Vacuum Cleaners - Should You Get An Upright Or Canister?

by: Jim.Olivero
Total views: 35 | Word Count: 507

Most of us think about vacuum cleaners about as much as we think about broccoli. Yet, most of us own one or more and, when they break, it's always a pain to get them fixed. Should we need to replace the old vacuum cleaner, we are presented with a baffling host of brands, models and features.

If this describes your situation, you might find it useful to review a whole host of vacuum cleaners and you won't find better deals for vacuum cleaners online than on eBay. This is especially true if all you can afford is a used vacuum. On eBay, you'll come across some incredible bargains. You can even find the sought after Oreck Vacuum Cleaner or the Kirby Vacuum cleaner on eBay. The latter is sold mainly door to door, but they do find their way onto eBay, and they are really a high quality vacuum. Feel free to explore some eBay resources that are identified at the end of this article.

Upright or canister?

There are advantages and drawbacks associated with both upright and canister vacuum cleaners.

A Few Upright Pluses: Upright vacuums are better suited to cleaning hallways and sizable carpeted areas. If the unit uses a bag, uprights have larger bags and need fewer bag changes. And Almost all upright vacuums come with flexible hose attachments today, providing for more usability.

A Few Upright Minuses: Stiff, short hoses are packaged with most upright cleaners so that using them often is a clumsy proposition. It goes without saying that uprights are not as maneuverable around furniture legs and tight spots. If you suffer from allergies, uprights are not the best choice.

A Few Canister Pluses: With a canister vacuum cleaner, a long, flexible hose provides much greater versatility. Canister units are more friendly to clean freaks with their much more elaborate selection of cleaning attachments. Canister vacuums with hepa sealed systems are better for allergy sufferers..

A Few Canister Minuses: Because canister vacuum cleaners are pulled from behind, they often feel clumsy. Canisters sometimes have to be lifted over thresholds. You may need to change floor brushes when moving from carpet to bare floor.

A Word About Allergies and Vacuum Cleaners:

Pay close attention to the information that comes with the vacuum. A "HEPA-like" vacuum cleaner is not the equivalent of a true "HEPA" vacuum. Although it may cost you a little more, if you have severe asthma or allergies, you'll want to get a true HEPA vacuum. This is one area where you need to take some care to be certain you're getting what you really want and need. A little damage to your pocketbook can pay off handsomely in greater comfort over the years you'll be using the machine.

The bottom line is that you'll be better off if you take some time to investigate rather than buying the first vacuum cleaner that comes to your attention. After all, when you think about it, a vacuum is really a long term investment. You're going to live with it for a while.