ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANERS

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 1, 15 July 1950, Page 85

ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANERS

HOUSEWIVES today, who have to cope with most of the housework themselves, are particularly interested in labour-saving devices. But very often when they go to buy a piece of equipment there is little information available about the kinds on the market or what points to look for in making a choice. Also, in some households pieces of equipment lie idle because they are not suited to the work expected of them. Information on vacuum cleaners is given in this article by Edith G. McNab, Rural Sociologist, Department of Agriculture, Timaru, for those who plan to purchase a cleaner soon, and for those who desire to get the best results from the cleaner they have.

THERE are four important parts of a cleaner: The motor, the fan or impeller, the nozzle, and the container for the dust. All four parts affect the efficiency of the cleaner, and no one factor alone is sufficient to base a choice on. For example, the suction developed depends upon the design of the fan as well as the power of the motor; and the removal of dirt does not necessarily depend upon suction alone, for some cleaners have agitating devices which assist in this task.

The internal dust-bag canister or tank type of cleaner usually has the bag, motor, and fan housed in a horizontal cylinder. The nozzle is usually at the end of a rigid tube connected to the cleaner by a flexible tube. The nozzle itself has no moving parts as a rule, but its position may be adjusted to reach under low-set furniture. This type of cleaner depends on suction alone for carpet cleaning, but may also depend on sweeping action when a brush is attached in place of the carpet nozzle. Dusting brushes of at least two sizes, for uncarpeted floors, furniture, and walls, are usually included in the accessories sold with the cleaner. The external dust-bag or carriage type of cleaner is usually wheeled and arranged vertically. The cleaning action may depend on suction alone or on a combination of suction, beating, and sweeping, in which case the suction need not be so great, for the agitation assists in removing dust. The height of the nozzle and the handle are usually adjustable. As a rule the nozzle is wider than on the tank type, and it forms part of the frame of the machine. Hand vacuum cleaners are useful for cleaning stairs and upholstery and for dusting furniture pr skirting boards, but they are not available generally in New Zealand at present. In other countries they are sold as supplementary cleaners to the large carriage type at a price comparable to that of the set of attachments. Their advantage is that they are ready for immediate use and do not require the attachment of different tools as the large cleaner does if it is to be used for dusting furniture or cleaning upholstery. The following remarks on the choice of a cleaner are of general application only. Particular makes of cleaner may differ in some degree from most other cleaners of their type. Before setting out to buy a cleaner one should consider the amount and kind of cleaning there is to do in the house. For large areas of carpet the carriage type of cleaner is suitable, for, with its large nozzle, it cleans carpet more quickly as a rule than the enclosed-bag type. For cleaning walls, draperies, and furniture suction is depended on, so if much cleaning of this kind is to be done, make sure the machine chosen has sufficient suction power. Some of the upright cleaners which use beating and sweeping to assist the suction in cleaning carpets do not need such powerful suction for this purpose, and for this reason may

be less satisfactory for using with tools other than the carpet nozzle. However, some external-bag cleaners provide suction just as powerful as that of any tank type. When most of the floors of a house are of wood or. are covered in linoleum the internal dust-bag type may be the most useful kind of cleaner, for the large dusting brush can be used on these floors simply by changing it for the nozzle at the end of the rigid tube. The unsupported, upright external-bag type of cleaner is also useful for houses with fewer carpets, and is particularly good where there, are stairs. One model of this type on the New Zealand market has. a smaller nozzle than the wheeled kind - of cleaner, so it is less useful for large areas of carpet. Choose a cleaner which is convenient to operate. Consideration should be given to ease of handling, avoidance of stooping to turn the machine on or off or to. adjust the handle, and easy removal and emptying of the dust-bag. If there are stairs in the house, the cleaner should not be too heavy to carry up them or too awkward to use on them. The attachments supplied with the cleaner should be capable of being easily and quickly put on and taken off. Any complicated arrangement for fixing on different tools will discourage their use and reduce the value of the machine as a labour saver. This is particularly important where the cleaner is wanted for a variety of work besides cleaning carpets. The kind of furniture in the house and its height from the floor will have an influence on the type of cleaner to choose, as if there is much heavy furniture, it may be better to buy a cleaner which will reach under furniture rather .. than that it should have to be moved every time the floor is to be cleaned. All -tools and the nozzle of the cleaner . should have guards which are usually made of rubber to avoid marking furniture or walls. Cleaners which are ready for instant use when they are taken from the cupboard have an advantage over those which have to be partly dismantled when put away and fitted together again before use. Some women will use the carpet sweeper rather than set up the vacuum cleaner; therefore it is wise to arrange a convenient place for the cleaner so that it is no trouble to get it out ready for use. Some types of cleaner may be . hung up; others have to stand on the floor of a cupboard or on a shelf. When deciding what price to pay for a cleaner remember that price does not always bear much relation to the value of the machine as a labour saver. Consider durability and the cost of maintenance. Some cheaper kinds of cleaner require more maintenance the “margin of abuse” may have been reducedwhile sometimes cleaners have parts which have to be periodically renewed. A machine which has a high initial cost may ■ be more economical in the long run than one which is cheaper to buy but does not give such long or reliable service; but a high-priced machine is not necessarily the most satisfactory one to buy. The high price may be due to more luxurious finish, which does not affect

performance of work; it may be due to some “sales feature” which does not change the efficiency of the cleaner, or to the inclusion of more accessories, some of them of doubtful value. Make sure whether the price includes the attachments. It is generally more satisfactory to choose a make which is known to be reliable and which carries a guarantee. When different purposes have to be served by the cleaner some compromise will have to be made, keeping in mind economy of time and energy and efficiency in producing results. The best cleaner for a particular purpose is one which will remove the most dirt with the least expenditure of time and energy. If the different types of cleaners are unfamiliar, it is best to try them out in the home if it is at all possible. Each kind of cleaner has advantages and disadvantages for particular purposes. Choose the one with the most advantages for the work which will be required of it. Operation of a Vacuum Cleaner Most makes of cleaner of either of the first two types of cleaner described on page 85 are supplied with dusting brushes, an upholstery tool for cleaning the space where back and seat meet in chairs or settees, and extension tubes for reaching walls and ceilings, as well as a carpet nozzle. The blowing end of some machines may be used, with appropriate attachments, for spraying, applying insecticide, or hair drying. With these tools a variety of tasks can be done. The versatility of a vacuum cleaner is little realised by women who use it on carpets only. With the right tool -on the cleaner in place of the nozzle, dust can be removed from almost any place in the house, and from almost any kind of surface. The small dusting brush will clean wire mattresses, remove dust from inside the piano, and from books, blinds, and curtains. The cleaner will keep dust off the floors of wardrobes or out of the corners of drawers. It will clean wickerwork easily, and the upholstery and floors of the car. Even clothes can be brushed with the vacuum cleaner and dust can be removed from pockets and purses. But if the cleaner is used to pick up the dust from ashtrays, the hearth, or stove, make sure that any burning has ceased, for a smouldering cigarette butt or a spark from . the hearth may burn a hole in the dust-bag or do even more severe damage. A bag which has a hole in it must be replaced, for the hole will permit dust to leak from the bag into the room, and, in the case of some canister-type cleaners, the dust will block the air filter and greatly reduce the efficiency of the cleaner. The bugbear of spring cleaning can be largely overcome by the use of the vacuum cleaner. Walls and ceilings can be dusted when necessary without first emptying the room of furniture or covering it all up, for the cleaner gathers up and does not spread the dust. The house need never become so dirty that a turnout on the grand scale is required. A little of' the special cleaning can be done at a time, without causing any upheaval or requiring special preparations.

When using a vacuum cleaner to do ceiling, walls, and draperies in a room begin at the top and work downward, leaving the floor till last. Whether the dusting of furniture is done with the machine or with a duster it may be finished before running the . cleaner over the floor. If no container is supplied for the attachments, make a box or bag with a handle so that they can be carried easily in one trip to the place where they are wanted. For good results, cleaning a carpet with a vacuum cleaner should not be unduly hurried. A quick run over with the cleaner may remove surface litter, but may not get the dirt right

out of the pile. It is the grit which gets right down in the pile which causes wear on the carpet,, for the particles of grit may be sharp edged, and these sharp edges will cut the fibres of the pile when the carpet is walked on. So to get embedded particles out of carpets, the cleaner should be moved backward and forward slowly, with the nozzle correctly adjusted. If the nozzle is provided with a brush, it too should be correctly adjusted, . according to the length of the pile of the carpet. A properly adjusted nozzle in a good cleaner will draw air up through the carpet, bringing the dust with it. The time to learn how to adjust the cleaner is when buying it. Generally, when correctly adjusted, the nozzle will lift the carpet slightly, or, if fitted with some kind of agitator, will make the carpet vibrate a little. The efficiency of a good cleaner in removing particles of grit from right down in the pile of a carpet is one of the reasons why vacuum cleaning has never been proved to be harder on carpets than other methods of cleaning. Beating, shaking, or brushing with a hard broom are methods of cleaning which are not easy on the carpet. Some carpet manufacturers recommend that vacuum cleaners should not be used on their products at first, but this depends on the type of floor covering in question. Loose fibres will be removed from new carpets no matter what method of cleaning is used. The thorough cleaning right to the edges of the carpet and under furniture which is possible with a vacuum cleaner tends to discourage moths. One big advantage of a vacuum cleaner is that the dust is gathered into the bag and not scattered as it is in other ways of cleaning carpets. There are no definite rules about how often a vacuum cleaner should be used on a carpet, as this depends on how dirty the carpet gets. Daily cleaning may be necessary in some circumstances, while a weekly clean may be sufficient for a carpet in a room which is little used. Carpets near entrances should be cleaned frequently and .thoroughly, for they will receive much traffic from outdoors and the gritty particles from streets and roads will wear the pile very quickly if they are not removed. Care of a Vacuum Cleaner Most dust containers are of closely woven cloth which retains the dust but lets the air through freely. The first essential is to keep the bag clean. The stream of air has to go out through the dust-bag, and if it is full of dirt the suction power is reduced. If some other container than a bag is used for the dust, it also must be emptied regularly. The dust may be emptied directly into the dustbin, or into a large sheet of paper and later burnt. The bag may be cleaned by brushing, doing the inside occasionally as well as the outside. Some makers recommend that the bag should be dry-cleaned from time to time; others brushing or shaking only. The dustbag should not be washed. When leaking dust can be smelt it is time to renew the bag. If the cleaner has an air filter as well as a dust-bag, the filter should be renewed as instructed by the makers of the machine.

Sometimes the tubes leading from the nozzle may become blocked by a ball of fluff or piece of paper. The easiest way to remove the blockage is to remove the tube from the suction end of the machine and fit it on the blower end. Make sure the blocking material will be blown out where it will not make a mess. The brushes should be kept very clean, particularly if they are to be used on light-coloured surfaces or on fabrics. Dust and lint can be removed from the brushes by cleaning them with the open end of the tube; just take off the last attachment used. Brushes may be washed also, taking the usual precautions to avoid spoiling the bristles. Wash the brushes in lukewarm suds made with neutral soap, rinse in lukewarm waters, and support them in some way so that they dry without any weight on the bristles, which should be hanging downward. Never pull hairs of threads which are wound round the bristles, but cut the hairs in several places and then remove them. When the brushes are worn have them replaced or have new bristles set in them. Keep all other accessories clean also. . Except when cleaning the brushes, never use the tube of the cleaner without one of the attachments on it. This helps to avoid the risk of damage through picking up some large, hard object. Nails, pins, or screws should be picked up before the cleaner is run over the floor. These may be quite sufficient to harm the fan, if allowed to be taken up by the cleaner. As with all electrical equipment, good care must be taken of the flex. The plug, not the cord, should be gripped when disconnecting the cleaner. Avoid tugging the cord or getting* it pulled tightly round corners. When the cleaner is not in use it is best to coil the flex loosely. A Idng flex is a convenience, as it saves having to connect up the cleaner in every room. It is better to replace a very worn flex than to run any risks with it. An electrician could advise on this point. When buying a cleaner find out if it requires any special care such as regular replacements of any fittings, oiling, or care of the electric motor. Except for oiling, the maintenance of the motor should be left to an electrician. The seller of the machine should be able to give some idea of the length of time the cleaner can be expected to give satisfactory service without overhauling under conditions of light or heavy use. He should be able to provide information about the availability of overhauling and repair services. An instruction booklet is often provided with a new machine. In conclusion, although an electric cleaner will clean carpets more thoroughly and easily than nonelectric cleaners, and, although it will do so many other kinds of cleaning, it is not wise to buy such a cleaner unless satisfied that the expenditure on it will save more labour than if the money was spent on any other tool.