Hardwood Floor Vacuum Guide by Adr-wa

beautiful-hardwood-floorYou have fitted your home with new, gleaming hardwood flooring. After spending a hefty sum on the flooring, you want to keep it looking that way.

When you installed your hardwood floor, you took on a rather daunting responsibility. Maintaining it will take a bit of time-intensive effort on your part.

Ease that effort by choosing a suitable vacuum cleaner. It doesn’t have to be the best hardwood floor vacuum that you can find, but it does need to have the qualities and features that make a vacuum suitable for cleaning wood floors.

If you have never fitted hardwood floors, bear in mind that ordinary vacuums will not do. Though it is tempting to use the one you already have, it is probably suited for tiled floors or carpets.

What to Look For in a Hardwood Floor Vacuum:

Vacuum Companion’s list of best vacuums designed specifically for hardwood floor cleaning is similar to our own list, but the big question then is what exactly to look for in each machine that makes it ideal for your home/situation. You will find that the type of vacuum you eventually choose is quite different from the one you already have, especially if you’ve been dealing with carpets this whole time. A good hardwood floor vacuum should adhere to the following guidelines:

  1. It should not have brush attachments – To start, you will probably want to do away with brush attachments. Attached rolling brushes lift dirt buried deep inside carpets. These bristle brushes spin to tease out the stubborn dirt. The rough motion forms scuff marks on your wood floor. If you must have rolling brushes because you have carpeting as well, look for a cleaner that allows you to switch the brush off for hardwood floor cleaning.
  2. It must have rubber wheels – Again, to avoid leaving scratches on your hardwood, choose a cleaner that has padded or rubber wheels. Rubber padding prevents your new flooring from scratches.
  3. It should be portability and easy to store – Of course, choose a portable cleaner. No one wants a backache after completing heavy cleaning chores. If you have persistent back problems, you want a hardwood floor cleaner that is easy to lift. If the floor space of your home is wide, you need to choose a good cordless vacuum cleaner that you do not need to constantly plug and unplug. If you do not fancy charging cleaners, look out for those with very long cords.
  4. It should be lightweight – If the person who is vacuuming is small-sized, toting a bulky cleaner will completely drain him by the end of the task. Find a cleaner with a flexible cleaning head that allows you to lift dirt from under furniture. It should have an adjustable height as well. This also makes the vacuum.
  5. It needs to be a dynamic machine – Then, the cleaner must also have strong suction power. Those who have hardwood floors know that lifting stubborn debris and pet hair is quite troublesome. If the cleaner is cordless, it must have enough run time for you to clean an extensive area. You do not want to have to charge a vacuum in the middle of a cleaning task.
  6. It should come with accessories– Aside from being dynamic, look out for functional accessories. Nozzles and edge brushes all help you get to hard-to-reach areas.
  7. It should be easy to empty – A good hardwood cleaner must have a dirt cup you can empty without hassle. You do not want to sneeze or develop allergic reactions because of dirt strewn all over. If you prefer vacuums with bags, look for one that has replaceable bags available in most hardware stores.
  8. Should fall within your budget – Consider budget. You will want a cleaner that is good value for your money. Low-range vacuums are affordable, but may not have enough suction power or the accessories to do a thorough job. Conversely, a high-end cleaner may create a hole in your pocket. If it does not have the power or accessories to clean well, this is disappointing.
  9. Ideally a canister style vacuum cleaner – There is current debate about whether upright or canister vacuums are best for hardwood floors. No vacuum is perfect, so it boils down to your needs and preferences.  Upright vacuums are heavier, harder, and less mobile. However, they are quite useful for vacuuming stairs.  Canister vacuums, conversely, are lightweight. Most are less strenuous to lug around because they have padded, rubber wheels that glide over floors easily. This is why canisters tend to be the optimum choice for hardwood floors.

How to Properly Vacuum a Hardwood Floor:

If you have never vacuumed a hardwood floor before, here are some simple steps you can follow:

  1. If you have carpets, choose a hardwood cleaner that allows you to turn its motorized, rolling brushes off. If you cannot do so, attach an oval brush with a long wand to your canister vacuum. This stops the beater brush from moving.
  2. Clean high traffic areas first, running your vacuum to lift dirt.
  3. Use the crevice tool to lift dirt from stubborn edges and other inaccessible areas.
  4. Do this routinely to get rid of dirt that tarnishes your hardwood floor.

Recommended Hardwood Floor Vacuums:

Below are three vacuums perfect for cleaning hardwood floors:

Miele Olympus S2121 Canister Vacuum1. The Miele Olympus S2121

The Miele Olympus S121 is the perfect vacuum for those with a variety of flooring.

This canister vacuum works on carpets, tiles and hardwood.

It comes with:

  • A powerful air clean filter
  • Functional accessories (a dusting brush, crevice nozzle and upholstery tool. )
  • A 29.5 feet cleaning path

The Miele Olympus is more than a multi-purpose cleaner. It lifts dirt from a wide are of 29.5 feet.

The useful accessories allow it to clean hard-to-reach areas in your home. The upholstery tool cleans your furniture as well.

The lightweight portability of this relatively small fellow pleases customers. Transition from cleaning hard floors to carpets easily.

2. The Eureka 3670G Mighty Mite Canister Vacuum

Eureka Might Mite 3670G

This next vacuum is definitely worth every dollar you spend. This mighty vacuum cleans carpets, tiles and pet hair.

It comes with:

  • A blower port
  • 12 Amp Suction
  • A power touch handle
  • Functional Accessories ( a deluxe floor brush, dusting brush, bare floor nozzle, upholstery tool and a crevice tool)

This vacuum gives the home a quick, efficient clean. The 12 Amp suction allows the cleaner to clear most dirt. Customers love its compact, light form.

Most are satisfied with its very low price. However, it does not clean carpets as well as it does floors, for it was not built for that sole purpose.

3. The BISSELL Poweredge 81L2T

The last vacuum is the BISSELL Poweredge 81L2T. If you have pets, you will need this fellow’s help. It comes equipped with:

BISSELL PowerEdge 81L2T Pet Hair Vacuum

  • A V-Shaped, Swivel Head
  • An easy-to-empty dirt cup
  • A 20-inch power cord
  • BISSELL’s patented cyclonic system

It captures pet hair and other debris along edges easily. The V-Shaped cleaning head directs large debris into the center suction path. The ends of the V capture finer dirt particles. An easy-to-empty dirt cup reduces allergic reactions, as it does not spew dirt around the house.

A customer, who is a veterinarian, comments that it cleans up the mess of pet hair and nails that gather in his clinic. He bought another for his pet-friendly home. The powerful suction, attributed to BISSELL’s Cyclonic System, awes him.

Remembering the advice given above, making wise choices, and following the right tips can make cleaning your hardwood floors a breeze.

Why Canister Vacuums Are Superior For Hardwood Floors

It is important that you think carefully about your choices before making a purchase. In most homes the right vacuum cleaner may be down to personal preference, but if your home has a hardwood floor there is a lot at stake. When you choose the right tools for the job you can keep your floor looking like they did the day it was fitted. But if you don’t choose wisely, you may end up with a floor which looks old before its time.

Here are the reasons why canister vacuums are superior when it comes to hardwood floors.

The Benefits of Canister Vacuums

Canister vacuums have never been the most popular design for vacuums in the US, so chances are that an upright vacuum cleaner will be what you are used to. Upright vacuums have the benefit of being cheaper but they are designed with the purpose of cleaning thick carpets in mind. Canister vacuums, however are much more versatile and this allows them to be used for a wider variety of purposes.

One of the worries for upright vacuums is that they use motorized brushes which can damage your wood floor. These are designed to dig into the fibers of a carpet to ensure they are cleaned thoroughly but they will not be suitable for a hardwood. The tell tall sign of an old hardwood floor are the scuffs and marks all over it – which can be caused by these heavy brushes. Canister vacuums come with different tools which allow you to clean your floor without a motorized brush. If you look at the list of top rated cylinder vacuum, you’ll notice that vacuum’s like the Miele S2121 (Now replaced by the Miele C1 Classic) have many subtle features and tools to help avoid causing accidental damage to a hardwood floor. This means that you can still attach the brush when you need it for rugs or carpets and you can also use it for harder to reach places which a upright vacuum cannot; at least not easily (which is a must when you are cleaning delicate floors that can be easily scratched).

Another downside of upright vacuums is that they are bulky and heavy. Dragging a heavy vacuum across wood floors is certainly going to cause it a lot of harm. This is where a canister vacuum comes into its own as it is much more lightweight and will not cause unnecessary damage to your floor. One important tip here is to ensure that the wheels on the vacuum you buy are rubber, not plastic. This is an added benefit for people who have a bad back or have more than one floor in their home as it is much lighter and easier to carry. They are also much easier to store as they take up less space than an upright vacuum.

Unlike upright vacuums, canister vacuums also have no limits on the size of the engine. This ensures that they generally have better flow rate and, more importantly, better suction. This is vital for a hard floor surfaces as you cannot compensate for a lack of suction power with the motorized brushes like you can on carpets.

Conclusion

Finding that perfect vacuum for your home is never an easy decision as there is so much to consider. Many of these are personal preference – what you find easier to carry, what you find easier to operate and what you like the look of. However, there are a lot of reasons why canister vacuums are superior when it comes to cleaning wooden surfaces. There are many more factors that also need to be considered, but it is not within the scope of this article. You can learn more about how to find the right vacuum cleaner over at floorexecutives.com. There are a number of guides there that cover each of the main vacuum types and what you should be paying attention to depending on your home situation.

You would be wise to keep these points in mind if you want to keep your floors looking as good as the day they were fitted.