Hardwood flooring is a beautiful addition to your home or office. It provides an aesthetic charm and increases the property value. Although hardwood floors are easier to clean than carpets, it’s difficult to clean without damaging its surface.
Sweeping with a soft-bristled broom and dampened mop are effective but are not a favourite option for most homeowners as these processes are time-consuming. Vacuum cleaners have more power than a broom and are a good solution for cleaning hardwood quickly. But most of them are designed for cleaning carpet floors. You need to buy a vacuum cleaner that’s specifically designed to clean hardwood floors without damaging them.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the different types and features of vacuum cleaners that are ideal for cleaning dust, dirt and pet hair from your hardwood floors.
Types of Vacuum Cleaners for Hardwood Flooring
- Canister Vacuum: It’s one of the best types of vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors. The sucking head of the vacuum is connected to the filter and the mobile engine with a hose. Canister vacuums are easy to move around as they can be pulled along while you clean your hardwood floors. They come with good suction power that’s ideal to clean pet fur and dust from the floor. Another advantage of these vacuums is that they come with different types of interchangeable attachment heads that make them multi-purpose.
- Upright Vacuum: Built into one solid piece, upright vacuums are taller and heavier than other types of vacuums. Although they’ve got very powerful suction power, great filtration, different attachments, and several other features, their long body is difficult to move around the house. However, not all upright vacuums are suitable for hardwood floors, especially those that come with beater brushes on the main vacuum head. Beater brushes can scratch the hardwood floor surface.
- Stick Vacuum: These vacuums are a good choice if you have a small space and need to clean frequent messes. It’s a lightweight version of the upright vacuum. There are no extra attachments provided for multitasking. They’re not ideal vacuums for heavy-duty cleaning or for large homes.
- Handheld Vacuum: As the name suggests, they’re small enough to be carried around in the home. They’re battery powered which makes them even more portable. However, they lack strong suction power and there are no extra attachments or extendable hose. They’re perfect for spot cleaning, long staircases and small messes.
Features to Look Out For
Now that you know the different types of vacuum cleaners, here are the must-have features to search for when considering a vacuum for your hardwood floor.
- Cleaning Head: A vast majority of vacuum cleaners come with a revolving brush. Make sure that the vacuum you choose has a feature to turn off the revolving brush otherwise it won’t be good for your hardwood floors. Also, check if your brush attachments come with soft bristles because very stiff and dense brushes will scratch the floor surface. Parquet brushes are the most suitable for hardwood. They’re a felt-like brush with very soft bristles. Some vacuum cleaners also come with attachable microfiber pads which enable you to eliminate the need of mopping.
- Suction: Opt for a vacuum with powerful suction power so that you can clean the dirt and dust from the gaps between the boards as well.
- Weight: Select a vacuum cleaner that’s light-weight or at least easy to move around in the house. A very heavy unit also increases the chances of damaging the surface of your floor as you drag it or pull it behind you when cleaning the floors.
- Wheels: Check out the material of the wheels of the machine before buying. Rubber wheels or rubber bumpers are ideal to prevent scratches and dents on the floor. Avoid hard plastic wheels.
- Power: Consider if you need a battery powered or corded unit. Battery powered vacuums are suitable for small rooms. With corded models, you’ll not have to worry about recharging the battery.
Your hardwood floors are a long term investment. You can extend the life of your prized hardwood flooring by using the right cleaning tools to clean and maintain it. Choose an appropriate vacuum cleaner and use it properly to keep your hardwood floor looking new for years to come.
