If you have hard flooring, carpet and/or flat surfaces in your home, which just about covers every possibility, there are three vacuum cleaners that deserve your attention: an upright, a cordless stick vac and a cordless handheld. These are the three worker bees that I own, love and don't want to live without.
SHARK NAVIGATOR LIFT-AWAY PROFESSIONAL
In the decade since I met and fell in love with my first Shark upright vacuum, I've purchased, tested and nearly worked to death (it's really hard to wear out a Shark) a number of Shark vacuums. I can say with confidence that there is no better basic corded, upright vacuum cleaner on Earth.
Throw in the lift-away feature on some models (that allows the user to pop off the lightweight canister to easily carry it and vacuum stairs), an extended wand for high reaches, a high-capacity dirt cup, an anti-allergen HEPA filter and a 30-foot electrical cord and you've got yourself a Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional Vacuum — a fantastic piece of housecleaning equipment. But here's the most important feature: the price. Wow! I'd put my Shark up against any brand anywhere anytime, and I'm even talking about those pricey European brands that come in at 10 times the price.
EUFY CORDLESS STICK VAC
I'll be honest. There are times I just don't want to open the closet, pull out my Shark, unwind the cord and plug it into an outlet to handle a small yet annoying situation like crumbs on my dark wood floors or dirt tracked in from the garden. I'm pretty sure those minor situations would just sit there until later — until some more convenient time. That's how things used to be before I met Eufy.
I've tested and tried cordless stick-type vacuums in the past, and honestly, what a pain. They were heavy and unbalanced, with the motor in the end of the handle. They had no capacity to stand on their own. And they would lose battery power in what seemed like only a few minutes. Really? Who needs that? But then there was Eufy. This is the dream cordless stick vac I would have invented had I thought about it in time.
The Eufy HomeVac Lightweight Cordless Upright Stick Vac is powered by a mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery. That's one of the secrets to its awesomeness. A full charge has a seemingly endless run time. I'm talking 30 minutes or longer of continuous use!
Eufy is super lightweight and perfectly balanced; it has a swivel head and — ready? — headlights!
Think of the Eufy HomeVac Lightweight Cordless Upright Stick Vac as a modern broom and dustpan in one.
BLACK+DECKER CORDLESS HAND VAC
This little sweetheart of a handheld vacuum is the best I have ever owned. That says a lot once you understand that prior to this gem, I had a Dyson handheld, an early Dustbuster, a Bissell model and a couple of other off-brand numbers. The problems were many, but the biggest one? Run time.
Then this new Black+Decker Cordless Hand Vac with 16-volt lithium battery came into my life. It's the battery! Lithium is just the best thing that ever happened to the world of batteries for so many reasons, but mostly because it holds a charge until it's used. That gives this cordless vac a fabulously long run time.
Here's the thing: Housecleaning tools like vacuums need to be handy and ready to go. If I have to go up a flight of stairs to find a vac to clean up that little sprinkling of coffee grounds I just accidentally dumped into a drawer, will I? Or will I just close the drawer and tell myself that I'll do it later when I'm up there anyway? I think you know the answer.
If you would like exact models and resources for my favorite three vacs, go to EverydayCheapskate.com/3vacs.
When I'm just feet away from a vacuum because it's in a handy place, all charged up and ready to go, that just makes me happy. It makes my drawers, floors and bare feet happy, too!
Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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