet cleaners have two water capacities – one for clean and one for dirty water – as it is separated during use. The clean capacity is often the largest, and it’s worth looking at higher sizes if you want to save time on refilling or cleaning several rooms.

Some models have an additional heating function to improve the breaking down of grime in your carpets and help dry them. You can also find tools and features like detachable floor heads and motor-powered brushes, for cleaning hard-to-reach areas and difficult stains.

Carpet sweepers – or floor sweepers – can be manual or battery powered, and they have a rotating bar which brushes dust and dirt inside.

They’re more effective than sweeping, but don’t offer the suction of vacuuming. This makes them useful for quick, in-between cleans involving daily dirt and dry spills since they’re lightweight and don’t need to be plugged in for use. Carpet sweepers are also great for tidying under furniture and in areas where larger vacuums can’t reach. Some can also convert to handheld sweepers to be even more helpful around the home.

Floor polishers are designed to keep wooden and other hard surfaces buffed to perfection.

They’re more commonly used in commercial premises, but some domestic models are available. They use brushes to polish surfaces for a shiny, spotless finish, and to make them more resistant to abrasions, dirt, and humidity. Some models vacuum and scrub too – or, they can be used with different attachments to add these functions. Polishers are often best suited to specific surfaces, so check that they match the flooring in your home before buying one.

A vacuum cleaner’s capacity is how much dirt it will hold before it needs emptying. The larger it is, the fewer trips you’ll need to the bin and the fewer bags you’ll get through.

The capacity will probably be somewhere between one and six litres, although some cylinder designs can hold up to nine.

It’s important to remember that a large capacity will make the machine heavier and more difficult to manoeuvre. And, bagged vacuum cleaners can also lose suction as they approach full capacity.

In the past, vacuum cleaners simply sucked the dirt into a bag. The air would pass out through the back of the bag, which would act as an additional filter, and leave the dirt inside. The main drawback of this was that the warm air exiting the vacuum could still be dusty, making the whole cleaning process less efficient.

Cyclonic – or cyclone – technology, changed all of that. The air doesn’t pass in a straight line through the machine, but in a spinning motion, which encourages the dust to separate and collect at the bottom of the bin. Cyclone technology is only available in bagless models, and many use multiple cyclones that are smaller in size, to make the process even more efficient.

Even super-efficient cyclone vacuum cleaners still rely on filters. Motor, pre-motor, or post-motor filtration cleans the air before it enters the bin. Exhaust filtration is the main process which removes particles from the air as it leaves the bin before it’s let back into your room.

Standard

These filters offer the lowest levels of effectiveness and are found on cheaper vacuum cleaners. Standard filters aren’t suitable for allergy sufferers and can make vacuuming less efficient, as the small particles can pass through them and back into your room. Multiple filters can make the process work better, and microfiltration uses at least four levels for cleaner air.

S-CLASS/HEPA

Designed with allergy sufferers in mind, S-Class and HEPA designs offer the best level of filtration. Independently set standards ensure they remove the smallest microscopic particles, along with up to 99.97% of allergens.

Washable

Rather than needing to be replaced every six to 12 months, a washable filter can be cleaned with soap regularly, to keep it running at its best. Rinseable versions can only be cleaned with water. Both will save you money and reduce your impact on the environment since you won’t need to buy new ones.

Charcoal

Charcoal has odour-removing properties, so a layer inside a filter banishes pet smells from your home.

Lifetime

For completely fuss-free maintenance, look for a lifetime filter. Only the more expensive models will offer this feature, which is designed to outlive your vacuum cleaner, without reducing effectiveness. They typically last for seven to 10 years.

Filterless

Dyson is even moving towards completely filterless cleaning. This works by using vibration to separate dust from the air, although only top-of-the-range models offer this currently.

strong>Hypoallergenic Sealed Systems

A sealed system means air can’t escape through any tiny cracks or gaps in the machine’s design. As a result, all the air which leaves the vacuum cleaner passes through the filter first – another great feature for allergy sufferers.

A rotating brush bar is found on virtually all uprights, and on some cylinder vacuums.

The spinning mechanism helps pick up pet hair, even when it’s deeply entwined in the carpet fibres.

The lighter your vacuum cleaner, the less strenuous it will be to use it. Most upright and cylinder models weigh around 5 to 8 kg, but lightweight models can be as low as 2 kg.

As cordless designs emphasise ease of use, they tend to be at the lower end of the scale. Some upright vacuum cleaners can also be switched into a handheld design, for when you need to reach more difficult spots.

Technology has moved on from swivel steering, which lets you tilt your machine sideways to move around obstacles.

Ball-based manoeuvrability – made famous by Dyson – makes steering even easier and cleaning even smoother.

A height adjustment feature will tweak the vacuum’s position so you can get as close to your carpet or hard floor as possible, for more thorough cleaning results. This option can be manual – either with a foot pedal or button – or automatic, where it’ll adapt to your floor type as you move between rooms.

Many manufacturers will design the handle for comfort. It might have curved edges or be moulded to fit the hand.

Some models now have ultra-low profile handles, so they can slide under furniture easily without you needing a tool or attachment.

The majority of cylinder vacuum cleaners have a cord rewind feature. This will retract speedy storage. Designs which don’t have this feature tend to have clips, which you wrap the cord around.

If you’re looking at corded vacuum cleaners, it’s worth considering the length of the mains power cable. The average length is seven to eight metres, but some are as long as 10 or 12 metres. A longer cable means a larger reach, and less time spent changing plug sockets. Although a cylinder vacuum may have a shorter cord, the hose and attachments could make it go further than you think.

There can be a huge difference between run times in battery-powered vacuum cleaners. The majority of models last for around 15 to 30 minutes, but some can run for an hour before needing to be recharged.

This will let you know when a vacuum cleaner needs its bag replaced, taking out any guesswork.

Want to monitor how much charge is left in your vacuum battery? You can find models with LED displays which will keep you up to date. Plus, LED lights to help you clean better under everything from your sofa to your bed, illuminating spaces you usually can’t see.

Get right into the corners of your rooms with edge-to-edge cleaning. The design of the floorhead on these vacuums extends its suction to your skirting boards, so you don’t need to depend on attachments.

All-round, synthetic bumpers can protect your vacuum and your furniture from damage, following bumps and scrapes.

A few upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners have sensors which can detect dusty spots and will let you know using an alert light. Robotic vacuums usually depend on sensors to clean, avoid walls, and detect drops such as stairs.

Vacuums often have several power settings, which may include Max modes for deep cleaning, and Quiet modes for cleaning that are lighter on your home and your ears.

Protect the lifespan of your vacuum by choosing a model which will never overheat. If the airway gets blocked, the motor will automatically switch off, protecting it from permanent damage.

Modern robot vacuum cleaners can be connected to your smartphone, letting you schedule and track your cleaning.

To increase a vacuum cleaner’s reach, try using extension tubes. These are a necessity for both cylinder and upright cleaners, and usually, you’ll receive one as standard. They allow you to connect the hose to an attachment, giving you a larger reach. Plastic tubes do the job perfectly well, but metal – usually stainless steel – versions are longer lasting.

Telescopic tubes can extend and retract, saving you from switching between tube lengths. Some have a push button to release the telescope function, keeping it firmly in place while you’re using it.

These automatically shift the vacuum cleaner floorhead and performance power when you move between floor types. There’s no way you can forget to lower them for hard surfaces, and it provides you with convenience and better cleaning.

While most vacuum cleaners are well equipped to deal with carpets, thanks to their rotating brush bars, they’re often not as effective at dusting hard floors. A hard floor attachment like a horsehair or parquet brush is specifically designed for wooden, laminate, and tiled surfaces.

If your vacuum cleaner is a cylinder model without a brush bar, a full-size turbo brush is a tool for you – this will add the missing spinning motion, powered by the flow of air. They’re a must-have if your home is carpeted, as they remove hair and dirt from deep in the carpet fibres.

Clean the sofa and other soft areas with a small turbo brush. Their compact size makes them perfect for removing pet hair from your upholstery. They sometimes come with vacuum cleaners advertised as suitable for pet owners.

Clean right up to the edges of the stairs, skirting boards and radiators with a crevice tool. These plastic heads with angled tips can be used with tubes to provide precision cleaning of difficult spots.

These small-diameter attachments have soft bristles. They can be used for cleaning hard surfaces like shelves and window sills, without the risk of scratching them. Dusting brushes are sometimes advertised as furniture brushes, but these may also have shorter bristles for getting closer to your sofa and chairs.

When added to your hose or extension tube, an upholstery nozzle makes it possible to clean expanses of soft furnishings. It’s similar to a hard surface floorhead, just smaller in size.

Picking up cat and dog hair can be tricky for a standard vacuum cleaner head. A special pet tool is either a type of small turbo brush (with a rotating brush) or an upholstery tool (without one). They’re specifically designed to remove hair, along with the allergens it contains.

Steam mops usually come with washable mop pads, which you can clean in the washing machine and then reuse.

Some models come with cleaning attachments specifically designed for mattresses. These may have dry or deep cleaning functions and may work powder into the mattress.

Save storage space by combining a nozzle with a dusting brush. They can be separated if you want to use them independently, but make the most of the limited room on board.