Household Vacuums - Suggestions

Types of Household Vacuums:  We will divide our recommendations (suggestions) on Household Vacuums below into two sections based upon either canister or upright types of vacuums and then provide our recommendations (with unassailable logic!) for a specific brand(s) in each section.

Preamble:  Most people use either an upright vacuum or a canister vacuum as the main vacuum in their house.  The main vacuum, then, is the vacuum primarily responsible for maintaining the "health" of the house.  To keep the house healthy, this main vacuum needs to do two things well: (1) it needs to efficiently remove pollutants/allergens from the carpet, upholstery, floors, etc. and (2) it needs to effectively control emissions so that these same pollutants are not spewed back into the air.

This requires a considerable degree of precise engineering and meticulous construction and very few manufacturers are interested in producing machines to these standards.  It is a lamentable fact, therefore, that only a handful of manufacturers make vacuums in which the main vacuum housings are airtight. If the housings are not airtight, millions of microscopic contaminants per minute can be forced out through these housing apertures as the machine is vacuuming.  Thus, a sealed system is needed to control emissions - a HEPA filter installed on a vacuum that is leaking dirt elsewhere through the housings only filters the rest of the dirt that reaches the filter - only a very small percentage, therefore, of the total emissions of pollutants is arrested.  The simple reality is that a better vacuum will clean better, filter better, last longer and require less maintenance than a "cheaper" vacuum.  It is, therefore, a "better" purchase.

Canister Vacuums:  We believe that, in most instances, a canister vacuum is a better choice as a main vacuum than an upright vacuum.  Our reasons are simple:

1. In most instances a good canister vacuum uses a larger (heavier), more powerful motor than a good upright vacuum
   • The extra weight of the canister motor becomes less important because the canister vacuum is riding on the ground; whereas with an upright vacuum the weight of everything on the machine is significant since the entire vacuum is constantly being pushed and pulled
2. A canister vacuum absolutely offers more versatility than an upright vacuum
   • The main carpet tool - whether a revolving brush or a traditional rug nozzle - is lower than the body on an upright
     • This allows getting under low furniture and beds much more readily
   • The hose and the wand(s) are already coupled together and instantly allow longer reach for dusting ceilings, corners and edges
   • All the cleaning accessories are immediately in reach on the vacuum - not always the case on upright vacuums
   • There is an accessory for every job
     • Rug tool and/or power brush
       • An upright vacuum is not normally equipped with a rug tool - the upright vacuum itself is the rug tool
         • Rug tools are extremely handy for corners and tight spots, as well as for getting under low furniture
     • Bare floor tool
       • Upright vacuums are largely unsuitable for bare floor use.  Some have switches that allow the brush to stop rotating when used on a bare floor surface.  This improves bare floor performance; however, it falls far short of a bare floor brush.  On some uprights, it is possible to attach a bare floor brush to the end of extension wands connected to the hose; however, this arrangement can be awkward when being used.  Only one upright - Lindhaus - is actually designed to be used with an optional bare floor brush mounted directly to the main vacuum body - a very nice design feature
     • Dusting tool
     • Upholstery/drapery tool
     • Crevice tool
     • Extension wands
   • Cars can be readily cleaned with a canister vacuum
   • Stairs - a problem area - can be readily cleaned with an appropriate canister

With all the above noted, we will cheerfully sell you an upright vacuum if that is your desire; although, we find that most upright owners then regularly buy a small canister for its convenience and versatility for the types of cleaning chores present in the average home or office.

Canister Vacuum Recommendation:  While we believe that, as in most aspects of life, there are alternative choices, we absolutely recommend the Miele Canister Vacuum over all others.  If you ever had the privilege to take a tour through a Miele factory you would need little more than the few hours spent in the factory to enable you to understand that Miele excels in everything they do.

Miele is a 100 year-old German appliance manufacturer that produces the finest washing machines, dishwashers, stoves, sanitizing equipment, vacuums (and other appliances) that can be found anywhere in the world.  Miele is awesome - very few manufacturers think like they do - they are perfection-driven.
 

• Miele makes their own motors on most of their canister vacuums
  • The best American motors do not, ultimately, satisfy their standards for quality
• Miele makes their own vacuum housings and components
  • Total control of the manufacturing process results in extremely high levels of precision in fitted parts
    • Precisely engineered and manufactured components fit together perfectly and work better and last longer without breakage
      • A Miele canister vacuum will likely last 15 - 20 years
        • Most vacuums today last 1 - 5 years
• Miele canister vacuum housings are airtight and a Miele canister with a HEPA filter assures true control of polluting emissions 99.97% to .3 microns - .3 microns is bacteria size!  The Miele vacuum with the HEPA filter in place rates today at a Class 12 rating (only step behind a critical-filtration industrial vacuum for use in a Nuclear Bio-Hazardous Waste facility rated to a Class 15) and is actually rated at HEPA/ULPA.

• A Miele canister vacuum uses 3 - 4 independent, full 360-degree swiveling caster wheels with soft,
  non-marring rubber wheels
• A late model Miele canister vacuum hose swivels freely 360 degrees for complete ease-of-use
• The exhaust air on a Miele exits on top of the vacuum
  • This prevents millions of bacteria and pollutants already at floor level from being stirred up and airborne as happens with ground level exhaust orifices as found on many vacuums
  • It allows the vacuum to stand on end for ease of vacuuming stairs, etc. as the exhaust air is not shut off as is the case with other vacuums
• The disposable vacuum bag automatically seals itself as it is slid out from the vacuum
  • No pollutants puffing back into oneself's face as the bag is removed

Miele intelligently markets their vacuums in such a way that you decide which optional accessories you wish - not the manufacturer (all standard cleaning accessories are always included with every Miele).  You tailor the vacuum to your own personal needs and uses

You have to see or use a Miele vacuum to understand how smooth and powerful it is as it operates, and to experience the almost effortless way it glides around the room

1-year guarantee on everything (except belts) and 5-year motor guarantee

There are other choices.  Royal makes an all-metal tank that is a very fine vacuum, and Lindhaus makes an excellent canister vacuum.  In an intermediate price point, Samsung has a Quiet Storm canister that is a good choice.  However, Miele is Miele - the best!

Please "click" here to connect to our webpage on Miele vacuums

Upright Vacuum Recommendations:  We recommend three upright vacuums, in order, as meeting our standards for high quality:  Lindhaus, Sebo and Royal all-metal.

Lindhaus:  Lindhaus is an 30-year old Italian manufacturer of motors and equipment for international use.  They make the finest twin-motor upright vacuum available for residential use.

• Two motors mean that each motor performs its own task - good division of labor!
  • The main motor has two fans for optimum air flow and suction and provides the cleaning power to enable thorough (deep) cleaning of surfaces of any type
  • The second motor spins the revolving brush
• The Lindhaus engineers are motor experts
  • A Lindhaus motor undergoes many more steps in the manufacturing and balancing process than even the best American motors
    • Without getting too technical, the more windings in the motor and the better it is balanced the less there is vibration and heat - the killer of motors - and , therefore, the longer it will last
    • A Lindhaus motor will likely outlast most competitor's motors by 3 - 5 times!
      • It is likely that Lindhaus motors - and the entire vacuum - will last 20 years
• All Lindhaus upright vacuums use bypass sytems so that the vacuum motor is protected from coming into contact with what is being vacuumed
• The Lindhaus engineers are plastics experts
  • All the plastics in the vacuum are carefully selected to be the best possible material for that specific application
    • The vacuum housings and components are extremely durable and long-lived
• A Lindhaus powerhead (remember, the vacuum has two motors¹, and the revolving brush resides in an actual powerhead connected to the main vacuum body) has a brush that spins at a constant 5,000 rpm
  • Most revolving brushes spin around 2,000 rpm to 3,000 rpm
    • It becomes progressively harder to spin a brush at faster speeds because the brush must be perfectly balanced to achieve such high brush speeds without excessive vibration
      • Vibration both causes brush assemblies to disintegrate and also causes the housing in which the brush sits to wear out rapidly
      • Vibration also cause the drive belt in a vacuum to "shimmy" while the unit is operating - considerably reducing belt life
• Lindhaus powerheads are intelligently designed with the dirt intake directly in the center of the brush area
  • Most uprights today have an intake all the way on one end of the brush area
  • It is considerably more efficient to get the dirt to a central intake than it is to try to get it all the way down to one end
• Lindhaus powerheads use cogged belts; not, rubber belts
  • Cogged belts are not made of rubber; rather, they are made of a fiberglass-reinforced material much like an automotive timing belt.  Essentially, they do not stretch
  • Rubber belts stretch and constantly must be replaced to keep the brush spinning properly
    • Vacuum industry suggestion for belt change intervals on most vacuums - once every 3 - 4 months!
  • Cogged belts do not slip as do rubber belts - they have "teeth" that grab cog gears on both the motor spindle and the revolving brush
  • Cog belts - as distinct from rubber belts - only need replacement when they finally snap
    • Lindhaus brushes, belts and motors are so well "tuned" to each other that there is almost no belt vibration.  Thus, the belts do not fatigue and prematurely wear out
    • A Lindhaus powerhead is designed with a sensor system that instantly turns off the brush motor - thus, halting the action of the brush - if the brush becomes jammed.  Thus, the belts (and, the motor or revolving brush) never become unduly stressed
• The Lindhaus powerhead has a full height adjustment mechanism
  • Most upright vacuums today have no height adjustment mechanism (cheaper to make them that way).  This "no-adjustment" is euphemistically called "universal adjustment"
  • An upright vacuum depends heavily upon the revolving brush action.  To be able to properly adjust the brush to different types and heights of carpet is important  - if not critical
  • Lindhaus powerheads employ a sensor system connected to both a red and a green light on the powerhead housing.  When the powerhead is properly adjusted the green light is on.  If the head is adjusted down too close to any given carpet, the red light goes on.  If the head is then not re-adjusted properly, the powerhead will turn off!  This protects the belt,  brush &  powerhead motor
• The Lindhaus vacuum housing is precisely engineered to be airtight.  Thus, no pollutants can escape as with regular vacuums
• Most Lindhaus upright vacuums are designed to accept Hepa filters; however, Lindhaus vacuums are equipped with 3M Filtrete filters that have been specifically engineered by the 3M people to fit the Lindhaus and to optimize airflow and filtration
  • The Hepa filter provides absolute filtration of 99.97% to .3 microns
  • The 3M Filtrete filter provides filtration of 98% to .3 microns
• There are tools-on-board (TOB) with most Lindhaus upright vacuums
  • This facilitates cleaning corners, edges, sofas & chairs, tabletops, etc.
• Additional tools (cleaning accessories) and longer hoses are available, as well
• On most Lindhaus upright vacuums the powerhead is removable by simply pushing one button, and a dedicated bare floor tool can be installed in its place
  • This makes Lindhaus the only upright of which we are aware that converts efficiently to a bare floor vacuum
• Lindhaus has an excellent dry carpet-cleaning powerhead that can be attached in place of the regular powerhead
  • This enables fast, easy, effective dry-cleaning of any carpet anytime
• On most Lindhaus upright vacuums the top handle can be removed by pushing one button
  • Since the powerhead also is removable, a Lindhaus vacuum instantly converts into a canister-style machine
    • An optional backpak harness is available that further enables the Lindhaus to be used as a backpak vacuum.  Very nice, flexible feature!
• A Lindhaus vacuum lies completely flat to get under beds and furniture
• A Lindhaus has a long (35-ft) cord so that once plugged in to a wall socket it can continue to be used in a wide area before it needs to be plugged in to another outlet
• 1-year guarantee on vacuum proper, 2-year guarantee on motors, 3-year guarantee on belt
   

¹ Lindhaus makes a great single-motor upright called the Activa; however, most of our Lindhaus business is still twin-motor uprights

"Click" here to go to our webpage on the Lindhaus upright vacuum

Sebo:  Sebo is a German manufacturer of upright vacuums and carpet cleaning equipment.  We consider a Sebo upright to be a "rung down the ladder" from a Lindhaus - only because it is a single-motor upright.  However, for a single-motor upright it is a great vacuum!

Many of the same design features found on Lindhaus upright vacuums are found on the Sebo upright vacuum:

• Precisely balanced motor
• Brush speed of 5,000 rpm
• Cogged belt with a safety shut-off sensor system
• Centralized dirt intake in the revolving brush area
• Full height adjustment
  • Sebo has a unique, sensor-driven, fully-automatic height adjustment system that is very nice.  The vacuum perfectly adjusts itself to every level of carpet or flooring
• Large, S-class filtration filter (99.97% @ .3 microns) for complete allergen control
• Sealed housing compartments - no emissions!
• Bypass motor-protective system
• Unbelievably quiet at 66 decibels
• Commercial-grade 40-ft long cord
• High-quality construction materials
• On-board tools (TOB) with a great design feature whereby the hose instantly repositions itself automatically back onto the vacuum after it has been used - no bending or groping, etc. to reattach the hose
• Additional accessories - including a bare floor brush! - available
• Likely 20-year life expectancy
• 3 year guarantee on unit; 1 year on labor

Sebo also has a revolving brush with a slickly-designed feature that makes it instantly removable by pushing one button.  This makes cleaning the brush of hair, thread, etc. extremely easy.  A Sebo upright is an excellent upright vacuum that will completely satisfy the most discriminating user!

"Click" here to go to our webpage on the Sebo Auto X series vacuum

Royal all-metal:  Royal Manufacturing Company is the oldest manufacturer of vacuum cleaners in the world - since 1905.  They make a traditional upright vacuum - without tools-on-board (TOB) - that is all-metal (aluminum).  It uses an efficient, ball-bearing, convergent revolving brush with the same central dirt intake design as does the Lindhaus.

For those who prefer a traditional style upright vacuum, Royal has no peer.  It has a full height adjustment mechanism, a long cord, a metal toggle switch, non-marring wide wheels and filtration available down to .1 micron at 98%.  It is far and away our largest selling upright vacuum for commercial use:  Liz Claiborne has been our biggest, single corporate customer; the State of NJ buys Royal uprights under contract for schools, hospitals, government agencies, etc.; and, contract cleaners, hotels, bowling alleys and many others use this fine equipment.

"Click" here to go to our webpage on the Royal all-metal vacuum

 

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Suction motors, amps, watts, horsepower, suction and cleaning effectiveness:  We should add a note on vacuum cleaner design, motors, suction and airflow as there is much confusion as to horsepower, amperage, watts, cleaning amp effectiveness, etc.

 The key to a vacuum cleaner's performance is the design of the machine.  This includes the motor.  Better motors are designed to perform better and last longer while using less electricity than inferior quality motors.  A motor needs to be "tuned" to the application to which it is being put.  It does no good to design a motor with high airflow and low suction to remove sludge from a production pit - it simply won't budge it - the sludge weighs too much.  Conversely, if one is cleaning flour from a bare surface high suction is less important (the flour is lightweight) than good airflow.  Design is the key element!
 

• Amperage
  • Amperage ratings - as they are bandied about today - are largely meaningless
    • The better a motor is designed, the less amperage it will use
      • There is a "break-even" point to this statement - if one motor is 2 amps and the other is 10 amps - the 10 amp motor will absolutely be more powerful
  • If two, equivalent-amp motors are rated side by side for performance and one motor has one fan and the other motor has two fans - the motor with two fans will move more air. Thus, the number of fans in a motor can become important
• Horsepower
  • Horsepower is another misused, misunderstood rating
    • Many manufacturers unscrupulously rate their motors on peak horsepower rather than on true VCMA (Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturers Association) ratings
      • A motor rated on peak horsepower has been rated with the motor out of the vacuum and in a bench vise.  It is literally fed more and more electricity until it "explodes" and the last, final "peak" rating is used.  Peak horsepower ratings are totally meaningless
• Watts
  • Ratings of watts is somewhat like amperage ratings - it is not going to tell you too much beyond the fact that a motor in a given machine should have at least a base level amperage or wattage rating - otherwise, it will probably be too small
• Suction
  • Suction is a universal format and is measured in waterlift in inches (mbar in Europe)
  • Suction is rated as to how far up a one-inch diameter tube a vacuum (motor) is capable of lifting a column of water.  Thus, 80 inches of waterlift means the vacuum (motor) was able to lift the water column up 80 inches
  • In the residential, portable vacuum category 80 inches of waterlift is good and anything near 100 inches is awesome.  A simple, waterlift reference scale would be:
    1. 25-year old Hoover-type Convertible upright when new - about 12 inches
    2. 25-year old Electrolux tank-type vacuum when new - about 60 inches
    3. A Lindhaus upright vacuum - about 80 inches
    4. A Miele White Pearl canister vacuum - about 90" - 100"
• Airflow is the amount of air - measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) that a vacuum (motor) can move
  • CFM is very important to a vacuum's ability to remove dirt from any surface - especially carpet - and to effectively carry it back to the dirt compartment.  80 cfm and above is good airflow
  • Better vacuum manufacturers will usually provide CFM and waterlift ratings for their equipment.  These ratings are much more important than the amperage ratings, etc.  CFM is closely tied to waterlift - i.e., the two are "intertwined"

It is easy to see from the above that design is the critical factor in considering vacuum cleaning performance.  A motor must provide adequate, balanced amounts of CFM and waterlift to enable the vacuum to do its job properly so that different, varying types of materials may be vacuumed up.  And, as importantly, the vacuum must have a totally sealed dirt path from the nozzle all the way back to the dirt compartment so that no cleaning power is lost.  And, don't forget about filtration and containment of particles!