Backpack Vacuum Cleaners For Home Use

It often follows that items used for commercial orown canister vac has slipped from halfway up a flight
professional applications eventually find their way intoof stairs and punched a hole in the drywall below. In
our homes. Military radar gave us microwave ovens.sharing my story, I learned that those who do use
Astronauts gave us Tang and foam mattresses. Oncanister vacuums have had similar experiences,
the other hand, some items never do (and neverrequiring extra caution when cleaning stairs.
should) make the transition such as industrial cleanersAdditionally, the people I interviewed cited cost as
and solvents which are fine in the factory but horridanother deterrent to their buying backpack vacuum
ideas for homes with 24X7X365 occupancy bycleaners. They felt that, given their commercial use,
people and pets. But then there are those productsbackpack vacuums must be comparatively expensive.
that really should bridge the gap but don't. A primeI determined that none had actually researched the
example is the backpack vacuum cleaner.matter and most were surprised when I quoted
If you happen to spend late nights at the office (I doprices equal to or less than what they'd paid for their
all too often) you'll have enjoyed the disruption of ahome vacuums.
hyper-efficient cleaning crew making their rounds. InWhen you consider that a backpack vacuum cleaner
most offices, those doing the vacuuming do so withmay way anywhere from 8-12 pounds and the
canisters strapped to their backs. These hardworkingweight is very efficiently loaded on a person's back
blue-collar crews are quick and they do a great job,where it is barely noticeable, there doesn't seem to
but they do it with an item I have never once seenbe much reason to avoid these things. Perhaps the
used in homes.real incentive against them is the inconvenience of
Your average US home depends on stand-up orhaving to strap it on and take it off but I suspect a
roll-along canister vacuums to get the carpets clean.more rational cleaning approach would nullify that
It seems strange that a professional industry productconcern. Those who opt to clean small areas at a
so readily embraced by cleaning crews around thetime are probably right in their purchase of upright or
country is so blatantly shunned by the home crowd.canister vacuums but what about for larger jobs?
Are there good reasons, or is this bias grounded inIf your cleaning habit consists of doing all the
misunderstanding?scrubbing, wiping and dusting first and then following
Those questions set me on a quest for answers.up with a good vacuuming, backpack vacuum
Now I'll be the first to admit that my research wascleaners may be ideally suited to your needs. Simply
anything but scientific (I surveyed my family andstrap on the vacuum once, hit all floors and stairs and
in-laws) but those questioned represent a fairlythen put it away. Consider the alternative of dragging
indicative demographic of 30-60 year-oldor hauling a heavy upright or canister vacuum up and
homemakers who make the ultimate decision when itdown stairs to accomplish the same thing and logic
comes to what cleaning products they use around(as well as your bruised shins and strained back)
the house. The major reason these folks providedmakes this the sensible approach.
for not electing to use a backpack vacuum cleaner isI did neglect to mention the final reason those
an unwillingness to carry around the weight.surveyed opted for an alternative over a backpack
The irony of that answer is that each of thosevacuum cleaner and that's availability. Walk into any
surveyed lives in a multi-level home and must, atdepartment store and you'll find an assortment of
some point in their cleaning efforts, lug an upright orcanister and upright vacuums available. Not so with
canister vacuum up one or two flights of stairs to dobackpack vacuums. It seems that consumers have
a complete cleaning job. When I pointed that out,spoken and manufacturers have listened. Though
must shrugged and felt it was a small inconveniencethere are ready sources available online, the lack of
compared to carrying the cleaner on their backs foravailability in department stores makes it a forgone
the entire job.conclusion that most consumers will end up with a
Of those surveyed, 30% used canister vacuums;competing (and not necessarily better) design.
wheeled canisters that were pulled behind them asShould you find yourself in the market for a
they vacuumed. Though they felt there was somereplacement vacuum cleaner, don't be a lemming.
inconvenience with these models over uprightStop and consider your needs before you make that
designs, the canister styles made vacuuming stairspurchase. Large spaces, stairs and a sensible cleaning
easier. My own experience with canister vacuums hashabit should leave you, at the very least, open to
been mixed. Yes, they are better for stairs, but mybackpack vacuum cleaners as an alternative.