for your
home
Sucking it up
Cleaning
floors
in the 21st
century
JUPITER IMAGES/LIQUID LIBRARY
By Steve Fisher
BUYING A NEW vacuum should be a relatively easy task. But there are lots of issues to
consider, and price is only one point. We
talked with experts at several manufacturers
to come up with some questions and answers
to help you make an informed decision.
What type of home—single story,
two-story, bi-level, etc.—do you have?
Is storage space an issue?
If you live in a two-story house, the choice
is to lug a vacuum up and down stairs or have
one on each floor. Keep the heavy-duty cleaner
FRANCE FREEMAN
Bupyeırc’s k
Shannon Axthelm
Small Electrics
Buyer
I HAVEN’T HAD a pet in years,
but after using the Dyson DC14
Animal the first time, I expected
him to come bounding back into the
room. I was amazed at the amount
of dirt I’ve been living with and
didn’t know it. And I’ve been using
a really good vacuum cleaner. The
Dyson goes beyond good.
It’s great for all floor types.
It auto-adjusts for different carpet heights, making cleaning a
(canister or upright) downstairs, where the
traffic may be heavier, and keep a lightweight
cleaner, such as a handheld or stick vacuum,
on the second floor.
Handhelds or sticks are also good for the
kitchen for quick pickups of coffee grounds
or cereal. If your home has stairs, choose a
no-brainer. An on/off switch for the
brush bar helps you avoid scratching
bare floors. The Telescope Reach™
wand lets you instantly extend the
wand and hose 17 feet for high ceilings and stairs, without having to
go into Cirque du Soleil acrobatics to
keep the machine from tipping. Oh,
and it’s bagless, and has a lifetime
HEPA filter. Unlike other vacuums,
Dyson is certified asthma & allergy
friendly™ by the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America.
That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Don’t take my word for it.
Google it and see what others say.
One comment that keeps coming up
is “It left my carpets looking professionally cleaned.” That, plus the
Costco value, and what more
could you ask for? C
lightweight model or one with telescoping
attachments to reach upper stairs without
having to carry a heavy cleaner with you.
What type(s) of floors—carpet,
tile, hardwood, ceramic, etc.—are in
your home?
Canisters and upright vacuums with an
on/off brush roll—which allows you to shutoff
the brush bar when vacuuming bare floors—
and height adjustment (manual or automatic)
for rugs are best for homes with carpeting, tile
and hardwood surfaces throughout.
Do you have pets?
If you have the furry kind that have free
roam of the home, look for a vacuum with
power hand tools to pick up that hard-to-get
hair on stairs and furniture. A unit with
shampooing or steam-cleaning ability might
also be warranted.
Does anyone in your home have
asthma or allergies?
A sealed HEPA (high-efficiency particu-
continued on page 33
The Costco Connection
Find floor-care products and accessories at
Costco and costco.com.