Is your New Year's resolution to do a better job cleaning your house or apartment?
What kind of vacuum should you get?
Vacuum cleaners come in a range from handheld to sticks to upright vacuums to canisters. Hand held vacuums are good for cleaning up small areas and dusting under cushions, sticks are generally weak but light uprights. Canisters have several attachments and a flexible hose, so they can reach more places with powerful suction.The biggest attachment a canister vacuum has is one for vacuuming rugs. They are a bit more awkward on floors than uprights because you also have to drag the canister around. But the flexible hose lets it be used for vacuuming under furniture and in corners.
Robot vacuums like the Roomba (and Neato & Infinuvo) would NOT be my first choice, because they are relatively expensive. They need to be unjammed when they suck in socks. They may also cause trouble with pets, run over toys, and fall down stairs. To keep from tripping over the vacuum, you should get one that can be scheduled to work when you are asleep or not home. To keep it from falling down stairs, get one that uses Virtual Walls or can follow a programmable route, which can also be used to keep it out of areas with tile floor. That said, knowing you have a robot that roams your floor may inspire you to keep your resolution to pick things up.
Another high tech but pricey vacuum is the Dyson line. They have a range of models, some have the Ball™ technology, so the vacuum rolls on one large ball and can pivot easier.They also have Root Cyclone™ technology which separates dust out by centrifugal force, and some (check individual models) are Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America without having HEPA filters.
Hoover has WindTunnel® Technology, which sucks air from several poins around the brush to pick up more dirt, and also uses centerfugal force in their Cyclonic models.
Sears, K-mart, and ABC Warehouse, and Best Buy have vacuum cleaners on sale until Jan 5th according to the in the ads in Sunday's AnnArbor.com
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