Spring Cleaning: Best Vacuums for Pet Hair, Allergies, and Flooring Types

Ah, spring: A season known for fresh starts and fresh air after the long winter months. Though many people are happy just to get some warm weather after battling snow, some take the changing of the seasons as an opportunity to do some spring cleaning. If that sounds like you, you're going to need the right tools for the job. Read on to find out what kind of vacuum might be best to help you get your home clean and allergen-free for a healthy spring.

The Best Vacuums for Pet Hair and Other Allergens

Many homeowners struggle with cleaning up hair and other debris from their furry friends. If you don't have a pet, you probably still have a few other allergens and pollutants around your house that you might not be able to see.

Pet Hair and Dander

Pet vacuums are made to handle pet hair of any length, as well as pet dander. They use powerful suction to draw it out of your floors, rugs, and even your sofa. These types of vacuums often also come with larger bins and have specialized tools and inner workings to ensure that hair doesn't get tangled up inside of them, which makes it easier to clean them out after use.

Allergens and Pollutants

For dealing with allergens and pollutants like pollen, tracked-in dirt or even harmful germs, you're going to want a vacuum with a HEPA filter. A HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is made up of fibers that trap particles as they get sucked up into the filter. These fibers are so dense that they are able to trap extremely small particles like those listed above, removing allergy-causing or even potentially sickness-inducing debris from your floors and trapping them in a secure bag that you can safely empty into the garbage after you're done.

Flooring Types

The type of floor you plan on vacuuming also plays an important role in deciding the type of vacuum you should get.

Hardwood Floors

For hardwood floors, you're going to want a vacuum that can glide easily over the smooth wood without damaging it, while also properly cleaning it. That makes canister vacuums, stick vacuums, and upright vacuums best here since many of these units feature high-suction power without (or with removable) the hard bristles that are best reserved for carpets. These vacuums are often easy to maneuver too, making them a great choice for smoothly moving along hardwood flooring.

Carpeted Floors

As mentioned above, carpets require a deeper and more aggressive cleaning than hard floor surfaces usually need. You're going to need a powerful vacuum with a solid brush roll to really pull hair and grime from the depths of a carpeted floor. Pet vacuums often have the strength you'll need, even if you don't have a pet, while more serious messes might require a powerful carpet cleaner that's capable of steam cleaning your floor.

Laminate Floors

Laminate floors need a similar treatment to hardwood floors. This kind of flooring is susceptible to scratches and moisture damage, so you'll need a soft bristle head on an upright, stick, or canister vacuum to treat it gently. You can also get a specialized wet/dry vacuum for especially large messes. Just be sure the vacuum is able to control its water flow; as mentioned, you don't want to get these floors too wet.

Vinyl Floors

Vinyl floors are known for their durability. That means you can essentially use any kind of vacuum with a few exceptions. You should also still try to use soft bristle heads and rubberized wheels, since not even these floors are immune to scratches and indents over time. A cordless vacuum can also go a long way here to help you get to those hard-to-reach places under your cabinets. The cleaning method that can ruin a vinyl floor is heat, so avoid using steam cleaners on these floors.

Ceramic/Porcelain Floors

Ceramic and porcelain floors are also very durable. On these floors, you can use whichever vacuum is most comfortable for your space, even with powerful cleaning heads, without worry that the floor will sustain damage. The main thing to worry about with these kinds of floors is their grout lines. This is where germs and crumbs love to accumulate over time. A proper hard floor cleaner and a HEPA filter vacuum can really come in handy when it comes to cleaning these floors.

Robotic Vacuums

One more thing we should touch on as a year-round solution for your home cleanliness is robotic vacuums. These convenient units roam around your home on their own through the use of advanced sensor technology. You can assign these robots a certain section of your home to stick to, or let them roam free and clean up debris wherever it may be. Some models even come with mopping capabilities when vacuuming just isn't enough. You can use a robotic vacuum on virtually any floor type since many modern units can automatically adjust themselves to clean any surface, making them a multi-faceted machine that can fill a cleaning void in any home.

There's no better excuse to get a jumpstart on cleaning your home than the arrival of spring. A good vacuum can help you tidy up in no time. Just be sure to get one that's a good fit for your floors, and you'll be just fine. Happy spring and happy cleaning!