The vacuum cleaner has a history of more than a hundred years, from the first rudimentary models to the latest technological advances that don’t even need electricity to operate. Today, the family of vacuum cleaners is divided, leaving aside the infinite nuances that characterize them, into two main branches: with or without dust bag. The latter, even though they have been on the market for more than twenty years, are rapidly becoming a standard for obvious reasons of practicality, safety and manoeuvrability. As you can see, we won’t be talking directly about the vacuum cleaner and scrubber-dryer here.
The bagless vacuum cleaner is an innovative technology
A motor inside the central unit creates a centrifugal force that produces a kind of small tornado capable of sucking up dust and dirt and sending it directly into an extractable container without passing through filters or bags. A simple and direct technology, without frills or other particular parts that, in the best case, can break, preventing us from using the device until it is repaired. The latest products even exploit a multi-cyclonic force which, by multiplying the air cones, makes the device more efficient.
Solutions on the market
The devices in production, which use this technology, cover the whole range formerly reserved for bag vacuums. Thus, we have bagless, top-of-the-range, lightweight, handy appliances with carbon fibre brushes to collect the maximum amount of dirt. Articulated, they can reach the most hidden corners of the house. Suitable for all surfaces, from parquet to tiles, including resins, rubber and carpets.
For those who are satisfied with “reduced” performance (as in the case of motors), we can choose a model of the brush-type vacuum cleaner. It is more manoeuvrable than its big brother, with performances at about the same level but with a clear saving in terms of energy consumption (now all class A products) and a significant reduction in product noise.
The only disadvantage is the reduced tank compared to a vacuum cleaner with a conventional system, which means that it has to be emptied more often. A product adapted to the daily cleaning of an environment but less efficient if we talk about spring cleaning.
An alternative offer is represented by wet and dry vacuum cleaners, even if they are not yet widespread and very expensive. The dirt is trapped in a tank filled with water which prevents it from dispersing during emptying. An excellent solution for those who suffer from dust allergies (even if the maintenance and cleaning of the tank takes time, by planning to wash the tank after each use).
So, advantages or disadvantages?
Nevertheless, it is necessary to take stock of the pros and cons. With a considerable saving in time and money (the bags cost and require a minimum of practicality to change), the initial investment is not negligible. The cheapest bagless vacuum cleaner will always cost as much as a good bagless vacuum cleaner. Of course, if we think about the long-term investment, we could also save money. Also, compared to a tank that is larger than conventional bags, when we end up emptying it into the trash, we have to be skillful not to spill dirt, a problem that airtight bags did not have.
The element that makes the step will be either the weight, which makes it much more manageable, or the noise that avoids waking up the whole building every time the vacuum cleaner comes out!
