If you own a home with stairs or live in an apartment, you should understand the importance of keeping your home clean and tidy. Vacuuming stairs is important especially if you have kids, pets, and frequent visitors. To keep your house up to your desired standards, you need the right tools and equipment. Selecting the right stair vacuum in 2017 is a contingent upon several factors:
- personal cleaning styles
- how often you vacuum
- if you are allergy prone
- cost
What To Look For
There are a few things to explore further before making a decision. Below, is a step-by-step procedure that shows various important aspects to consider before buying a vacuum cleaner for stairs.
Step 1: Brand Type
What brand type is the best for you? Check if the vacuum cleaner is made from a reputable company. It is advisable to always go for the trusted brands because they tend to function and last longer, even though they might be expensive. Never go for cheap and unknown brands because you won’t get reliability. With various brands taking the lead today, you can go for Dirt Devil, Dyson, Hoover, Eureka, Oreck, Miele, or Bissell among others.
Step 2: Allergy Concerns?
After selecting your brand, you should now look for a vacuum that can remove allergens from the environment, without stirring the airborne particles. This is the best thing to do if you have a family member with allergies or asthma. Make sure that you choose a HEPA filter and an airtight design. It is also prudent to go for bagged vacuums in case you have someone who is affected by allergy. Remember: bags trap allergens better than the collection containers in the bagless vacuum cleaners. If you suffer from allergies, besides stairs, always-vacuum upholstery, drapes and other infamous dust catchers.
Step 3: Type of Flooring
Figuring out your floor type will enable you to identify the right nozzle to be used. Why is this so important? Every vacuum functions well and lasts for long when used properly. Hardwood stairs should be vacuumed by units especially designed for hardwoods. Carpeted stairs should be cleaned by units which are meant for carpets. In fact, using the wrong vacuum can spoil the flooring. It is also crucial to how the cleaning will be done, right from the drapes, furniture, walls, ceiling to stairs.
Step 4: Weight
Cleaning stairs can be a hectic task if you end up choosing a heavy vacuum. Stairs require lightweight vacuum cleaners that are easy to move and maneuver around corners or edges. Working with heavy machinery on the stairs is not only tiresome, but can also endanger you. So make sure you are using units under 15 lbs. or so.
Step 5: Length of Hose
Is the length of the hose long enough to enable you perform your course and clean the stairs? If you are planning to buy vacuum for stairs, considering the hose length is a must! Lengthy hosepipes give you the ability to maneuver without lugging around the vacuum. Getting a long hose is advisable not for people who are looking for vacuum cleaners for handling staircases, but for a full list of many other uses.
Step 6: Suction Power
There is always great value in having good suction. Power is vital because it will help the vacuum maintain its suction force throughout a lengthy hose. If you are financially capable of buying an upright with over 200 AW, or a canister with over 300AW, it is recommended do that.
Step 7: Check the Parts
This is one common step that most buyers forget. If something is of high quality, it does not mean the package is automatically great. Sometimes errors happen and that is why it is important to always check for various parts and to test properly them. You can try assembling and disassembling the unit and it’s attachments before you proceed with the purchase. If you can assemble and clean with minimal effort, that should be the right indicator that the unit you plan to buy is good. However, if this task proves challenging, seek assistance from the sellers. Height adjustments and ease of usability should also be taken into consideration.
Step 8: Add-On Cleaning Tools
Today, vacuums come with basic tools, which is suffice for most cleaning jobs. For instance, some have narrow tool for crevices, upholstery brushes and round brushes for dusting. Canister vacuums have more power and other additional tools to clean carpets. You can also get edge cleaners especially for stairs and corners, which enable you pick debris and reach the entire area of the cleaning head. More importantly, most of the versatile cleaners come with a stair tool. If a vacuum has these features, take advantage of it because it is meant to make your cleaning easier. In a nut shell, always insist on those brands that come with accessorized parts as these may be difficult to find otherwise.
Step 9: Warranty
The warranty should be the last thing to check before you can make or break the purchase. In many cases, you can choose to extend your warranty. This will ensure that the vacuum serves you for a long period of time. Some people don’t find warranties to be necessary. This can also depend on the brand that you have bought. For instance, a well-known brand that is durable doesn’t really require a warranty. In most cases, these products rarely get damaged.
Top 3 vacuum cleaners for stairs – comparison chart 2017
| Top 3 vacuum cleaners for stairs | Overall Rating (1-10) | Suction Power | Attachments | Weight | Customer Feedback | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka RapidClean Step |  | 8.9 | 8.4 | 8.9 | 10 | 8.5 |
| Dyson V8 Absolute |  | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.7 | 9.5 |
| Shark Rocket Truepet |  | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.5 |
*Click on the stair vacuums above to see additional customer feedback reviews and price on Amazon.com
All the information above leads to a safe purchase. You will have a vacuum cleaner that will be easy to use and maintain. Durability and quality will not be compromised as well. Remember to consider the people living in your house before buying a vacuum cleaner. There are several vacuums out there which can meet the above specifications very well. It’s up to you to make the best decision on what suits you.
