Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Vacuum

roombas for dust mites? ("robots are cool" is the unspoken motivation)

you're a kitty! — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:51:05 -0800

Just diagnosed with a dust mite allergy. Will a regular cheap Roomba help? I'm planning to get mattress and pillow covers and an air purifier, and to start using hotter water to wash linens. I was also told that I should also vacuum regularly, but I'm TERRIBLE about doing it and I hate hate HATE vacuuming the gross old wall-to-wall carpets in this apartment. If I get a regular cheap Roomba — I can't afford the $500 "Pets and Allergens" one — should I expect it to help at all? Or should I buckle down and buy a slightly better standing vacuum and hope that I can convince myself to use it on the regular? I realize that the roomba is only a maintenance thing and you still have to properly vacuum occasionally.

Apartment Vacuum Cleaner - Challenge: Cat fur x2, roaches, and budget!

robot-hugs — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:41:35 -0800

I need to get a new vacuum cleaner, as the one I have has given up the ghost. Also I'm poor. I have 2 cats who are really great at generating fur. In addition, the apartment building and my unit are battling a roach infestation and keeping things clean is important. I have a bunch of hardwood floors and a couple of carpets.

I need something that can pull up the fur from the carpets, and something that can also get into corners well enough to help get crumbs that the roaches love.

Finally, I'm looking for something under $200. I'm in Canada, so futureshop, canadiantire, homedepot, and other accessible stores are preferred.

I don't mind what type the thing is, so long as it's not super huge and it's effective.

Do you have a cleaner that you've really loved? One that's been affordable, but really worked for you? Please give me your recommendations!

I need a new vacuum.

Thrillhouse — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:53:03 -0800

I need a slim battery vacuum that is great on floors AND carpet. I need a new vacuum. We have one room of carpet and the rest is wood flooring. I don't want a big vacuum anymore. We only need the power for the carpet. I have an Electrolux Ergorapido and it's great for the floor. Love it. But it stinks on the carpet.
I bought a Dyson Slim 440 and it's great on the carpet but sucks on the floor! It won't pick up slightly larger things (slightly). Stuff that it really should. It's not $400 worth of vacuum.

I REALLY want a battery vac that does both and clearly I'm willing to spend the money. What should I get?

Keep my cookies fresh!

firei — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:08:05 -0800

I'm looking for advice on buying a vacuum sealer. Or, if they make them, just a vacuum for food packaging? My google-fu is failing! I'm bagging up cookies to mail, and I want to remove as much excess air as possible, but I do plan to use twisty ties for the top of the bag - so I don't need a sealer just yet. If it's electric, it needs to have a manual stop function - so that I don't end up with super compressed cookies.

I'm also not interested in using brand specific or specialty bags (ie, the kind you need to use with Food Saver).

If I have to, I will reverse engineer a bicycle pump, but I'd rather find an existing product, especially one that is electric and not manual.

Thanks in advance!

DJ Roomba in the hizzouse

Nathanial Hörnblowér — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:49:05 -0800

My husband wants a hackable Roomba for his birthday. He's done some research on which models are best to hack but doesn't have time to really look into it. I'm not clear on what hacks he wants to do but he's excited by the thought of getting it to do anything so I don't think it needs to be much. It would be great if it were one of the lower end models, or a refurbished model still under warranty. We have average carpet and a cat who sheds, but no real issues with rugs or door jambs. I have heard that the Roombas can get caught under furniture but I think we're safe on that front as well. Any suggestions or recommendations for models would be great.

Roomba Help!

insectosaurus — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:57:56 -0800

Our 4 year old Roomba is no longer functional. We want another one! What model should we get, and where should we buy it? We have a dog who sheds a lot, and the only problem we had with the model we previously had,560, was that it needed to be cleaned 1-2 times while it was in the middle of cleaning a room (we don't use it that often; the dog HATES it).

So, we are leaning toward getting the 564 Pet Series. Does anyone have any experience with whether this model actually works better on pet hair than the regular model?

Ideally, we would just buy the Pet Series model from a retailer with an excellent return policy (in case it doesn't work as claimed on pet hair). Bed Bath & Beyond would take it back for that reason, and they sell Roombas, but not the pet series model. From my reading of the Amazon return policy, Amazon won't take back an item unless it's within 30 days plus in new condition. So - any suggestions on where to buy a Roomba? What would you do?

Pool vacuum broke. Alternatives?

bodgy — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:44:56 -0800

Long story short but there was a dishonest home seller & realtor and the house we purchased has a pool with leaking skimmer line. No suction for vacuuming. We have a temporary garden hose vacuum for the big stuff. Any idea how I can get the little stuff until this is repaired? Long story short but there was a dishonest home seller & realtor and the house we purchased has a pool with a leaking skimmer line. No suction for vacuuming. We have a temporary garden hose vacuum for the big stuff.

We went on vacation for a few days and returned to cloudy water. We have all the right chemicals in but we need to vacuum out the particles left behind by the clarifier. They go right through the mesh bag on the little vacuum.

Someone mentioned that I could vacuum directly off of the pump but I have no idea if that is an easy project. I can't find out any information out about how to do that.

What other options do I have to vacuum the pool adequately until the repair is complete?

(And no, we are not footing the bill for the repair. Our realtor is stepping up and taking care of her peer's dishonesty.)

Vacuum Minion

edbles — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:32:10 -0800

Robot vacuum question: Neato or Roomba? Customer reviews seem to favor the Neato, but I can't tell whether the Neato is better or whether the company is better at astro-turfing. Guide me on my tiny robot vacuum choices! I am in a couple that has one cat, we're both women with long thick curly hair and jobs in the arts that frequently require 12 hour workdays for weeks at a time. I'm looking for a vacuum that will keep the largely bare wood floors in our apartment relatively grit-free hopefully unattended or minimally attended. Anyone have personal experience with either the standard Neato or the Roomba 560?

Help me fix my experimental setup!

keelyellenmarie — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:24:20 -0800

What type of pump do I need to buy to remove air from an animal cage and deliver it at a controlled rate to an experimental setup? Okay, so here's what I need to do... I have a semi-airtight cage in which I can place a small animal. I need to get air from that cage through plastic tubing to deliver to holes in the top of a petri dish. (The experiment is trying to determine whether parasites of these animals can find/distinguish between hosts by odor). The original plan for the experiment was that air would be delivered to the cage at between 7 and 15 liters per minute (as required by Animal Safety--this is the range considered appropriate to maintain healthy oxygen levels and such) from a compressed medical air tank, and that the flow of air in would be sufficient to push air out of the "out" tube and into the dish. Notably, the flow rate we need into the plates is very low.... 2-10 mls/minute is sufficient, and too high just dries out my plates and ruins the experiment.

This works, sort of, but it causes pressure buildup in the cage, and the outflow rate is incredibly variable. We've tried putting flow meters between the outflow tubing and the petri dish, but this seems to restrict the flow too much such that more air leaks out of the imperfectly airtight cage rather than forcing it's way through the constriction of the flow meter. We are also concerned that pressure buildup in the cage is unpleasant for the small animal in the cage (yes, I do research on animals, but I follow the rules and take very good care of them. I do not want them distressed by this experiment any more than necessary).

The next thing we have come up with to try is some kind of pump to pull air OUT of the cage at a controlled rate. We want to get rid of the need for a pressure buildup in the cage to force the air through the experimental system. We could allow most of the air pulled out of the cage to simply be released, only a very small amount of airflow needs to be channeled to my parasites in the dish. My problem is that I don't know what I'm looking for precisely in terms of the pump. I know what I want it to do... remove air at between 7 and 15 LPM, and then put air out in a way such that I have some reasonable way to channel the airflow to my plate. What I don't know is how to find this device I have in my head. Any suggestions?

Alternatively, if you have a better idea for how to run this whole system, I'm all ears. Keep in mind, however, that I am very constrained here by concerns for animal safety. Also, major changes to the design that substantially affect the experience of the animal, such as changing the container used for the cage to something more airtight, are things that would have to get cleared with the animal research oversight people, which can take months that I really don't want to wait, so those are options of last resort.

I'll be watching this thread closely, and I know this is a complicated question, so if you need anything clarified, please ask.

Vacuum shopping with a few requirements

wenestvedt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:32:38 -0800

Can anyone suggest a vacuum cleaner that has a washable HEPA filter, doesn't vent out the front, isn't heavy, is reasonably priced, and has a button to turn off the brush? We have so far tried several vacuum cleaners and all have been found wanting. Does our Dream Sucker exist? We've bought & returned an LG (LUV250C) and the Shark Navigator Lift-Away (the commercial for which my kids all learned to recite), and we looked very closely at several Dysons in-store.

The LG was awesome except that it vents the air right out its lower front, forecefully blowing away anything you were about to vacuum up. (What engineer would do this I cannot imagine, except that the Dysons also seem to do it.)

Also, the LG kind of "grabs" at our low-pile carpets and has to be dislodged with a shove. My wife is petite so this is a problem; also, we're trying to convince our kids that Vacuuming Is Fun! and this is a strong counter-arguement. :7(

The Shark was good but it was pretty heavy. ISTR that it also had a tendency to dump its canister messily.

The Dysons won't stand up on a staircase, and we don't want to own a second vacuum just for stairs.

Many other vacuums don't have a control to turn off the brush. (We are ripping out carpets and adding hardwoods, and we'll end up with maybe a third of the house carpets; about a third of the downstairs is tile.)

We are neutral on bagged/bagless (and getting used to the bagless). We haven't considered a canister before. We can't find a place to try a Miele in our state (Rhode Island).

Is our snowflakiness just too flaky?

This sucks because it no longer sucks.

jeffamaphone — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:49:06 -0800

Where can I get little parts for Miele vacuums? I have a Miele that's about six years old. I don't know the model number off-hand. It's dark grey / black. It's the kind you pull along behind you.

The powered-brush attachment that came with it (the default attachment for floor vacuuming) has a little button you can press to detach it. That button is composed of an outer-housing, a spring, and the button/latch bit that releases the attachment from the long tube thing.

The outer housing came off and is missing (let's say a squirrel ran in and stole it). Now the attachment won't stay on because the spring has nothing to hold it in place. I did manage to save the spring from the mutant squirel attack.

Now I want to get just this stupid little piece of plastic, but all I can find on-line is an entire new power attachment, which is quite expensive. Local repair place offered to replace the whole bit that comes out the back of the attachment (tube, the part I'm interested in, and some other bits), but that's going to run over $100 with parts and labor, so I might as well just get a whole new attachment.

So, my question is: can I buy just the stupid little part I need, or do I need to rig something?

I'm getting old.

TomMelee — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:33:41 -0800

Can we talk about vacuums please? I'll try to be brief:
My home is almost 100 years old, hardwood floors throughout, only a few area rugs here and there. We have three dogs, all dander-y although only two of them are serious shedders. They have a designated couch and chair, which are not our normal couch and chair. They do not get on the bed, but they do sleep in the bedroom on designated beds.

My fiancee is allergic to lots...although not dogs. She's allergic to dustmites and grasses and oak. (Allergy test like 10 days ago confirms it.) Our house IS pretty dusty. I'm in the process of fixing our whole-house furnace-attached humidifier as it was functioning incorrectly and I do finally have the correct furnace filter installed correctly.

Anyway, I've been made aware of the non-plastic allergy fabrics for beds and whatnot, and we're doing the "change the sheets once a week" thing, which is all well and good. The dogs so shed though...so much...she vacuums literally every day and it fills up the canister every day. The downside is that this is a cheap, hoover vacuum, and turning it on I can see it just throwing dust everywhere. The filter in it is ~$8 and gets replaced monthly.

I'm wondering, if we get a good vacuum, could we use it like...on the bed and the floors and the stairs and everywhere, and can it not make us go broke on internal filters (not that $8 a month is making us go broke, but...it seems excessive and very time consuming, and then there's the pre-filter and the foam band and...ugh it's gross.) and can mitigate the dust AND the hair?

I've read reviews on like, say, the Dyson Animal D28, however that seems like extreme overkill for a house with no permanent carpets. (Although carpet may happen once the most elderly dog passes away, not sure yet, toddler in the house leading that decision.)

So...is there a vacuum that's GREAT for dog hair and dust that doesn't just throw dust everywhere? And can it not be disgusting to dump out the bin? I thought of like a roomba, but a lot of the quickest hair buildup is on the stairs.

Sams yesterday had a returned Animal for $419, which seems kinda nuts for a vacuum, but I suppose you buy it once and you don't need to buy it again ever? I dunno. I ask you.

buy me a vacuum?

sabh — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:24:41 -0800

what kind of vacuum or dust buster should i buy? i have been looking into buying a handheld vacuum for quite some time, but keep on putting it off. i'm getting sick of our current rug-cleaning method (picking up and kicking/punching to get the dirt off, then sweeping the floor beneath), so here i am...

i live in a small (~500 sq. ft) apartment with hardwood floors. there are area rugs in the living room and bedroom, the bathroom has tile floors and the kitchen has those fake tile stickers.

i definitely need something small, as storage space is minimal, but my experience with dust busters is that they don't work.

is a dyson worth the price?
how about this dirt devil cone?
or a roomba?

so please send me your mini-yet-powerful vacuum suggestions. thanks in advance! if something works for cleaning the whole apartment and not just the limited rug space, even better.

Vacuum cleaner value for money

lollusc — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:43:17 -0800

Which vacuum cleaner stays sucky for the longest (relative to cost)? I've now owned three vacuum cleaners that were awesome for about a year, okay for another year, and practically did nothing during the third year. I clean filters and empty dust out regularly. I have even taken one apart completely and cleaned every last bit of it. Each of these vacuum cleaners cost about $100.

So this time I'm happy to spend more if it will get me something that keeps working well for longer. But only relative to cost. So if $200 will get me something that works well for four years, that's money well spent. If $600 will get me something that works well for 12 years, cool. But I don't want to pay $500 and have something that only lasts six years, since I could buy three $100 vacuum cleaners and be just as happy.

The environmental cost of throwing something like a vacuum cleaner away regularly also does factor in somewhat, so I don't mind spending a LITTLE more in the long term to avoid that.

All that said, what should I buy? Please don't recommend something if you've only had it for a year or two, because I too would have thought my previous vacuum cleaners were awesome at that stage.

I'm in Australia, so it needs to be available here. We have wooden floors with a few rugs, and one short-haired cat, so it doesn't have to be super impressive - just durable.

Has the Michelson - Morley experiment ever been replicated in a vacuum?

enamon — Thu, 19 May 2011 09:52:42 -0800

Has the Michelson - Morley experiment ever been replicated in a vacuum? Has the Michelson - Morley experiment ever been replicated in a vacuum? I keep reading descriptions of it but not one of them mentions if this was done in a vacuum. This is strange since the speed of light depends on what medium it travels through (which is what causes light refraction). Thus, wouldn't any experiment trying to prove or disprove the existence of some underlying medium that pervades all of space need to be performed in a location devoid of any other medium (air in this case)? I know this experiment has been replicated many times but I can't find any specific instances of it being performed in a vacuum. Also, if it has been performed in a vacuum, have vertical angles been tested as well?

Thanks!

What does a space explosion sound like if you are physically connected to it?

dougrayrankin — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:41:47 -0800

What would an explosion sound like on the moon? Thought-experiment filter. I know that no sound would pass through the (relative) vacuum that is the lunar atmosphere, but would something resembling sound be audible having passed through the lunar surface, into my boots and up my suit to my ears?

Help find a replacement electric motor for my vacuum cleaner

qxntpqbbbqxl — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:39:12 -0800

Help me find a replacement electric motor for my vacuum cleaner? I have a Eureka 431BX. It has a spinning brush roll on the bottom, driven by an electric motor (not the main vacuum motor). This motor has failed. I'm hoping it's a standard part that I can order online, but I don't know enough about electronics to find it. Hoping someone here is good at sourcing parts like this :)

The motor has a label that is partially illegible due to a piece of foam glued on top of it. Here's what I can decipher:

SF5512S ??????????AX-03
120V / 60Hz ????????6C7F

And here's someone else's photo of the disassembled vacuum (same model).

Supporting information:
* I've disassembled the vacuum and run the motor without the attached belt; it makes a few revolutions and then stops. A yellow failure light comes on.
* I've cleaned all the hair and fuzz out, and tried blowing it out with compressed air
* Vacuum is out of warranty. Eureka customer service was sympathetic but not very helpful

which vacuum would I enjoy?

wondermouse — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:36:07 -0800

I'm in the market for a vacuum that uses bags and is inexpensive, reliable, not too powerful and not too big. Help me pick the right one. I do not want a bagless vacuum because I've been battling a roach problem in my new apartment. I want whatever I vacuum up to be able to be immediately sealed off and disposed of, never to be seen again. I like the idea of bagless vacuums until I go to empty them and end up with a fine cloud of dust and filth flying through the air. Add roaches, and all that comes along with them (those of you who've battled the german cockroach know what I'm talking about), into the mix and... do not want. And yes, I am cleaning and treating the problem otherwise. I'm just really grossed out by the whole thing.

I have a 1 bedroom apartment with a few moderate-weight area rugs and bare floors. This is why I don't want/need a very powerful vacuum. Dysons are out of my price range as it is, but I've used those before and found them too strong for anything other than a really heavy area rug or carpet.

Not too big because I don't want it to take up a lot of space. And reliability because I like things that last for a while with normal use.

And finally, I would like this vacuum to cost under $200.

No preference as to whether it's an upright, stick, or canister as long as it meets the above requirements. Thanks!

To Dyson or Not To Dyson?

litnerd — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:15:57 -0800

I'm having trouble vacuuming the carpeted stairs in my new home with our upright vacuum (for obvious reasons). I've finally convinced my husband that we need a canister vacuum to do the job. What's the best option on the market, in terms of a happy balance between quality and price? Is Dyson really where it's at? I'm looking at the DS23 Animal based on previous AskMe threads, but I'd rather not spend $400 on a vacuum if there are just-as-good products out there for significantly less.

Whether you're a Dyson evangelist or not, please recommend your favorite canister vac. Thanks!

I want a clean couch.

ddaavviidd — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:34:19 -0800

I need helping cleaning this filthy couch. Give me your best cleaning tricks! We bought this couch a year ago and always have a hard time getting it really clean. When we bought it, we didn't make the "fabric + cats + baby = dirty" calculation. Here are two pictures. The surface seems to be made of a kind of catch-all felt. When we vacuum the couch it always leave these small debris (we tried with two relatively powerful vacuums).

Too frustrated at my vacuum to supply clever title.

HeroZero — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 14:37:17 -0800

I bought a Hoover Widepath Tempo vacuum. Then I got a black labrador. Then I moved into an apartment with wall to wall carpeting. Help. I realize that many vacuums cannot handle pet hair well, but I'm willing to fuss with this one if it means it'll work better. Thing is, I just replaced the bag, cleaned out the house, and even unscrewed the bottom take out the brush and clean it off. I'm still having a hard time doing anything with it; it leaves black, labrador hair tracks in the floor, especially when I pull back rather than push it forward.

Any ideas for other ways to fiddle with this thing and make it do its job?

Cleaning up lead paint

Chicken Boolean — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:26:45 -0800

My house has lead paint. Today most of the windows were replaced, and the people who installed them were supposed to vacuum up the lead paint chips. I don't think they did. What should I do? The old window frames were removed basically by smashing them, with most of the wood-and-paint pieces landing outside. The guys who did it (their company also tested for lead paint) said they would vacuum the inside when they were done to clean it up. But when I came home, I saw what looked like some flakes of white paint, not to mention the same dust and bits of paper, etc. that were there before they started.

Two questions:

1. I have no idea how this works, so is it reasonable to assume that these guys didn't vacuum, or didn't do it well enough?

2. How should I clean this up? I could just vaccuum it myself right now, but I've heard that for some toxic materials (e.g. broken mercury lightbulb) you should avoid vacuuming because that just spreads it around and makes it worse.

I hope this isn't a really serious problem, because I have to live here while (and before) it gets cleaned up.

Please help me find a long-lasting vacuum that is good for a home with cats.

Four-Eyed Girl — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:39:48 -0800

Please recommend a vacuum that will pick up cat hair from carpet and wood flooring. I have two cats, and they shed all over the place. My past two vacuums (Eureka Boss SmartVac w/Bag & Bissell Lift-Off Multi Cyclonic Pet Bagless) did not pick up the cat hair as well as I would like when I first got them, and they stopped picking up anything at all within a year.

I have read the past questions similar to this topic, but they did not quite fit what I would like to have. I would like recommendations for vacuums that will last for a long time, pick up hair from carpet & wood floors, and are not too bulky. I am not interested in a Dyson because I have read too many negative reviews and comments about them. I am especially curious about canister vacuums, but recommendations for other types are welcome. Thanks!

Jesus Christ, who knew vacuum shopping could be so darn complicated?

Sufi — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:25:56 -0800

Owners of bagged vacuum cleaners, how often do you find yourself changing the bag? I've been researching vacuum cleaners and I've finally settled on one, but the fact that it uses expensive bags ($5 per bag plus shipping. very hard to find in stores) has me on the fence. My previous vacuums have all been bagless and they needed emptying twice per use, which makes me think a bag would need to be replaced once a month at the very least. Some people say they can get five months out of theirs, but as an owner of long haired dogs, I like to vacuum daily.

(I think) I love this vacuum. It has great reviews (Consumer Reports and Amazon), I like the tools, and I feel it would be as good as a Dyson (which had always been my dream vac). I'm just not sure how often I would go through these bags, even if I were to re-use them. I can't help but wonder if I would be better off spending the extra $200 now for the Dyson..

So I guess my main question is, how often would I really need to change a vacuum bag?

My carpet stuffed up my vacuum!

khelvan — Sat, 22 May 2010 04:56:10 -0800

How do I clean out a vacuum hose that has been blocked by light carpet fibers left over from carpet installation? I have a Bissell Powerforce vacuum cleaner that is having a hell of a time with the carpet at the apartment we have lived in for several months now. It turns out that the carpet is brand new, and whoever installed it prior to us renting this place apparently did not do a good job of vacuuming up the loose carpet fiber after laying it down, if they even used a vacuum at all.

So now, whenever I try to vacuum the carpet, I have to watch out for blockages. Unfortunately I forgot about this and after a good vacuuming, both the hose to the carpet attachment and the internal hose are completely blocked by soft yet compacted carpet fibers. Now these aren't the threads that you might pull out of a carpet, they are the individual fibers that are woven together to form each strand. Almost like thousands of tiny hairs blocking my hose.

So using a bent clothes hanger has been useless. I have been unable to pull out more than a few inches of the stuff, and that only because it was close enough to manipulate easily. Otherwise I can't get a hold of the fibers enough to pull them out. On the other hand, nothing I've been able to push in is large or strong enough to push the fibers out the other end, as even though they have compacted they give easily and things I push in just seem to push into the fibers and then go nowhere. I tend to have a very hard time pushing anything in reliably because of the peaks and valleys along the hose (the ones that allow it to stretch/compress like an accordion).

So I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. Does anyone have any experience with this, or have any ideas on how I can get this crap out of the hose? (And, possibly, how to prevent it from accumulating again in the future)

Thanks!