Is A Vacuum Cleaner An Essential Item?
Is a vacuum cleaner an essential item? If you’re having to replace a broken vacuum cleaner or perhaps are kitting out a new home whilst trying to save money this may be a question you’re asking yourself. And it is a good question as a good vacuum cleaner these days can set you back a substantial amount of money depending on the type you are after.
Having spent a significant amount of money on vacuum cleaners over the years, we thought we would look at the reasons why a vacuum cleaner might be an essential item and also the reasons why you may be able to survive without one.
Is A Vacuum Cleaner An Essential Item: Yes
Let’s first take a look at some of the reasons why a vacuum cleaner would be deemed an essential item.
Makes Cleaning Easier
One of the main reasons why a vacuum cleaner could be considered an essential item is the fact it makes the whole process of cleaning much easier. Rather than having to get down to the floor and sweep up the dust yourself, you simply point the wand and press the power button to get all of your dust and dirt cleaned up.
Provides Better Cleaning
As well as making cleaning much easier, vacuum cleaners also provide a higher quality of cleaning than you otherwise would doing it manually. If you’ve ever tried to sweep up with a dust pan and brush over a large space you’ll know how difficult it can be to get a perfect job done. With a vacuum cleaner you don’t have to worry about missing spots because of a lack of focus like you would when you are doing it manually. With most vacuum cleaners you get consistent suction throughout the clean so even if you zone out, the floor still gets cleaned.
Encourages You To Clean More Often
Having the convenience of a vaccum cleaner may also encourage you to clean more often. This is especially the case with more modern and lightweight cordless vacuum cleaners that need pretty much no setup time (aside from charging the battery). As its so much easier to clean with a power vacuum cleaner than by hand, you are more likely to want to clean more often.
Saves You Time
One of the main reasons why we believe a vacuum cleaner is an essential item is the fact it can save you a considerable amount of time. If you had to manually sweep your entire home regularly rather than using a vacuum cleaner you would potentially waste a lot of time. This is time you could be devoting to other activities that add more value to your life and are simply more enjoyable. If you are short of time and can afford the expense then a vacuum cleaner is a must because it will pay you back in time saved.
Is A Vacuum Cleaner An Essential Item: No
Now let’s try see if we can balance the argument and look at why a vacuum cleaner may not be deemed essential.
It Can Be Done Manually
Despite the convenience offered by a vaccum cleaner the fact remains it does a job that can be done manually. Before vacuum cleaners became common place in a lot of people’s homes particularly in the Western world, guess what? People simply cleaned their homes without a vacuum cleaner. Imagine that. It is quite possible to keep your floors nice and tidy with a simple dust pan and brush that doesn’t cost you a ton.
Can Be Expensive
Another reason why a vacuum cleaner might not be deemed essential is that it can be an expensive luxury essentially. When you consider it does a job that can be done manually and also the fact they can cost a significant amount, you’d have to conclude it is not something that could be deemed essential. You could, as many people do, get by without one just fine and it would leave your pocket better off.
Is A Vacuum Cleaner An Essential Item During Lockdown?
The equation of whether or not a vaccum cleaner is an essential item may be slightly different if you’re considering this question during lockdown. In normal circumstances perhaps a vacuum cleaner would not be deemed an essential item for you as you simply may not have been spending enough time in your home to need one.
If you spent most of your time out of the home, then your floors may have stayed cleaner for longer as you didn’t put them to much use. This is especially the case if for example you live in a home alone or in a couple and you have busy jobs.
However, during lockdown this may change as you spent most if not all of your time inside the home and the floors get much more use. If you have young children and a garden this is especially true. As such in this instance, a vacuum cleaner may move to the essential side of the argument as you could otherwise find you spend a whole lot of time just trying to sweep the floors.
There is also of course the added consideration that keeping your floors and your home generally as clean as possible during lockdown and going forward will now be more important than ever. This can be done quite effectively without a vacuum cleaner but it will probably make things easier if you do have one in place.
Lastly, if pre-lockdown you had a cleaner who came in regularly but prefer or unable to continue with that service then a vacuum cleaner could also now fall into the essential category.
Conclusion: Is A Vacuum Cleaner An Essential Item
So overall is a vacuum cleaner an essential item? Technically the answer is no, it is not an essential item as technically you can do the same job (i.e. cleaning the floor) manually. However, being able to do the same job is very different to being able to do it well. The fact is a vacuum cleaner will do the job of cleaning your floor but if you’ve bought the right one, it will do it in a much more effective way than you ever could with a dust pan and brush. It can also get the job done in a much faster time frame leaving you free to be productive elsewhere.
