Vacuuming your home is a necessary task if you want to maintain and get the most out of your carpets, but choosing the right vacuum can be a task in itself. There are many different types of vacuums each with different features, hoses and attachments which can be overwhelming. But for residential you will most likely be using an upright or canister vacuum. Upright vacuums are the most commonly used vacuum. They stand upright and are pushed along your floors. They may also have hose attachments that help you clean tighter corners that the vacuum itself cannot reach. The most important feature of an upright vacuum is the beater bar. Beater bars rotate underneath the vacuum and come in many different designs. Their primary purpose is to vibrate the carpet to loosen particles so that they can be sucked up easier. The durability of your carpet determines which type of beater bar you will use because some roller bars are more aggressive than others. For example, some have rubber spikes while others have more gentle bristles like a toothbrush. Overall upright vacuums are workhorses and can clean larger areas with efficiency.

The next type of vacuum you should consider is the canister vacuum. Canister vacuum’s have a long hose attachment which makes them more versatile. For example, the hose can reach under furniture and corners, places that a bulky upright vacuum may not be able to. The hose can be altered with many different attachments for any cleaning need. For your home you will most likely use a power head.  Power heads are similar to an upright vacuum because they cover a wide area, and newer power heads also feature a rolling brush which works similarly to a beater bar. Canister vacuums are basically a very versatile vacuum as they can use many different attachments and feature a long hose to increase its reach. Canister vacuums are also better for homes with stairs because their hose can clean the tighter corners and it isn’t as difficult to carry as an upright. Overall canister vacuums are very versatile as they can be fitted with a variety of attachments and can reach hard to reach spaces.

When contrasting the two vacuums there is a lot to consider. What type of carpeting do and how durable is it? Does my home have stairs and hard to reach places? But the main difference between the two vacuums is that upright vacuums are the workhorses and will clean large carpeted areas efficiently, while canister vacuums are more versatile and can clean hard to reach areas.