About Vacuum Cleaners

Although carpets look nice and are comfortable to walk on, cleaning them can be a huge hassle. However, vacuum cleaners make the removal of dirt and dust from the carpet fairly easy. Instead of cleaning on your hands and knees, you can simply operate this machine that has become a staple in the majority of households around the country. In fact, vacuum cleaners have become one of the most popular household appliances in the developed world.

Invented

The predecessor to the modern vacuum cleaner was invented in 1869 by Ives W. McGaffney in Chicago. Another early vacuum cleaner was invented by Melville Bissell in 1876. Bissell's invention was aimed at allowing his wife, Anna Bissell, to remove sawdust particles from carpet. The modern vacuum cleaner was popularized by W.H. Hoover, whose cousin James Murray Spangler had come up with an idea for an electric vacuum cleaner in 1908. Hoover quickly refined the idea and had the first Hoover vacuum, the Model O, in stores later that year.

Evolution

The first vacuum cleaners were powered by hand cranks. By using the hand cracks, a suction would be formed and the dirt and dust would be pulled into the machine. Although the idea caught on, the early machines proved too unwieldy and user intensive for widespread usage. Hoover's mastery of the electric vacuum was arguably the most important innovation in the history of the vacuum cleaner. Not only did Hoover eliminate the need for a hand crank, he also introduced the use of a rotating brush within the vacuum cleaner to get a closer and more thorough clean.

Function

Air pressure is the main concept that allows vacuum cleaners to work. A pump inside the vacuum cleaner reduces the air pressure within the tube, and since air naturally moves from areas of high pressure to low pressure, the air around the carpet goes into the tube. The dirt and dust is literally pushed along with the air. Once inside the vacuum cleaner, dirt and dust collects in either a bag or a canister.

Type

Upright vacuum cleaners have a cleaning head that uses a combination of suction, rotating brushes and vibration to drive dirt and dust into the machine. Once in the machine, upright vacuum cleaners typically have a removable bag where the dirt and dust is captured. Canister vacuums have the pump and motor in a separate canister with wheels. The cleaning is done using a flexible hose. Wet vacuums are a specialized form of canister vacuums that allow one to clean up liquid spills.

Significance

While carpets were somewhat popular before the invention of the electric vacuum cleaner, the perfection of the vacuum cleaner has resulted in an explosion in the use of carpeting around the world. Nowadays, almost all new homes have at least one room carpeted. It is estimated that more than 93 percent of households in the United States have access to a vacuum cleaner.

Resources

• Vacuum cleaners reviews
• Hoover vacuums