Officially, a vacuum cleaner is nothing more than a sweeping tool designed to pick up dirt and junk from rugs, carpets and hard floors. It uses a motorized pump that draws air through the cleaning head and hoses, and it collects household dirt in a bag or container. This tool is the only way to clean spaces with rugs and carpets making it a great modern convenience and has eliminated the bygone days of beating the dirt from carpets manually.
Upright and Canister Models
As explained by vacuum expert at bestvacuumcleaners20.co.uk, The upright vacuum cleaner is a single unit with a large motorized suction head which contains the motor and suction pump housed in a small, rectangular shell, with a slim handle that curves at the end for easy maneuvering. A dirt collection bag or container attaches to the handle and output of the suction head. A canister vacuum consists of two separate pieces, the main canister that rolls on wheels with a long hose attached to the second piece which is a motorized suction head at the end of a lengthy handle. The motorized suction heads on both types of vacuums have height adjustments allowing for pile carpet and hard floor vacuuming.
With an upright vacuum you have to push the entire machine back and forth when vacuuming. With a canister model you only have to move the lighter suction head unit and the canister part with the motor and dirt collection bag gets pulled behind like a little red wagon. Both types of vacuum offer advantages and disadvantages. With many attachments, both models exhibit great versatility.
Upright vacuums take disposable bags that slide neatly into a cloth bag attached to the handle, or incorporate bagless containers. The canister model features a bag collection system in the base canister, and some models are also bagless. A few vacuums also have retractable power cords which automatically rewind the cord back in the machine for added convenience.
The Upright vacuums tend to have less expensive lower end units while canister vacuums tend to have less expensive high-end units. Consumers willing to pay more for a vacuum often choose canisters, but when consumers feel thrifty, upright vacuums prevail as there are some very cheap models available if you just need a basic vacuum. Vacuums are considered unavoidable purchases, and manufacturers often focus on the affordability and lightweight qualities as strong selling points.
Underneath Furniture and Baseboards
Upright vacuums with their larger vacuum head are usually not very good at getting underneath furniture. The canister models do work better but require considerable bending at the waste, knees and ankles to extend the suction head low enough to slide under. Both systems work well with the baseboards; the upright models usually include wrap around head bumpers to protect the walls. For true carpet lovers, canisters handle the wall-to-wall carpet demands better because the hoses and attachments reach more conveniently around tight spaces and the lighter weight of the suction head require less effort to move around.
Up and Down Stairs
canister vacuumSometimes you have to haul your vacuum up and down stairs , through cluttered rooms and down narrow hallways. Most people don’t think about it much when choosing a vacuum, but they begin to take note after they buy one. With a convenient hinged handle released by a foot pedal, upright vacuums roll in a straight line across carpet easily, but they can be difficult to use on stairs because of their bulkier design. Most uprights do come with stair attachments which can help alleviate this problem but the hose may not be long enough to reach the middle stairs on longer staircases. Canister vacuums are more versatile and easier to use on stairs but you do have to carry the two separate sections up and down versus carrying the single unit of an upright vacuum. If you have lots of stairs to clean or hard to reach places to vacuum a canister vacuum may be your best choice.
Storing Your Vacuum
It’s hard to store large tools like vacuums. Despite the handle, the upright fits nicely in a closet, even if the handle stands up in an inconvenient way and the vacuum doesn’t take up a very big footprint. Like the upright, the canister model fits nicely, but the long handle flops around like a fish out of water and the two separate pieces will take up more storage space than your average upright vacuum. For people who don’t manage space well, either model can be an obstruction in a closet. Good upright models incorporate the extension hose and attachments into the body of the vacuum to keep everything in one tight package. With a canister style you will have to find a home for the extra attachments as well as the vacuum so that may be something you want to think about.
These are just a few thinks to consider before you decide which type of vacuum cleaner is better for your needs. Either way vacuum technology has come a long way in the past few years so what ever choice you make it should be a great improvement over that old vacuum you are probably using now.
