Canister Versus Upright Vacuum Cleaners

The vacuum cleaner has been keeping homes clean for almost 100 years.

The vacuum cleaner has been a key weapon in the battle against household dirt and dust for almost a century. Department stores stock an ever growing range of these appliances but the basic choice between a canister or upright model has changed little in 60 years. Before deciding which is best for your home there are a number of factors you should consider.

Stairs

According to "The Cleaning Bible" by Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie, Canister vacuums are easier to work with when cleaning stairs. The cannister will sit securely on the tread in front of you while you vacuum the tread above. This arrangement will also provide the flexibility needed to vacuum the riser which the nozzle needs to approach from the side or above.

If you want to purchase an upright make sure the attachment tube is long enough to stretch from the bottom of your stairs to the top.

Carpet

Attachments are supplied with both cannister and upright vacuum cleaners.

According to "The Cleaning Bible" by Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie, upright vacuums are efficient at cleaning large, uncluttered areas of carpet. Their cleaning heads cover a larger area than many of the floor attachments provided with canisters which can prove hard work on big sections of carpet. However, it is important to check that the beater bar on an upright is turned off when vacuuming carpets with long loop pile.

Hard Floors

According to British department store chain "John Lewis," canister cleaners' reliance on suction makes them more efficient on hard flooring. Their floor attachments often adjust automatically when moving from carpet to wood. Others may require a switch on top of the attachment to be pressed. This can easily be done with the foot leading to quick and efficient cleaning. If your home includes hard flooring and you prefer to purchase an upright check, carefully that the cleaning head can be used on these surfaces. Some uprights feature a hard floor tool which has to be placed on the end of the attachment hose and tubes. This means vacuuming will take longer as you move from one type of floor covering to the other.

Room Size

According to "The Cleaning Bible" by Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie, canister vacuums are more convenient when cleaning small rooms or rooms with lots of furniture. Cleaning the floor in such a room may require the use of smaller nozzles to remove dust and debris from narrow areas. This is easily achieved with a canister as it just means taking the main floor head off the tube and replacing it with a smaller attachment. In the case of an upright it is necessary to stop vacuuming and assemble the hose and tubes before continuing.

Lifting

According to British retailer "Homebase," canister vacuums weigh less than uprights and are therefore easy to move around the house. Uprights can be heavy to carry. When moving canister cleaners remember to be careful. They can easily hit delicate furniture or paintwork when their hoses are pulled too strongly. Be careful also when using their automatic cable rewind not to allow the plug to damage furniture legs.

References

• "The Cleaning Bible"; Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie; 2006
• The John Lewis Department Store Chain's Online Magazine
• Homebase Online Buying Guide