The robotic vacuum cleaners have taken the vacuum market by storm. Here are our five top reasons to go robotic.
Efficient and Fast.
Very few peopl...
The robotic vacuum cleaners have taken the vacuum market by storm. Here are our five top reasons to go robotic.
Efficient and Fast.
Very few people enjoy cleaning and vacuuming in particular is not a favourite sport. In addition to that having someone else do the vacuuming for you can be a very costly expense. The extraordinary design cleans effectively with all the same working parts as an upright vacuum cleaner, but without taking up as much space and not having to be manned while vacuuming.
Very Easy to Use.
Robotic vacuums run automatically, all you have to do it to program it and then set it free to do all the hard work for you. It uses a particular robotic function to access the area of the kitchen, will recharge when the battery runs low and will return to it’s docking station once the work is completed.
It’s the Latest and Best.
Robotic vacuums work on similar principles to minefield robots, which means that you are getting the very latest technology for your home. It is able to detect the dirtiest areas of your floor, making sure to pay more attention those areas and ensuring that it leaves no dirt anywhere. With sensor technology, it will not fall down stairs or even leave a specific area unless programmed to.
Small and Compact
Because of the design of the robot vacuum, it is extremely small and doesn’t require much storage space when packed in its docking station. The robot vacuum is a small, flat device that is shaped to be able to move around under furniture and has a bumper system so as not to damage any furniture that it may collide with.
Within Any Budget.
When Electrolux launched the first model, it was pricey, but now there are so many different manufacturers that the price has come right down. So how much would you pay for someone to vacuum your home. For around $100 you can have one too.
In 1860 a man by the name of Daniel Hess patented the very first vacuum machine and although there is no proof that he actually made any of them, it was only forty years later that the first model was made commercially. This was built by James Spangler whose cousin in law, William Hoover offered his name to the product.
There are so many different designs on the market right now that you can do all sorts of cleaning and even have your vacuum cleaner do the cleaning while you do something else. The advancements are astounding and because of this huge variety, the choice of which one is right for you is so much more difficult to make.
Before you make your decision, it’s a good idea to know how vacuum cleaners work and which method is going to suit you best. There are two very specific aspects to vacuuming.
The first methods is has to do with the suction force that the vacuum cleaner has. This will determine how much power it has at sucking the dirt out of the pile. The second and definitely, by no means, less important aspect is how the dirty air is then filtered and how clean the air is that you expel back into your living area.
For people who are prone to allergy problems or those with pets, it is important to know that you are cleaning your home and not just sucking the dirt right through a machine and back into your home. The HEPA filter system is really the very best there is offering to be able to filter up to 99% of all dust, pollens and any other form of allergy creating particles.
When it comes to design, this has a great deal to do with your own personal choice. Some people prefer the upright model, while other prefer to have a canister design. Many people prefer the upright for it’s easy of pushing while other prefer the canister for the small nozzle area that can get under furniture that much easier.
You’ll also want to consider what surfaces you are most likely going to be cleaning. There are specific vacuum cleaners that work on wood, tiles and all hardwood floors, so if your home has more carpets than tiles, this is not going to be the right vacuum for you.
Dyson is a brand we all know about, but finding out where their designs come from and what the inspiration is for some of their more groundbreaking technology.
Here we look at the wheel system, which ultimately led to the ball system.
This wheel or ball system has really taken Dyson in a new direction and has made the upright vacuum cleaner a much more user friendly experience.
Not only has it improve the movement of the machine, but it also has had a market affect on the functionality of the vacuum cleaner.
Backpack vacuums are great for a variety of different reasons, but mainly it is far more comfortable to use and makes moving around whilst vacuuming easier. Here is a quick video that outlines all the benefits of getting a backpack vacuum cleaner.
Although this is an advertisement for the Atlas Backpack, it will give you a good idea of how to use it and how to get the very best out of your backpack cleaner.
Although there are numerous different vacuum belt designs, there are just a few key methods to ensure that you get the very best out of your belts.
Looking first at how the belts actually work, you will discover that the belt is used to drive the agitation device or brush roller as it is sometimes referred to.
The main three designs of belts are a flat belt, a geared style belt or a round belt. This single variable in your vacuum cleaner design is going to have a huge impact on the performance of your machine, this is because although suction is a vital part of the function of your cleaner, it is the agitation that accounts for over seventy percent of the work done. If your cleaner cannot dislodge the dirt from the pile it will not matter how much suction you have, you will not get your carpet clean. When it comes to cleaning hard surfaces, then the belt function is less of an issue. So depending on your home and personal needs, finding the right type of vacuum cleaner is not just about suction.
Round belts are the oldest type and is the most likely to develop problems. This is because all the dirt and debris rolls around the belt resulting in it being damaged very easily. In addition to this the belts have to stretch which places additional strain on them, the motor and the bearings.
The flat style of belts works in a similar fashion to the round belt, but is not as directly in contact with dirt and debris allowing it to maintain for much longer. The most recent design is innovative and is definitely the forerunner in the industry of belt drives. The geared belt comes in a variety of different design styles, but fundamentally, they all work the same. This system allows for the energy generated in the brush motor to be transmitted directly to the brush increasing agitation and outperforming the other designs.
The motor and the brush are connected by fixed teeth which means that the belt can perform at a much higher speed and wear and tear is kept to a minimum. The only disadvantage of a geared belt vacuum cleaner is the cost of the machine itself. The geared belts are usually installed in a two motor vacuum cleaner and there is a lot of additional technology required to ensure that it works for years to come.
Is there really a technique to vacuuming well? If you want to keep your carpets looking great, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your vacuuming doesn’t harm the carpet pile.
Tip #1. Before you turn your vacuum cleaner on, you’ll want to make sure that any large and sharp object on the carpet are picked up by hand, sound obvious – sure, but nails and tacks often puncture the pipes and bags causing havock.
Tip #2. Make sure that the vacuum bag isn’t already full – if it is, you won’t get much suction and won’t get much dirt out of your carpet. As soon as you start up your machine, you’ll know almost immediately if the bag is full.
Tip #3. Vacuum cleaners are designed to be pushed, not pulled. Working forward rather than dragging the vacuum will ensure that the cord doesn’t twist and wear out. People have also weaked the cord by vacuuming over it which is never a good idea.
Tip #4. Vacuum in a pattern and overlay your strokes. Change your direction each time you vacuum to reduce matting in your carpet
Tip #5. If you have pets you may want to get a vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush and make sure that you vacuum a little more regularly in order to ensure that you don’t get any embedded dirt that is difficult to remove.
Tip #6. Another great pet tip is to sprinkel baking soda on your carpet before you vacuum. Let it sit a bit, then vacuum. The baking soda will clean up smells and is really cheap.
Tip #7. String, hair and threads can cause trapped debris in the pipe of your vacuum cleaner, keep an eye out for these items to ensure your machine works 100% all the time.
If you haven’t already seen this video, then you are going to love it. The roomba vacuums have become a favourite with the cats, making them as entertaining as a vacuum has never been before. Here are my two favourite roomba cat videos for you to enjoy…
For those cats looking for an advantage against a larger foe, the roomba may come in handy – to understand more, watch this video…
With the advancement in technology, living life is getting easier and easier.
In addition to computers working faster and more effectively, our household appliances are now also making maintaining a home that much easier. In the same way, vacuum cleaners are coming of age and the latest addition to the technology family is the robotic vacuum cleaner.
These battery powered devices will move around your home, targeting dust and debris and will clean it all up in the absence of any human intervention. They will clean and recharge of their own accord allowing you the extra time to do things that really matter.
The very first robot type vacuum was invented and released by Electrolux in 2001. Very close in it’s heels come the Roomba which perfected the cordless vacuum and improved so dramatically on the design and functionality. The Roomba works on a three stage cleaning system whereby it uses its advanced design to clean the edge of your walls as well as being able to reach those hard to reach under furniture locations. It has been designed to seek out dirt, detect it and then dispel with it.
They are also able to detect stairs and other obstacles and steer clear of them or order to perform at optimal rates.
Using infrared sensors, they move around furniture that they cannot move under and use this same sensor system to return to its recharge station at the end of its work cycle in order to recharge for the next session.
Although Roomba are well known for their robotic vacuums, they are not the only manufacturers and it is always advisable to read reviews on all the various manufacturers to ensure that you find the right model for your own needs. Other manufacturers include Karcher RC3000, EVac and Samsung.
The robotic vacuum cleaners are gaining tremendous interest in our day and age when time is so important and automating as much of the hard work around the house is not only time but also money savings. Over the last three years the prices of these devices has also come down dramatically making them extremely affordable and easy to program.
The debate as to whether to go bagless or not has a lot to do with what you can afford to spend and what your personal needs are.
Looking at Bagless First…
The two most quoted advantages of going bagless with your vacuum cleaner is that they have lower operating costs in that you won’t have to buy bags and they have a better performance level. As with all cleaners, they have to work on a filtration system, trapping the dirt and expelling clean air back into the room as you vacuum. So what kind of filtration systems are best?
No matter what system you choose, there will at some point be a need for replacements of your filtration system. In a bagless HEPA filter, or in a pre-filter system or even in a disposable bag system, you will at some point need to replace your filtration system in order to keep it operating optimally.
In a bagless sytem, you will need to do a fair amount of maintenance in order to keep it working at peak levels. You will of course have to clean out the dirt container when it is full, but you will also have to deal with the filter system. Depending on the type of system you have, will determine how much maintenance it will require. Most people have the HEPA pleated filter system which will work extremely well in the beginning, but in the event that you have pets in your home or have a tendency to carry soil into your home, they will require cleaning on a far regular basis and may not over time give you the same performance as a bagged vacuum cleaner would.
In a situation like this, you may need to clean your filters more regularly or replace them faster than you would otherwise have expected and this can actually result in more running costs for your vacuum cleaner than a regular bagged option.
Cleaning Abilities of Bagged and Baggless…
When it comes to the cleaning capabilities of those these models, they do actually over time perform almost equally. In fact in a home with pets, most people will agree that the bagged system out-performs the bagless system.
A bagged system will perform extremely well with the introduction of a new bag, but performance will then drop gradually as the bag begins to fill. The speed at which it drops is in direct relation to the quality of the bag construction, but on average you can expect your bag to loose around 10% of it’s capabilities per week of usage, depending on the amount of work it is required to perform.
Changing the bags more regularly will ensure that they perform better.
With the Bagless systems, various filters that will last six, twelve or even 18 months can be purchased. They will require regular cleaning in a highly soiled home. Pet hair that ticks to fabric will in the same manner stick tot he filter system and will require cleaning in order to perfrom properly. This cleaning process can be unpleasant and for that reason, many people with pets opt for a bagged model where the bags can discarded without much fuss.
The Bagged Option…
The greatest disadvantage of the bag system is having to deal with the bags themselves. They can be dusty and dirty and very unpleasant, but some manufacturers have made this single problem a thing of the past. There are some brands that have engineered the bag disposal system as a single dust free experience. The filt bags in these systems have a built in closure device when you remove them from the machines.
While this is a new technology that is worth the investment, the move towards bagless is gaining momentum and there are many new developments for those wishing to go backless but who have pets and don’t want to deal with the issues discussed above. Cyclonic filter systems are the way forward and there new models being developed annually that could make bagged vacuum cleaners a thing of the past within years.
From Deep Cleaning models to Uprights, Robotic – cleaning your carpets while you do something else to backpack models, our research has found that some models are better than others…
Deep cleaning vacuums
One of the most typical features of these kinds of vacuums is the rotating brushes that will agitate the carpet pile.
It is this action that loosens up the dirt and enables the machine to get a much deeper clean.
Some of the newer models available offer a useful conversion option so that you can use this device both on hardwood floors as well as on carpets.
Hand held vacuums
Purchasing a hand held vacuum will allow you more manoeuvrability. There are both corded and cordless models available and for easy storage, many have wall mounts.
When purchasing a cordless model, it is important to do a little research on the battery performance and its ability to hold charge. Read as many reviews as you can on the product before purchasing.
Hand held vacuums come in two very distinctive designs. The first is a straight forward suction device while the second will have a power brush. Depending on the use you are going to get from your vacuum will depend on the type of device that is going to be best suited.
If you are going to use your vacuum cleaner for the occasional cleanup, then a straight suction is ideal, but for more regular use, you may want to consider the power brush model.
Broom vacuums
Urban living has increased the popularity of the broom or stick vacuums considerably. They are ideal for apartment living as they take up very little space and do an excellent job of cleaning.
These devices also come in both corded and cordless models and are ideal for the elderly due to their light weight and ease of use.
Most of these vacuums are bagless which appeals to many people as there are fewer replacement parts to have to consider.
Wet or Dry vacuums
By far the most versatile of the models available are the wet and dry combination vacuum cleaners. They can be found in a large variety of sizes.
Most of these cleaners come in the canister design and although they may have a number of attachments, they are extremely durable and can withstand a fair amount of work.
Depending on your own personal needs, you can choose anything from a 6 gallon size all the way through to a 25 gallon for more industrial environments.
Upright vacuums
Bagless upright vacuum cleaners are the price choice for many. Besides the ease of use, they are durable, have a very high performance level and do not require purchasing of new bags.
The uprights that do use a bag system are easily cleaned and the dirt discarded off, but do require replacements which may be costly.
Due to the popularity of this design, most of the models come with a collection of attachments that you can use for various household cleaning, including upholstery and tiles.
Canister vacuums
One of the best features of the canister vacuum cleaner is that it usually has a cord retraction system allowing you to manouvor around the home without having excessive cable to fall over or damage furniture.
These models usually have two or three different nozzle options that include regular cleaning nozzles as well as deep cleaning nozzles for the more persistent dirt.
The deep cleaning nozzle works by agitating the carpet and loosing the pile allowing suction to penetrate deeper into the pile.
In addition to this, there are also sometimes features such as suction control which will allow you to control the amount of suction and adjust it to the carpet, upholstery or drapery that you are trying to clean.
Robotic vacuums
The latest invention is the robotic vacuum which will remotely clean your floors while you do something else. These amazing devices will seek out dirt, can distinguish stairs and steer clear of them and will return to their charging station after they have cleaned the selected area.
They are ideal for cleaning under furniture and with many new models on the market, the price has dramatically decreased since their launch in 2001.
When choosing to purchase a vacuum cleaner, you should assess what your needs are and find the right product for you and your family and home.
Where possible choose the best model your money can buy and always read reviews on your chosen product before you make a decision.
