Cleanups for smaller spaces
Hand-held vacuums come into their own
For houses with kids or pets, a hand- held vacuum is a near- necessity for crumbs or pet- hair pickup. “This is what you’re going to reach for when your kids spill cereal in the morning or you spill coffee grounds,” says Allison Bean of home website The Spruce.
What qualities make a good one? Experts say you want a cordless option with strong suction, a dirt collector that can be bagless, and a battery that charges quickly and has long life. Ease of operation earns extra points.
“Just the other day I was reading an article that was saying that people clean on average around one to two hours per day,” says Jason Roberts, the expert behind vacuumsguide. com. “Considering this, I believe every household should be equipped with a device that enhances this activity. A great vacuum cleaner makes boring activities, such as housecleaning, if not pleasant at least bearable.”
In her few apartments, Bean got by with just a handheld vacuum and a Swiffer. She l i kes Dyson’s handhelds, having owned an older model of the V7 Trigger ($ 299.99, Canadian Tire and also dysoncanada. ca). “It has really superior suction for a hand-held vacuum. It holds a charge for about a half- hour. And I am a fan of emptying a bin — it has a little lever that you pull up so you never have to get your hands dirty.”
After 15 years of selling vacuums at Walmart, Roberts became an undeniable vacuum authority and now shares this knowledge with a wider audience on his Vacuums Guide site. When it comes to hand- helds, he likes Black+ Decker. “Most of their products are light, three pounds or so, and sturdy,” he says. He suggests getting a product with a battery voltage of 20 or more, and recommends the BDH2000L lithium hand vacuum ( $ 94.99 - $ 99.99, rona.ca, amazon.ca).
“Everyone has a use for hand vacuums,” says Melissa Maker, author of Clean My Space and founder of a Toronto cleaning service. Look for a lightweight vacuum with a variety of attachments, she says, and a quickcharging battery with a long life. Her top choice is the Black+ Decker Dustbuster compact lithium hand vacuum, model HNV220BCZ00 ($146.99, amazon.ca).
“Dirt Devil makes a great hand- held vacuum,” says Leslie Reichert, the Green Cleaning Coach. After running a housecleaning business for nine years, Reichert started going on TV and radio shows to share her knowledge. Of Dirt Devil’s line, she likes the Ultra corded bagged hand- held vacuum cleaner ($ 42.98, walmart.ca; amazon.ca).
A new hand- held on the U. S. market is designed to suck up allergens, says Paul Banas, publisher of Pregnancy Magazine and GreatDad.com. He uses the Raycop RS2 (US$349.99, raycop.com, contact company’s website for shipping information). Banas’s son suffers from dust- mite allergies, and he says that he does everything he can to alleviate them. A UV light kills dust mites as it passes over upholstery, fabric and mattresses.
I AM A FAN OF EMPTYING A BIN ... SO YOU NEVER HAVE TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY. — ALLISON BEAN, THE SPRUCE