Best Vacuums for Allergy Season

Come by our location and test out the Wall Street Journal’s Recommendations for the best vacuum for allergy season!

Maytag M1200 Named “Ultimate Upright” in the Wall Street Journal
In its April 25 “Best Vacuums for Allergy Season” article, the Wall Street Journal called the Maytag M1200 the “ultimate upright.”  The article describes the M1200’s reach as a “McMansion-friendly 17 feet” and points out its self-sealing bags, American-built, multi-surface cleaning and powerful motor that “emits a joyous, Harley-Davidson-grade roar.”  Read the whole story here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/best-vacuums-for-allergy-season-1429903302

Click the link above to view the article

Child Allergy

Carpet Powders Nasty Truth! Beware!

As a vacuum repair shop one of the biggest mistakes we see people make is using carpet powders. These include that candle company and baking soda brands. Using any carpet powder that is a fine powder like baking soda is an absolute NO NO! and a sure fire way to ruin your vacuum cleaner and filters. Why you say……. well there are a number of reasons. First, the powder is too fine, when put on the carpet it falls through to your sub floor under your carpet pad and stays there. There are no bag-less vacuums that are going to get 100% back out of your carpet. Second if you get any moisture or urine on your carpet it mixes with the powder to create a nasty paste that again stays under your carpet pad. The only way to remove is to pull the carpet and pad up and clean which can be costly. Third, the powder cakes up the inside of your vacuum like cholesterol in arteries. Eventually this restricts airflow, puts unneeded dusts into the air and ruins your filters and will kill your vacuums motor.   Even washable filters must be replaced if these products are used! We recommend having your vacuum professionally cleaned if you have been using these products and replacing all filters.   SO…what can you use?  There are some wonderful products out there that are made for use with vacuums, these products are thicker, much more like little hard crystals. Fragrant Scent pouches are a great brand and carried in our store! Or if you have a bagged vacuum adding a drop or two of essential oils to the bag is fine too! We do not recommend using oils on bag-less filters.  Hope this helps keep your vacuum and house cleaner!

scent pack

Christmas Tree Clean Up!

Needle clean upIt is that time of year again, Christmas is over and you are left with a pile of needles to clean up. Similar to glitter this can be a never ending daunting process. We have provided a few tips to make your clean-up easier…..

1. Sweep up as many of the needles as you can with a broom or similar.

2. Think of needles as outdoor stuff….you wouldn’t vacuum the ground in the woods (hopefully!) so use common sense with regards to your vacuum’s capability.  Needles real or fake do not bend well and frequently flex and cause obstructions in vacuum hoses and tubes.

3. After sweeping up as many as you can, use a shop vacuum or your vacuum hose to continue cleaning. We do not recommend trying to use your vacuum’s floor nozzle until the end because it will clog easier than your hose.

4. Finally go over floor with your vacuum. We do not recommend bagless vacuums for pine needles because they clog super easy. But if that is all you have be very careful!

5. Have your vacuums yearly service done by a professional! We recommend having your vacuum cleaned and lubricated on a yearly basis. A few dollars can save a lot of money down the road. Also if you notice even a little loss of suction after your holiday cleanup bring your vacuum in immediately! Needles are know for getting lodged in your vacuum if not cleared they will begin to back everything up and creating a bigger problem. A clogged vacuum clean easily burn out your motor!