Femme Economics: In Pursuit of the Perfect Vacuum
Our vacuum cleaner really stinks. Literally. It smells bad, probably because it is old and cheap and the dog sheds non-stop. No matter how many changes of the vacuum bag, something in it’s mechanical parts
still smells like burning hair.
So the other day I’m in our ‘œlocal big store,’ Fred Meyer, and I meander myself and my girlfriend over to the uprights. This is sparkly to me. I have always wanted my very own newvacuum cleaner. I imagine myself in curlers, sporting an apron and wielding my attachments (short, long, pointed, slanted, bristles!) This is very kinky for me. A woman is being helped by a sales assistant. I borrow him from her for a moment. They are out of the canister vac I am looking at.
The shopper says, looking up at me, ‘œThis one is the best.’ She is fondling her Hoover Wind Tunnel.
I say, ‘œYes, that’s the one I would love to have, but it is so expensive.’ In my world, $175 on sale is expensive.
She says, ‘œYes, but it’s an investment.”
I am here to tell you I agree with her. And as far as I have seen, the more dollars you put into the purchase, the more life you will get out of the machine without repair. (This definitely not what I can say for my Volkswagon).
As a personal organizer, I have worked over the years, three of my rich clients have had the brilliant German brand, Miele (pronounced Mee-la). These cost twelve hundred dollars! I have also seen them last for twelve years without needing repairs.
Unfortunately, I may as well not have a vacuum if it doesn’t have a HEPA filter. I have terrible allergies and chronic sinusitis. Canister vacs have better attachments and a longer hose for those hard to reach areas. In the category of canister vac plus HEPA filter, it turns out that my pocket book is out of luck! This time in my life is definitely not the one to ‘œinvest’ in a Miele so I researched my other options. They are informative if you are wondering the breakdown by brand of HEPA filter Vacuums.
Oreck DutchTech 1400– around $700 (this one promises ‘œquiet’)
Dyson DC21 (bagless) $400
Electrolux Twin (bagless) $298
Hoover S3755 Wind Tunnel (bagless)$200
Dirt Devil Vision (bagless) $100
If you were looking for a new canister, I hope you found this article helpful. From the varied prices I’ve seen online on the same vacuum, I think no matter what kind you need, it is worth it to compare online and maybe pay for the shipping. Often the discrepancy is up to $200.
I still haven’t decided on whether to get the Hoover or the Dirt Devil. I am so in love with the Miele that I’m convinced anything else I buy will only last a year.
If you’ve read my posts before, you’ll know I’m not all for buying new items anyway. I think I will run around to a couple of those vacuum fix-it places to see if they have fancy ones ‘œre-furbished’.
I will keep you posted.
You might want to see about using an industrial can shop vacuum and looking on the web for how to install it OUTSIDE with an opening into the house..the article I saw had it coming in through an outside closet wall.
The author had gone to the trouble to fix it up so that when you plugged the hose in it caused the vacuum to start up.
He had gotten an extra long hose from a vacuum store that sold and installed those piped in the wall house vacs and it would reach anywhere in the house and the hose just needed to be rolled up and hung on the wall in the closet by the pipe.
Since the air exhaust was outside with the can he didn’t need one with a HEPA filter and emptying it was a snap.
~ Roland
Moorea: We found ourselves in the Oreck store one Saturday afternoon and I was ready to shell out $700 when Jeanine talked some sense into me. At times, I’ve been known to surrender to the hypnotic pitch of an attractive sales person.
Why I was even considering a $700 vacuum cleaner is still a puzzle. We settled on some brand purchased at Sears for around $100. I think I’ve used it twice in the last five years… the cleaning lady brings her own and we have hardwood floors – so a $7 broom is usually my sweep method anyway.
I finally figured out that vacuuming was not enough for my allergies, and I live in a very polluted area. I spent about $1000 on a hospital-grade HEPA air filter. It’s freestanding, but you can get central ones as well.
That was the best $1000 I ever spent. I don’t know why I ever though the vacuum was going to prevent the allergies.
DYSON DYSON DYSON
There is NO other vacuum.
I spent 450.00 on the Animal 4 years ago, and never looked back.
Two things — I’ve had my Wind Tunnel for at least 12 to maybe 15 years — works like a champ — also have three, yes 3, Chows — you want dog hair — I got your dog hair right here!! Second thing, do you clean your vac? So easy (time consuming and smelly) to do. Take it apart and spray with a good cleaner, don’t forget the tubes and all attachments,use a good strong bottle brush,and a nail brush for the bad gunk. Then put a dryer sheet under the foam piece that helps keep the filter clean and one in your vac bag. Sould stay good for at least a month. Sorry, third thing — why would ANYONE spend $ 1200.00 on a vaccum. Think of all the other things you could do and people you could help with that kind of money.