Do You Really Need a Vacuum Cleaner?
Vacuum cleaners have become so common place you’d be forgiven for thinking that every household must have one. But is that really the case – do you really need a vacuum cleaner?
We believe you really do need a vacuum cleaner. They make the job of cleaning your home far easier and encourage you to keep it consistently clean with their ease of use. If you value your time and don’t want to spend ages sweeping your floors and stairs then a vacuum cleaner is a must. Vacuum cleaners now come in a variety of styles and sizes with cordless and robot vacuums providing great alternatives to traditional upright and cylinder type of vacuums.
10 Reasons Why You Need A Vacuum Cleaner
Let’s take a look at 10 great reasons why you need a vacuum cleaner.
1 – Save You Time
If you’ve ever tried to sweep your floors with a broom and brush you’ll understand why having a vacuum cleaner is a must. Vacuum cleaners can save you hours every week when compared to sweeping your floors. Even if it costs you £100 to buy a vacuum cleaner like a Henry upfront, over the years this money will pay itself back in the time that you save (assuming you can substitute that time for other more productive activities).
2 – Clean Better Than You Can
In addition to saving you time, vacuum cleaners will almost always do a better job of cleaning the floor than you can manually. This is because their suction remains consistent throughout the time they’re in use whereas you need to constantly focus on your cleaning which is not always possible. Furthermore, vacuum cleaners typically combine powerful suction, brushes, and sweepers for highly effective cleaning.
3 – Encourage You To Keep Your Home Tidy
With a vacuum cleaner around it can be far easier to keep your home cleanliness under control as it can be quite easy to switch the vacuum for a few minutes every day to keep on top of any mess. The amount of cleaning that can be done with just a few minutes of running the vacuum means it’s more likely to get you to do it every day and remain on top of everything.
4 – Clean Automatically
One of the biggest attractions to vacuum cleaners these days is that they can clean automatically for you without you even being present at home. Robot vacuum cleaners take the convenience of vacuuming to a whole new level as they can be set to clean on a set schedule every day. This saves you even more time as you don’t have to be around to push the vacuum cleaner around your home. Robot vacuums can be a great option if you are very busy.
5 – Great For Homes With Pets
If you have a home with pets then a vacuum cleaner is most certainly a must. They can help to get rid of pet hairs and debris far more effectively than sweeping. Furthermore, the debris from pets can sometimes be harmful to individuals particularly those with pet allergies so having a vacuum cleaning with powerful suction that can deep clean your carpets daily can make a big difference. There are also many vacuum cleaners such as the Shark IZ201UK designed for homes with pets in mind with its Anti Hair Wrap Pet Tool for removing pet hair from upholstery.
6 – Excellent For Cleaning Stairs
If you’ve ever tried to clean your stairs with a dustpan and brush and then come to do the same with a vacuum cleaner you’ll understand why using a vacuum cleaner can be so helpful. Cleaning the stairs is one of those jobs where having a vacuum cleaner offers you a clear advantage especially if it has smaller fittings you can use aside from the standard brush head. The stairs can be awkward to clean manually and very time-consuming whereas a vacuum cleaner can make quick work of it and not strain you in the process.
7 – Make Cleaning Under Furniture Easier
Other areas of your home that can be made easier to clean with a vacuum cleaner are under furniture such as tables, chests of draws and beds, with higher legs, if there’s enough space underneath. This is often because most vacuum cleaners come equipped with fairly length handles that can also twist the floor brush to allow you to get it flat enough to get into awkward spots.
Cleaning underneath furniture such as tables is an area where robot vacuum cleaners can be particularly useful as they can get into places without being disturbed by the dust in a way that you might be. Provided that they have enough clearance they can also get into places with ease so long as there are no major obstructions in their path.
8 – Make Cleaning Your Curtains Easier
Getting rid of dust on curtains is another great advantage of having a vacuum cleaner in the home. Using an upholstery accessory will you to brush down your curtains and get rid of dust as part of your cleaning routine in a way a dustpan and brush cannot. Quite helpfully with a suitable fitting, you will be able to latch onto the top of a curtain with the vacuum cleaner and then sweep down the curtain removing dust and dirt as you do so in an effective way.
9 – Helps Keep Your Car Clean
A handy vacuum cleaner is not just useful for inside the home but also for keeping your car in tip-top shape. Car interiors can be particularly difficult to clean manually especially if you have young children or use it regularly for outdoor activities that attract dirt and sand. Many vacuum cleaners will come with upholstery fittings which can be very useful in cleaning your car seats as well as the floors.
There are also many cordless vacuum cleaners such as the Dyson V10 that can allow you to switch to a handheld mode that makes cleaning your car far easier and also means you don’t have to worry about finding a power point close enough to your car for a traditional corded vacuum cleaner.
10 – Maintain Your Carpets and Floors For Longer
Something to keep in mind when weighing up buying a vacuum cleaner is that it is likely to help maintain your floors, especially carpets much longer than you could cleaning them manually. As your floors get a better and more thorough clean they will likely last much longer than they otherwise would. This is particularly the case with carpets which show up with dirt a lot easier than hard floors.
Why You May Not Need A Vacuum Cleaner
We’ve covered many reasons why you may want to consider buying a vacuum cleaner but what are some of the reasons why you might opt against buying one? Let’s take a look.
They Can Be Expensive
Whilst vacuum cleaners today are much cheaper than they were 10 – 15 years ago, a decent vacuum cleaner can still set you back around £150. As such it is not an automatic decision to be made without careful consideration. In addition to the upfront cost, you then have the cost of replacement bags in the case of traditional bagged vacuum cleaners such as the ever-popular Henry Hoover. This issue can of course be avoided with bagless options.
One cost that can’t be avoided with vacuum cleaners is the cost of electricity to run them. It can typically cost around £15 per year in electricity to use your vacuum cleaner, assuming you use it for around 10 minutes every day (or an hour and ten minutes every week). Though this may not seem significant on it’s own when combined with the upfront cost plus the consumption of electricity every year you own it, the costs will add up. Of course when compared to the overall benefits you get, it may still be worth the investment but they’re nonetheless costs to consider when comparing vacuum cleaners to manual cleaninig.
You May Be Fine With A Dust Pan and Brush
Another reason you may not need a vacuum cleaner is if you’re perfectly happy with your dustpan and brush. Though vacuum cleaners are more efficient and cover ground more evenly when compared to manual cleaning some may still prefer a dustpan and brush. This may be particularly the case if your home is mostly flat hard floors (e.g. laminate) rather than carpet as it tends to be easier to clean those.
Conclusion: Do You Really Need a Vacuum Cleaner?
Despite there being some legitimate reasons why you may not want a vacuum cleaner, there are some significant reasons why you need a vacuum cleaner. From the efficiency, they bring through to automated vacuum robots there are plenty of reasons.
