I need a vacuum that sucks
I hate vacuuming so let’s start with that. My Fantom vacuum lasted four years and now it barely laps at the dog hair, the handle is busted and the electric cord just disappeared inside the canister casing. So, it’s time to buy a new vacuum and I’m ready for a change. Of course, the yellow and purple Dyson’s caught my eye in the local Bed, Bath and Beyond as I’m a sucker for bright, shiny stuff. But that’s no reason to buy a vacuum—it needs to suck. The more powerful the suction, the better! So, I decided to research vacuum cleaners on Become (blatant plug!) and figure out what to do.
Boy, there are a lot of things to think about. Bagless or replaceable bags? Bagless is more expensive but-- to me-- replacing bags is like the razor and razor blades analogy or cheap printers and exorbitant ink cartridges. Then there’s the upright vs. canister issue. Is one easier to push, clean stairs, or get under furniture? However, on the issue of hepa filters, for this asthma girl, there’s only one choice—a heap of hepa to keep all those nasty little dust particles out of the old respiratory tract.
One of the best articles I found was called Yakko's guide to choosing a vacuum cleaner. This man knows about vacuuming and, while being pretty objective, he seemed to like the Dyson a lot (and not a word about the pretty colors!). Other good sources I found were Consumer Reports for a basic overview (although for details you need to actually subscribe) and Appliance.com.
So, what vacuum am I going to buy? I’ll tell you next week. I’ve got to buy one this week or my house will be buried under dog hair. (Is my dog the only one that sheds year round?). If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment!
PS Hello to everyone coming over from the Carnival of Insanities!