An excellent vacuum cleaner can aid in making indoor cleaning chores easy, fast and fun. There are numerous vacuums in the market with varying features, quality, use, and pricing. It can be hectic for a consumer seeking to buy one, especially if one has no idea what factors to consider. This article provides a comprehensive guide of crucial things to consider when purchasing a vacuum cleaner.
Dirt, dust, and other impurities always seem to invade one’s environment irrespective of cleanliness. While a spotlessly clean indoor environment is ideal, regular cleaning and dusting are inherent, especially with pets and kids in the house.
For instance, pet hair can be sprinkled over the sofa, carpets, clothes, and other surfaces. Hence, a quality vacuum cleaner is an essential home, car, or office tool that removes dirt, dust, and even debris from one’s environment.
While buying a vacuum cleaner may seem straightforward, a poor decision may result in an expensive, inappropriate, and functionless tool leading to a disgruntled vacuuming experience. This article presents some of the things one should keenly consider when buying a vacuum cleaner.
Alignment of User Requirements with Vacuum Cleaner Features
Before purchasing a new vacuum cleaner, a potential consumer needs to list all the tool’s requirements and approximate budget. Various vacuum models, manufacturers, specifications, functionality, and pricing can often leave a buyer confused. Listing one’s requirements can aid the selection process as one can easily compare the various vacuums against such a list.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
The ideal vacuum cleaner should be easy to handle and utilize. User controls should be accessible and changed seamlessly. Emptying of dirt cups should be smooth. For digital units with sensors, they should promptly indicate the time for cleaning or replacement of brush rolls, battery, air filter, or other components.
Dry or Wet Vacuum
The choice between dry or wet vacuums is determined by the nature and optimization of the cleaning functions. The dry vacuum specializes in cleaning dry dirt, while the wet one can clean wet and moist dirt, water, and even other liquids. Some vacuums combine both functionalities. This feature option greatly influences the vacuum cleaner price in Kenya.
Bagged or Bagless
The choice between bagged, or bagless vacuums is personal with either option having its advantages and drawbacks. For instance, bagless vacuums have low maintenance costs, while bagged allows for efficient trapping and emptying of dirt and trash. One needs to consider what option best suits one’s needs.
Air Filtration Efficiency
Several air filtration levels, groups, or classifications exist based on the EN 1822 standard. Each filter group has a filter class, efficiency levels, and penetration percentage. The filtration level is a critical feature to consider, especially for individuals with health issues, such as allergies, bronchitis, or asthma.
The HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are considered the standard option with a filtration efficiency of 99.97%. Other options include the less efficient EPA (Efficiency Particulate Air) filter with a range of 85% to 99.5%, and the most efficient ULPA (Ultra-low Penetration Air) filters with 99.9% efficiency.
The Suction Power
The suction power greatly influences the cleaning capacity of a vacuum cleaner. When combined with the right motorized brush roll, a good suction power rating assures good cleaning and suction. For example, a strong suction motor is desired for a consumer with thick carpets. However, it may be inefficient if paired with the right motorized brush roll.
Cleaning Reach
The cleaning reach is defined as the operating radius of a vacuum from a power source to the furthest surface distance that a user can clean. In upright vacuums, the reach is the power cord’s length, while those with a cleaning hose enhance the reach further. The reach is infinite for cordless vacuums, although it has limited battery operation time.
Additional Cleaning Tools and Accessories
The range of cleaning tools that come with a vacuum cleaner is quite essential. By having additional cleaning tools, one can easily switch between cleaning a myriad of dirt and surfaces, such as mattresses, ceiling fans, upholstery, crevices, pets, sofas, human hair, among others. The tools either come with a vacuum or can be purchased separately.
Standard cleaning accessories and tools include motorized pet tools, crevice tools, upholstery tools, and dusting brushes. Additional devices can also be sourced by the consumer separately, depending on the type of vacuum cleaner or manufacturer.
Conclusion
When buying a vacuum cleaner, it is vital to consider several elements as outlined above. These are just some of the most critical factors, and a consumer should not be limited to them. Indeed, one should combine with additional elements guided by their budget.
