Vacuum cleaner

Floss

I'm looking for an lightweight efficient hoover for a small flat - could pay up to £150. I tested some out recently in-store and whilst there are several that are lightweight, there were hardly any on which I could remove the filter due to weakness in my hands - the release buttons were too stiff. I'd prefer a bagless one if possible, and would consider a cylinder or upright. There are lots of reviews online about the overall weight of hoovers but I couldn't see anything about how easy it was to remove filter for cleaning or how easy it was to change attachments. Any suggestions? Thank you.

frogmorton

Hmmmm....not an easy one this

I have a dyson battery powered lightweight one, but I have to keep my finger on the 'on' button which can get tiring.

The release is quite easy now not sure whether I had to wear it in at first.

Another lady on here swore by her shark one.

Hope you get sorted soon.

Toni x

Loggiemod

We bought my Mum an Oreck upright. Oreck have always been lightweight and good. The On switch on ours and Mums is an on/off rocker switch so no need to hold it. They also do handhelds. Have a look online

Anna

Hi @Floss

Here's a recent discussion about vacuum cleaners that you might like to read:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/56408/vacuum-cleaners-for-people-with-an-arthritic-hip-and-knee

It would be great if you could let us know which one you finally choose and why!

Anna (Mod)

jamieA

I contributed to the post that @Anna linked to however I now would not recommend the battery vacuum I referred to then. Initially we felt it was so good my wife bought one for my daughter and on her recommendation her sister also bought one. One failed at 6 months, one at 13 months and the 3rd at 20 months. All failed with the same fault - the battery would not hold a charge and the vacuum would stop after a couple of minutes. Not good for a quality brand name vacuum with an RRP of £200.

Sheelee

Hi Anna,

I ended up buying a Shark cylinder vacuum. It's lightweight, and means I can pull the weight rather than carry it as with the battery vacuums. The cylinder weighs the same as the battery.

The one I have has all the controls on the handle, so there is no bending down involved, apart from emptying. And that you can do sat down.

It is still not ideal, primarily because I have a quite deep pile carpet, but the lower suction setting is still quite powerful, so I can do most of the work on the lower setting. If I get a stubborn bit of cotton that won't shift, I just turn the vacuum up to the middle setting and that picks up those bits. I then turn it down again.

It can be awkward at times moving the vacuum through doors, but I have learnt to get round that. I choose my moment when the pain level isn't too bad.

As I say Anna, not a perfect solution, but far better than I had.

I do have someone who comes a couple of times a month to do heavier tasks. Sharon gives the carpet a really good going over when she comes too. So really, I do the "maintenance " bit with the vacuuming.

Sheelee

airwave

Jamie A, if the machine stops quickly after start up, there’s not an ongoing problem it might well be the hose or part of the system blocked by some dust or dirt. I had the same issue, just needs a bit more cleaning effort every few weeks. The motor is stopping because it’s protecting itself from overheating. Once cleared you can use an normal.

In the case of the Dyson if you look at the pipe into the dust container you’ll see it blocked, open up the canister, reach your finger in and pull the dust clear, tap the side over the bin and carry on.

its a grin, honest!

jamieA

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/701607#Comment_701607

Hi @airwave

I'm afraid that's not the case here. The vacuum can be taken apart by hand for cleaning until you are just left with the motor and battery assembly. Even then after a charge it runs for about a minute or two in this state. Also when I put it on charge when it has run out of power the charging light should be illuminated for about 5 hours but goes off after about 15-30 minutes. On the plus side I had sent an email to Bosch UK stating that we had - as a family - bought 3 of these vacuums and all had failed in the same way in a short timescale and I was very unimpressed. I was surprised when I got an email back extolling the prowess of Bosch design and engineering and how it must just be an unfortunate coincidence. They also stated that the device had a two year warranty so asked me to call a number they gave and book a repair. I did so and an engineer will call tomorrow. I was a bit surprised I'd missed the bit about a 2 year warranty and went to consult the manual. The only full statement about warranty I can find in the manual is in German! - I now know that 24 Monaten is 24 months.

CCM

If you look at the model that most professional cleaners use, you will find "Henry" in large letters (and a hose coming out of his nose). This suggests to me that they are reliable and do the job well. Notjing to carry as they have wheels and respond well to be led by the nose.

CCM

Loggiemod

Don't forget Hetty 😁