A Bunch of Suckers: Our Favorite Vacuums

Vacuums.  We love our vacuums at Hall's Homestead.  With three small kiddos (one recently liberated from the high chair), two big indoor/outdoor farm dogs, living in the woods, and two eczema suffers with very flaky skin; we really appreciate hard working vacuums.

We have three.  Now, wait, that may sound crazy, but we have one regular upright, one handheld, and one robotic vacuum.  Each serves their own purpose.

• The traditional upright is perfect for jobs that are big and need to be done quickly.  I also like that the extension hose lets us reach nooks and crannies and high places like air intake vents.
• The handheld is great for the car (lots of crumbs in car seats), quick jobs, and, my absolute favorite part, the kids can use it.  Our one year old wields our handheld with increasing efficiency for which I am very thankful. 
• And, last, but not least, the robotic vacuum.  This compact guy gets under beds, brushes dust bunnies from the baseboards, and takes his time deep cleaning. 

Together, they make our dream clean team.  And, yes, the dogs often volunteer their services should a tasty crumb be overlooked.

So which vacuum brands and models do we use? What kind of floors do we have?

Let's start with the second question.  We currently have concrete and vinyl plank floors with large rugs (8'x12').  We have used the upright on wood floors and tile at our previous home, and we have used the robotic vacuum on carpeted floors during our time of transition.

Now, let's review our dream team line up:

THE UPRIGHT

Shark Navigator

When we needed to replace our last upright, we debated if it was the time to plunge in and ante up the money for a Dyson - which our friends raved about.  At the end of the day, we chose the budget friendly Shark featuring the same technology as the Dyson.  We took a chance, used a coupon, and never looked back. 

We still enjoy our Shark Navigator today.  It's a snazzy pale purple color, and it has an air filter (like most uprights these days), AND it has the "never lose suction" Dyson-style technology.  It works well in carpet mode for our rugs or in hard floor mode for our concrete and vinyl plank floors.  The hose and extensions work well for hard to reach places.  The brush attachment tackles upholstery just fine.  All in all, it has been a good fit for our family, even before pets and when we had tile and hard wood floors (and just one child). 

 

This appears to be the newer model of our Shark Navigator.

 

 

THE HANDHELD

Black and Decker Dust Buster

This is the traditional and popular option for this category.  It's the experienced candidate.  Our Dust Buster tackles small rocks, dirt piled in rubber floor mats, crumbs in the crannies of car seats, spilt baking soda, Christmas tree needles, shredded cheese, crushed Cheerios and goldfish, and all of the typical suspects.  The canister washes clean, and the unit is light enough for our one year old to tote it.  Note, that if you plan to dust bust for a long time (for instance a deep clean on a Ford Expedition), you may need to let it recharge part way through the job.

 

This appears to be the newer model of our CHV9600. There is a wet/dry option also on Amazon, but this model has better reviews.

 

THE ROBOT

Roomba 561

 

Okay, having a robot is just plain cool.  I feel a bit like the Jetsons when I walk out of the house knowing that our robotic vacuum is cleaning the floors while we are gone.  For real. It.is.purely.awesome. 

Did I mention it does a good job in addition to being cool and fun?  We have the older (and discontinued) 561 model.  We bought it with a Groupon when we were briefly without a mortgage.  It has been a good purchase. It worked so well on carpet that we would highly recommend it for dust allergy sufferers living with carpet.  It works well on hard surface floors too, like our current concrete floors.  We also bought the upgraded pet model for my husband's parents from Costco, and it has been helpful to them over the past two years. 

 

Is it perfect? No.  Does it require a little more maintenance than our upright? Yes, but that is partially because of the smaller canister, which should be emptied after most uses.  Also, if you are OCD in the slightest, do not sit there and watch it work.  It does not cover a room in an organized pattern, but IT DOES get the floors clean.  It takes a long time. You know how it takes you a few minutes to vacuum a room?  The Roomba may take an hour to do the same room, but, in our opinion, it does a better (read more thorough) job.  We like it so much that we may splurge on a Scooba for an upcoming Christmas. 

 

Our 561 is discontinued which is both good and bad - you can find a refurbished model for a lot less than one of the current models.  See the current Roomba models and notes from other reviewers here on Amazon: roomba vacuum 

 

So, now you know, we are a bunch of suckers here at Hall Homestead - take that how you want. ;)  Best luck in your dust busting adventures.


Disclaimer: I am not an expert house cleaner nor have I played one on T.V.  If you come over to our house, do not expect spotless floors because we have three vacuums.  See the note about "three small children" at the beginning of this post - and the big dogs - and living in the woods - and flaky eczema sufferers - and, let's face it, this is the real world.  But, in all seriousness, I do hope this helps someone in their choice(s) of vacuums.