Stuart Williams
To simplify, there are 4 types of vacuum cleaners: vacuum sled (with or without a bag, so called because it drags the ground), the upright vacuum cleaner, the handheld unit and the robot vacuum cleaner.
Though, on this article, we will only focus on upright and hand vacuum cleaners which are helpful for car cleaning and help you find down which one your best car vacuum is.
Upright vacuum
Wireless, the upright vacuum cleaner is much less bulky than the Hoover sleigh model. Its other advantage is that it is particularly pleasant to use: no need to look like a sleigh with a vacuum cleaner, posture is more natural and therefore more comfortable.
A perfect choice for people with back pain or seeking comfort. And as it is a cordless vacuum, no problem with the power cable to plug / unplug, and that wraps around furniture. Its autonomy is however limited to 20 minutes maximum time depending on the model.
Hand Vacuum
The handheld unit is the smallest vacuum cleaners available in the market. It was originally called table vacuum since its first use was to clean the table scraps. But this extra use can be extended to other small cleaning as dust furniture, armchairs corner or inside a car.
Most manufacturers provide this cordless vacuum with different tips to fit many types of surface. Depending on your needs, other types of vacuum (suction bucket) or suction system (central vacuum) will be more suitable.
The suction efficiency that best suits your needs
Since last year, vacuum cleaners for sale must have an energy label which clearly displays device performance. Are written include:
The overall energy efficiency
Determined from A to G, it evaluates the ratio of power consumption / suction efficiency (amount of dust sucked after 5 round trips). But beware: A vacuum cleaner does not necessarily consume more electricity than any other class device, but equal power consumption, it is more efficient. You mostly find class devices A.
The annual electricity consumption
With this indication, you know the power consumption of the appliance in kWh, calculated by use on a floor 87m2, and once a week for one hour. It is normally below 62 kWh for all vacuum cleaners, and more efficient consume only 30 kWh.
The dust emission class
Also rated from A to G, this information indicates the device’s ability to filter the air expelled after aspiration and thus to reject the least possible particles in the room. It takes into account the tightness of the vacuum cleaner, the quality of the filter and the bag (for models with).
Some devices automatically have a HEPA filter, which is especially recommended for allergy sufferers, asthmatics and more demanding, since it can filter up over 99.8% of air particles.
Sound level
Expressed in decibels, the noise level indicates the intensity of the noise produced by the machine.
Cleaning performance on carpet and carpet
Rated from A to G (A being the best), this class provides information about the suction efficiency of the device on carpets and carpet-type surfaces. Some devices may not be suitable for this type of soil, but it’s up to you if this class is important as the composition of your home.
Hard ground on cleaning performance
The principle is the same as the previous class except that the calculation is made on hard floors (tiles, parquet floor).
the suction efficiency is evaluated by the output power, in Watts (W) and calculated from the depression of the device and the airflow. The first criterion, noted kilos Pascal (kPa), expresses the force to lift the dirt from the ground and transport it to the bowl. For hard floors, allow 20 to 35 kPa, and at least 40 kPa for carpets.
The air flow indicates the amount of air passing through the vacuum cleaner, in cubic decimeter per second (dm3 / s). A rate of 36 dm3 / s is the minimum for smooth floors, and for effective cleaning of carpets, push to 40 dm3 / s.
If you would not go much into the details, remember to choose a vacuum cleaner with the suction power is greater than 1800 W for single use, and up to 2400 W for a powerful vacuum.
