The need to clean our homes has existed since Godzilla was just a little lizard. Since our homes are the places we turn to after a long busy day, it’s important to have them cleaned routinely to keep off allergens and other forms of bacteria. In the past, cleaning our homes involved using manual methods that were both tiring and time-consuming. Thankfully, since the invention of the vacuum cleaner, housekeeping and cleaning have totally been revolutionized as you only need a handheld or an upright vacuum cleaner to keep the job done. But wait, choosing a vacuum cleaner doesn’t seem as easy as it sounds. You need to make a firm choice between a commercial vacuum vs residential vacuum cleaner if you really need to make a statement in your cleaning rituals.
The first powered vacuum cleaner made its debut back in 1901 thanks to a British engineer, Hubert Cecil Booth. Since then, major improvements were evidenced that made the vacuum one of the most important power tools in most homes today. But, despite its significant evolution, most homeowners have found themselves in a major dilemma of choosing between a commercial and a residential vacuum cleaner. Due to this reason, this guide has offered to dig deep below these two worlds to discuss the major differences between these two vacuum cleaners. If you feel you’re ready, then let’s begin.
Commercial Vacuum Vs. Residential Vacuum Cleaner: An Ultimate Guide
A Brief History of the Vacuum Cleaner
Before I proceed to discuss the differences between commercial and residential vacuum cleaners, I think it’s wise if I could first discuss a brief history of this sort-after home appliance. In the modern lifestyle, a home is never complete without the noise of a vacuum cleaner. Tasked to suck out dust and grime from your home, a vacuum is a major household necessity that every homeowner cannot do without. But, despite its huge contribution, how much do you really know about its genesis?
Now, the vacuum cleaner’s humble beginning started with the broom. Later on, in the 1850s, Hiram Herrick of Boston patented a mechanical sweeper that became a less tedious, more efficient alternative as compared to the broom.
From the 1850s to the 1890s, more improvements to the mechanical sweeper were evidenced such as the Whirlwind (invented by Ives W. McGaffey in 1868) and the pneumatic carpet renovator (invented by John S. Thurman in 1892).
However, it wasn’t until 1901 that the first vacuum cleaner (the Puffing Billy) was invented thanks to the efforts of structural engineer Hubert Cecil Booth. In 1907, the first electric vacuum was invented by James Murray Spangler. Designed with a rotating brush and a motorized fun, this vacuum marked a major breakthrough in the world of handheld vacuums.
However, following lack of finances to run the company, Spangler asked for help from his cousin Susan Hoover whose husband, William Hoover, went ahead to acquire the company from Spangler. Later in the years, Hoover went on to add sophisticated features and technology into the vacuums making the business more successful than ever before.
Today, other big names such as Black & Decker, Roomba, and James Dyson have joined the market making the vacuum business one of the most sophisticated markets one can ever think of.
Commercial vs. Residential Vacuum Cleaner
Now that I’ve discussed a brief history of the vacuum cleaner, my next focus is to look at a few common differences between the commercial and the residential vacuum cleaners. At least with the right information, you won’t get to the point of using a commercial vacuum to clean a residential space or use a regular vacuum to clean a vast industrial space.
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Price
The first major difference that comes to mind when comparing commercial to residential vacuums is the price range. Now, residential vacuums on their end are much smaller in size as compared to their commercial counterparts. They also have fewer features and less complex attachments that make them less pricey.
On the other hand, commercial vacuums can cost much initially. They’re bigger and come with more advanced features that make them efficient. However, since these vacuums are designed to handle huge cleaning assignments, they’re more robust, meaning there’s less breakage or mechanical issues. This means your vacuum will require fewer repairs which is not the case with residential vacuums.
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Versatility and Flexibility
When it comes to versatility and flexibility, commercial vacuums are generally the best as they’re engineered with great suction power that allows them to suck huge amounts of dirt and debris. To make things even more interesting, these vacuums are designed with unique capabilities that allow them to suck liquids, large pieces of trash, wood, and metal debris without getting punctured.
Some models even go to the point of incorporating steam cleaning capabilities that allow them to efficiently clean different floor types that require specific cleaning methods. Lastly, since industrial vacuums are designed to clean expansive floor spaces, they’re engineered with long special power cords that are resistant to regular stretching and tension.
Residential vacuums on the other hand may not be able to offer the tremendous amount of suction power offered by their industrial cousins. However, these small vacuums cannot just go down without a fight. Therefore, they’ve managed to make up for their size disadvantage by offering customers plenty of attachments that can be used to clean virtually any space in your home.
Therefore, with these vacuums, you’ll be getting various attachments such as soft-tip brushes, narrow-ended crevice tools, squeegee attachments, and a variety of motorized nozzles for cleaning different types of floors.
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Capacity
Perhaps one of the reasons why commercial vacuums are considered for large industrial use is their huge capacity. Since they’re intended to clean expansive floor spaces, these vacuums are fitted with large filter bags that allow you to vacuum for longer hours without having to empty them. As a result, commercial vacuums save you time that could otherwise have been lost when emptying the filter bags.
Residential vacuums on the other hand are small and lightweight. Although that’s a huge benefit, what’s worrying about them is the amount of time that’s lost when making several trips to the trash bin to empty their tiny filter bags. Although their featherweight advantage will make carrying quite easy, you’ll end up spending a lot of time cleaning especially if you’re cleaning the entire house from the ground floor to the rooms upstairs.
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Ease of Operation
The operation process of these two vacuum cleaners is very different. The commercial vacuum on its side is larger due to the enormous cleaning work it shoulders. As a result, this type of vacuum is heavyweight making it extremely difficult to push around when cleaning. These cleaners also have more advanced electronic features that can demand only an experienced user to operate them.
This is not the case with residential vacuums that are small, light, and very easy to use. In fact, their lighter weights make them the best for kids and senior users as pushing and carrying them around will not be a huge burden.
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HEPA Filtration
One of the major benefits of commercial vacuums is their ability to reduce micro-particles such as pollen, dust, dead skin, and pet hair from your indoor environment. To do this, these vacuums take advantage of the HEPA filters that are hailed for their high-efficiency in removing nearly 99.99% of airborne particles from the air.
Unlike regular vacuums, commercial vacuums are rigorously tested and certified to meet HEPA needs since they’re usually used in hospitals, hotels, and other areas that require people to stay in allergen-free environments.
Although residential vacuums are not thoroughly tested for HEPA requirements, you need to be very keen when choosing these vacuums by ensuring they have HEPA filters onboard.
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Power and Durability
From what we’ve already seen, commercial vacuums are designed to cater to huge cleaning assignments such as in hospitals, conference halls, motels, and walkways around reception areas. Since these areas receive high foot traffic, cleaning dirt, dust, spills, and debris will require a commercial vacuum with high suction power that’s nearly 10 times that of a regular vacuum.
With such high suction power, dust and dirt cannot circulate back to the air to cause respiratory issues. Also, cleaning is made much easier as you won’t have to spot clean one area a couple of times like it’s the case with residential vacuums.
Now, although residential vacuums are sometimes condemned for lack of enough power, some specific brands and models offer just enough power to handle daily cleaning duties. So, when making your choice, ensure that at a very minimum, you get a vacuum that has at least 4 Amps to avoid being disappointed at the end.
As for durability, commercial vacuums are hailed for being durable and long-lasting thanks to the high-quality materials used to manufacture them. They’re also fitted with longer-lasting motors that are powerful enough to resist shock and knocks.
Although residential vacuums are made of lighter materials, their light weights make them easier to maintain. Also, repair costs are quite low as most of the replacement parts are easily available in your local stores at affordable prices.
Conclusion
So, in case you’ve been caught up between a commercial and a residential vacuum during your research, then I believe this guide has navigated you back on course. As you can see, this guide has offered you valuable information regarding these two vacuums to help you make an informed decision before partying with your hard-earned money.
Lastly, most of you must be asking which between these two vacuums should end up in your home. To answer this question, let me say that both of these vacuums are perfect and their performance varies depending on how you wish to use them. For instance, if you’re looking for a vacuum to cater for light cleaning tasks, then a residential vacuum is the best to consider. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a vacuum to handle mammoth cleaning tasks, then a commercial version will be a perfect choice.
Now that you’re fully satisfied, please share your thoughts or your experience with vacuum cleaners and what you think about commercial vs. residential vacuum cleaner.