Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hey, I need some help picking a vacuum cleaner. Price is not really an issue, but I want to use the vacuum cleaner for these purposes: -pet hair -carpet -wood floor -tile floor I also want the vacuum to be light-weight... Can anybody suggest a good vacuum? Thanks ;) . All the best, tw23

Mike_W wrote:
Well, corded vacuums with a brush roll is better for any pet hair, or human hair - the Hoover Windtunnel Air and Vax have removable floor heads via two catches that releases the whole hood of the brush roll, making it far easier to clean the brush roll off of hairs that get wrapped around, often reducing the excellent pick up that brush rolls enjoy.

As for bagless - they are unhealthy - not just in light of dumping the dust but in light of removing the filters - usually after 6 months to a year, dust sits in the HEPA filter that is fitted to the Vax/Hoover as well as the fact that the "tray" in which is sits underneath the main suction cyclones can usually be caked in dust. It is relatively easy to clean this whole unit and there's a twist-to-unlock ring that sits above the main single cyclone that will separate the plastic mesh grid, of which you may well find dust behind.

I would agree with Mike that the Hoover is lighter - it also feels far more complete than the Navigator/MR Lift Away Clarity - I tried that one Mike - it's a good machine but it's not well thought out IMHO and I found to be a bit bulkier than the Windtunnel Air.

So there you go, Anjalena, the Hoover WT Air seems to be the best way to go.

On a separate note, I have also tried the Panasonic MC UL710, bagless Sebo Felix rival - swivels, seems well made and very light. I may replace it eventually with my Vax Mach Air as the models we have in the UK have a shorter power cord unless you buy TOL / Top Of Line "Mach Air Reach" models.

vacmanuk wrote: I am going to assume your first paragraph is in response to my last paragraph.  I have added to what I was saying.  I am talking w/a person who only has linoleum.  Most corded vacuum cleaners are going to pick up animal hair from linoleum.  This is one of her concerns.  The two vacuum cleaners in question are actually "overkill", since there is no carpeting in her apartment.  But they will get the job done. 

As for your next paragraph, understand the definition of "unhealthy".  Not everyone is going to be affected by what is in the vacuum cleaner.  Should everyone be scared of dirt?  Should we tell our children to stop playing in the dirt.  Should I have run for cover the other day, when a big wind came; stirring up leaves, dirt, and whatever?  Should we tell everyone to not pet animals?  See how crazy that sounds.  The world is getting too paranoid.  For many years, I talked about the problem using antibacterial soaps.  We do not always need it.  Then studies came out saying regular soap and water are just fine.  Killing too many germs is a bad thing.  We do not need to stay away from using things or being around things that will not hurt us.  Not everyone will be affected from debris in the vacuum cleaner.

What you could say is that bagless vacuum cleaners can be dusty or dirty.  I have no problem w/that.  That would be factual.  It is actually a dirt collector.  All vacuum cleaners must be maintained properly, to be efficient for the machine, as well as the user.

I am going to say it again, bagless vacuum cleaners are not unhealthy for healthy people.  A bagless can be unhealthy for a person who is allergic to dustmite feces/excrement, which is vacuumed up by the bagless, then emptied by this person . Or, possibly maintained by the same user.   There are other kinds of material, in the dustbin/bag, which could affect some also, but I am not going to run through every one of them.

Mike_W wrote:
Oh here we go again, you're the moderator, therefore no one can offer a differing opinion - where does that say that in the terms and conditions of this site?

You can keep talking about as much as you wish about how bag less can be healthy, or whatever you choose to relay in terms of being pedantic. However, NO clinics. surgeries or large corporate health establishments EVER use bagless, cyclonic vacuums. Some have a central vac with a bag at the end to take all the traffic dust collected. Now, why is that? Surely it would be more cost effective to use bagless vacuums in these kind of places. No, they use bags, they cost extra money and cleaning companies don't have the time to keep sweeping up the dust that the plastic bins leave behind when dumping the dust AND then spend more time cleaning out the filters int the bin when there's a loss of suction. I know this because I have worked as a contract cleaner - so here's a FACT for you to take on board. I have worked in a few large hospitals in a few major cities across the UK. Hospitals who don't use contract cleaners have their own bagged vacuums - again not bagless. Don't bother going there with scenarios of being scared of dirt - since the average house hold consumer now buys antibacterial cleaning hand gel at a time when it was only available in hospitals, consumers clearly want hygiene peace of mind whether they are allergic or not.

Secondly, you wouldn't leave a bin in your kitchen looking dirty, or even use the bin WITHOUT a bag in place - what's the difference? End of the day the owner would have to wash out the bin, clean it and make it hygienically safe to be around. Same with those who own a few brands where the vacuum filters need regular maintenance to keep the suction going.

vacmanuk wrote:
Please stop using "you're the moderator" excuse.  Every person has a right to make a comment.  Every person can debate.  I like that you now say "differing opinion".  So we can now say that a simple comment, "using a bagless vacuum cleaner is unhealthy" is just your opinion.

I am not really going to comment too much about your following comments, because it is mainly again talking about the performance and not being "unhealthy".  I will touch on your discussion about hospitals and such.  They are free to choose what they want.   We are talking about a person in a home, who has no problem.  Would you agree that a hospital is a different situation?  Would you agree that w/all the people who walk through a hospital, maybe at least one of them has some kind of compromised system.  I am one who just had surgery last week.  With all the times I have visited lately, I have seen all the precautions taken against germs, viruses, etc.  We are talking about an individual's home though.  That one household can choose what they want to use.. It does not mean that they are unhealthy, because they use some other process from a hospital.

I have been in many commercial establishments, who have commercial vacuum cleaners.  These vacuum cleaners can use those cloth shakeout bags.  I have seen some of those commercial HOOVER uprights w/the dump cups.  When I was just out of high school, I cleaned commercially for a time.  I used HOOVERs, Eurekas, w/shakeout bags.  I also used Advance, etc. 

Please do not use a comment like everyone buys it or does it as fact.  If that were true Euro Pro would have had the best vacuum cleaner in the world.

I am leaving my last post as is, because I feel that it plainly talks about who should or should not have a bagless vacuum cleaner.  It is so funny that I am a person who prefers bagged cleaners, but am defending a person who wants a bagless.  But then, I am showing that I am not bias for/againsts bagless/bagged.  Bagless may not be right for everyone, but are fine for some.

Mike_W wrote:
Well I can definately tell you this - hospitals don't use bagless vacuums in the UK. There are laws in the health & safety document that lead companies to bring in bagged vacuums.

I'm not trying to "sell" the idea that bagged is better than bagless - but I am giving opinions and facts based on my own experiences that show the bagless route involves more cleaning up after. Also hospitals have hard floors/soft vinyl for the most part and even the polishers have bags in them.

Hey guys. Sorry if I caused the drama. Drama in a forum is never good and I'd hate to think I caused it.

Anyway, from what you've both said, it sounds like the Hoover Windtunnel Air is my best bet so I think I'll go with that. I have a couple of questions, though.

First, should I ever use the brushroll feature on my floors? Since I have only linoleum, it would seem I wouldn't need the brush roll at all. But I trust that you guys know a lot more about practical vacuum use so I wanted to ask.

Secondly, how often should I -ACTUALLY- clean the filters? I don't necessarily trust manuals and companies selling it since their interest is always to make their product out to be as perfect as possible. (gotta love that bottom line, eh?) So what do you guys think on how often to clean the filters?

Lastly, I'm trying to get info on these new pet cleaning attachments. One is called the Rubberized Wiper Blade Pet Tool and the other is the Rubberized Pet Turbo Tool which seems to be a little motorized brush tool. (the part numbers for each are 303303001 for the first tool and 000977002 for the second tool. I've been trying to find some videos on their usage but can't seem to find any. That seems strange to me since it's a "Seen on TV" product and I'm sure there is an Infomercial out there for it. I'm trying to make a decision on how good or useless they are. If they're really good on cleaning upholstery and such, I thought I could buy the Windtunnel Air refurbished and then just buy those 2 tools separately. That would save me a lot more money than buying all of them brand new.

What are your thoughts? Please include any url links that I could use that would help me make a decision. =)

Do not worry.  My hope is that anyone reading will learn from what is written.

My suggestion, after receiving your vacuum cleaner, is to read the instructions completely.  Make sure others, in your household, understand how to use and care for it also. 

The filters should be checked regularly.  The intervals are going to be different for everyone, because we all may have different situations.  Some will have to vacuum up very fine dust, while others may vacuum up larger debris, while still others may vacuum up fine dust, hair and debris.  If you are mainly vacuuming up hair, it could be every two months.  What you need to do is learn about your vacuum cleaner and what it picks up.  Maybe open up the filter cover and examine the filter.  If it is caked full of dust and hair, it would not hurt to rinse it out.  If you understand the intervals between cleaning the filter, you will have no problem knowing when to rinse the filter.  Also check the final filter.  This should not get too dusty, but remember not to wash it. 

Another way to understand when to rinse the vacuum cleaner filter, is if the suction falls off.  Do not let it go that far, because that means a big drop in performance

You really should have no problem vacuuming w/the brushroll off.  It will become difficult when the airflow is greatly reduced.  Just start off vacuuming with the brushroll OFF.  I have noticed that sometimes, larger debris like a piece of paper can get lodged in the brushroll chamber, when the brushroll is OFF. Dog hair, dirt, cheerios, or similar, should be no problem.

One thing I do not like about the HOOVER WT Air are the attachments.  They are small and awkward to use.  Manufacturers have slowly shrunk and cheapened attachments to save money, save space on smaller vacuum cleaners and to save weight on vacuum cleaners.  The attachments, for the WT Air are basically for users who do not have much use for attachment cleaning.

I am not a big fan of the two optional accessories you mentioned.  I feel that you do not need the rubberized wiper blade pet tool, because you can use the small attachment which comes w/the WT Air.  But, it is not going to cost that much if you really want it.  What HOOVER is doing is cheapening their products even more by replacing brush bristles w/soft blade strips.  One advantage though is that hair can be easily removed from the blades, compared to bristles, as you vacuum.

Now about the mini turbo attachment.  They have replaced the bristles w/rubbery blades also.  I do not like the cleaning results from a blade as compared to bristles.  Bristles will have more flex/bend on fabric and carpeting.  You should be able to find a HOOVER mini turbo attachment from independent retailers, which still use bristles.

I really do not care for the smaller mini turbo attachments, from these mass market manufacturers like HOOVER/Royal/Dirt Devil/VAX, Panasonic/Kenmore , etc.  They are small and have a small cleaning path.  They also bog down easily, partly because of their smaller turbines.  The larger mini turbo attachments from makers like H-P. Products and Wessel-Werk are true performers.  I have had an H.P. Rug Rat for over 30yrs. and it has performed superbly.  This model was used on a few brands of vacuum cleaners in the past.  Wessel-Werk has two models of mini turbo attachments also which perform equally as well as the H.P. Rug Rat.  I have found their more deluxe model to be quiet.  These models, which I have mentioned, are going to be higher than your budget, but I wanted to mention them for anyone else looking for a mini turbo attachment.  The rubberized pet turbo tool will actually clean better than the attachment on the vacuum cleaner or the other rubberized tool.  Check out ebay for “Hoover turbo attachment for pet hair” and see what comes up.  You also want to make sure that the fitting is a 1 ¼” fitting and friction-fit.  That means it slides on without locking. 

This should get you started. 

Anjalena wrote:
Hi Anjalena
Since my last post I have been very lucky to have a friend of mine who has returned from the U.S, lock, stock and barrel following a sudden, tragic loss of her partner. Apart from the fantastic Waring blender she bought with her and tons of things, she also has the Windtunnel Air that she couldn't live without. She has since bought a voltage transformer to use it in her home, so I gave it a go and find it a bit easier to use than my own Vax. I find that it works well with brush roll on or off BETTER than the UK version. Vax have since brought out a new version with a swivel built into the floor head but I'm really taken with her Windtunnel Air.

Now, in so far as the attachments, I would agree with Mike to a certain degree. First of all, any tool with a rubber blade is going to be harder work when it meets any kind of fabric. Let me tell, using squeegee/rubber strip floor heads with wet cleaners is hard enough on hard floor - yes, whilst the Rubberized Wiper Blade Pet Tool is small and neat, I don't like the tool because there are too many rubber blades which would give your hand a real work out, pet hair would stick to the blades and require more pulling off of the hair yourself rather than use the vacuum. Also the neck is fairly thin plastic and it could crack over time.

It is true that whilst the smaller tools are of not much use, at least you have them. I find them basic but they do the job as intended, especially with the more flexible extension hose attached. I have a fantastic Electrolux turbo tool that has twin rubber blades permanently fixed on the bottom and a handy visor that you can slide up for cleaning stairs. I've had it for years and I'd be lost without it - its an air turbine pet tool much the same as a lot on the market with far more functions than just a pet hair brush roller.

Check out http://www.amazon.com/Electrolux-Home-62550D-2-Power-Vacuum/dp/B003OEO2QC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1343486139&sr=8-3&keywords=Eureka+turbo+tool

It is slightly more expensive than the Hoover turbo tool on Amazon.com but you're getting three functions from this power nozzle and it will fit the Windtunnel Air as it has a 3.2cm/32mm measurement. Note that there's far more of a positive feedback for this tool than the Hoover turbo tool (http://www.amazon.com/Hoover-Turbine-Powered-Hand-40200013/dp/B000I17C5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343486119&sr=8-1&keywords=Hoover+turbo+tool)

Another pet tool that IS expensive but really well thought out is the Dyson Pet Hair tool. I also have this and it comes with an adaptor as standard to fit other machines, again the 3.2cm/32mm measurement.

I recommend a kirby vacuum. I obtained a 15 year old one I got for cheap and it works great, I have had it for 5 years so now it is 20 years old. It is not lightweight but nothing cleans as well as the kirby does. It creates a suction to the carpet and lifts it as while it is beating it so I know it is cleaning from the bottom up. All other vacuums just beat the top of the carpet without lifting the carpet. Even though it is heavy it is easy to push because it is self propelled. I never have to lift it even if I am cleaning high, I just attach the hose. It is so easy to push my daughter can ride it while I clean. I made a video of her riding it while I clean: http://youtu.be/PnviK0WSfEs . I hope this is of some help to you.

Thanks Mike and Vacmanuk. That gives me a lot to think about.

So, for the filter cleaning, it's basically situational. For my situation, there is a LOT of hair and dust. The hair is both human and cat. I am getting older and my hair's coming out a lot and my cats shed more than any other cats on the planet, I think. *laugh* Well, my workers have told me that and these are different workers at different times and years, who work with many other clients who have pets too. I have no idea why my pets shed so much. I can just pet them, just one or two strokes along their back, and come back with a several pinchfuls of fur at least. And that's EVERY time, even after they've been brushed. And one of them is just a short-haired cat and he sheds the most! I feed them high-end expensive foods, so I have no clue.

Anyway, this fur/hair/dust combo floats around my floor like tumbleweeds in an old Western cowboy movie. My home care worker will sweep all my floors and in less than a couple of hours, it's all over the floor again. I'm guessing a lot of it is hiding under my couch and other furniture. Whatever it is, it seems almost a hopeless situation. And you should see fans and computers and stuff around here, things that draw in air... just COVERED with dust and fur. One of our high velocity fans which is in the hallway routing cold air from my air conditioner to my 23 yr old son's room is CAKED with fur and dust. And I JUST cleaned it thoroughly not 1 or 2 weeks ago!

We've just felt pretty hopeless around here about the whole situation. This vacuum is my last resort and the only thing I can think of. And we do have multiple cleaning things like... a rubber broom, a dust mop/broom, regular straw broom, swiffer wetjet mop, shark steam cleaner, and things like that. The dust mop is good for picking up and holding hair, but not the other dirt and debris.. so when you pick the mop/broom up to take the next stroke, all the litter and dust and everything just falls out and scatters.

Anyway, yeah, it's a mess. I hope the vacuum really helps.

The reason I was looking at the pet attachments with the rubber bits is because rubber seems to be much better for grabbing hold of fur. I've got a little hand-held rubber brush (just exactly like this one but mine is purple... and I got mine from QVC in the U.S. - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rubber-Brush-For-Hair-Removal/dp/B004QWWTM0) and it works wonders for getting fur off of furniture and clothes but it takes some strength and endurance to use. So I thought maybe the attachments with the rubber would be a good idea. But obviously it also depends on the quality and make of the attachment.

So yeah, thanks for the head's up about the attachments I was looking at, Mike. And Vacmanuk, thanks for the link to the Electrolux attachment. I'll look into it. =)

Thanks again, guys!