If you own or work in a large commercial-grade setting, then you’re aware of how tedious it can be to clean the entire space. Since cleaning the floor to remove blemishes and other clutter is quite inevitable, it’s important to pay close attention to the type of vacuum being used to ensure the health of your guests, visitors, and employees is safeguarded at all times. In our case, a commercial vacuum is a perfect alternative that will keep the job done. But wait.Have you ever thought of the different types of commercial vacuums cleaner that are available?
You see, following the advancement in modern technology, commercial vacuum cleaners are now available in different variations to help handle a variety of cleaning assignments. Now, on average, a commercial cleaning worker spends approximately 3 hours cleaning a space. With such a huge amount of time being spent daily, having an idea about the different types of commercial vacuums can help you choose a specific model that will increase workers’ productivity and help to lower the cleaning time. With that said, this short guide will roundup five major types of commercial vacuums alongside their features, pros, and cons to help you make an informed decision.
Different Types of Commercial Vacuums Cleaner: A Complete Guide
What is a Commercial Vacuum?
A commercial vacuum cleaner is a large and heavy-duty type of vacuum that’s designed to handle mammoth cleaning assignments in expansive floors. Since these vacuums are intended to be used a few hours each day, they’re designed with special features that include large filter bags, fans, belts, and powerful motors to provide high suction power.
Unlike regular vacuums that are susceptible to regular wear, commercial vacuums are professionally built in a manner that they can withstand everyday knocks and heavy-duty work without having to be serviced routinely.
Why Choose a Commercial Vacuum?
The success of any business premise is impacted by a myriad of factors some of which are external and others internal. Looking at the internal side of a business, its success depends on how safe and determined the staff is. One way of guaranteeing healthy and effective teamwork is by cleaning the workspace to keep the employees healthy and free from illnesses.
While most people trust the efforts of their cleaners, what they tend to forget are the benefits of employing a commercial vacuum cleaner. In this section, I will discuss several benefits of having a commercial vacuum as part of your office staff.
- Cost-Effective:
When buying a commercial vacuum for the first time, most people will argue that the initial cost is much higher than that of buying a regular vacuum. However, if you consider the long-term costs you’ll have to incur in repairs and parts replacement, you’ll realize that a commercial vacuum is a much cheaper route.
Secondly, commercial vacuums are intended to clean vast areas. This makes them more useful as you’ll end up spending less time cleaning without worrying about the machine getting jammed or getting overwhelmed after working for long hours.
- Time-Saving:
Another benefit of employing a commercial vacuum is the short time it takes to clean a large area. Now, take an example of a janitor straining to clean the walkway in the reception area or cleaning a large conference hall. When using a commercial vacuum, cleaning will take a much shorter time meaning you won’t have to collide with incoming and outgoing visitors on a business premise.
Also, by investing in a commercial vacuum, the time, the energy, and the manpower spent will generally be reduced as you’ll need a few people to complete the cleaning chores.
- Excellent Cleaning:
Commercial vacuum cleaners are designed for heavy use. This makes them exceptional in cleaning large areas both in terms of speed and efficiency. Since these vacuums are rigorously tested for efficiency, most manufacturers strive to make them superior by adding strong suction power, motor power, better energy efficiency, and a couple of features and technologies to boost their performance.
- Environmentally Safe:
Since most commercial vacuums are intended to be used for health critical applications such as in hospitals, most manufacturers fit them with excellent cleaning features to prevent contaminants from leaking to the environment.
Some of these special features include the HEPA filtration system that’s excellent in trapping microbes and contaminants from the air. Another feature is the safe disposal mechanism that allows you to dispose of dust, dirt, and allergens without allowing them to leak to the environment.
Types of Commercial Vacuum Cleaners
Now that we’ve discussed some major benefits of employing a commercial vacuum cleaner to your daily cleaning rituals, this guide will now move on to discuss the different types of commercial vacuum cleaners that are available.
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1. Canister Vacuum
The canister vacuum is one of the most popular offerings in the commercial sector. This type of commercial vacuum is among the best in cleaning large floor areas as it’s packed with the much-needed torque to keep the job done. These vacuums are designed with extra-long hoses that are flexible enough to reach profile areas when cleaning. They also have very long cords that are flexible enough to prevent tension.
Other than their light maneuverable heads, these types of commercial vacuums are lenient enough to allow a variety of attachments to be added on to help you clean a vast range of floor types from carpeted floors, hardwood to tile floors.
When it comes to maneuverability, these vacuums are fitted with wheels at the bottom with the front wheels being multi-directional to eliminate drag. Equipped with very powerful motors, canister vacuums are among the best in cleaning commercial spaces thanks to their high suction power and the ability to allow a variety of specialized attachments to be added on.
Advantages
- They’re easy to push around thanks to the multi-directional wheels.
- The ability to allow specialized attachments makes these vacuums the best for cleaning mixed flooring.
- The handle is light and long enough to provide some freedom when cleaning.
- Great suction power saves you time and man-power.
Disadvantages
- The long cords and hoses restrict these vacuums from being used in high-traffic areas to prevent possible tripping hazards.
- The long attachments require you to have immense storage space.
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2. Upright Variants
The next type of vacuum that’s totally different from our previous canister vacuum is the upright vacuum. While the movement of the canister vacuum is hugely restricted by its huge dirt collection bag, the upright variant is immensely flexible thanks to its design. This type of vacuum consists of a cleaning head and a tall handle that stands vertically.
Upright vacuums are fitted with long handles and brush rolls that have wheels at the bottom. They have a dirt collection bag for easy storage of debris though some models are bagless. The cords are usually long to make cleaning quite easy as you won’t have to keep unplugging it time after time when cleaning.
Now, to give a competitive edge, most manufacturers are releasing cordless versions of the upright vacuum. Since the corded versions are sometimes disliked due to the clutter they create with their long cords, most institutions are considering cordless versions instead.
Advantages
- Upright vacuums are available in both single and twin motors.
- Since everything lies on the vertical handle, these vacuums are compact making storage a breeze.
- They’re available in both corded and cordless versions.
Disadvantages
- Since the dirt collection bag is fitted on the handle, it’s hard to maneuver these vacuums since they’re already heavy.
- Cleaning profile areas such as corners are quite challenging.
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3. Backpack Vacuums
Another type of vacuum cleaner that fits the commercial category quite well is the backpack vacuum. This type of vacuum is quite new to most cleaners as it’s not as vocal as the ones we’ve already discussed. However, the idea of carrying it at the back like a backpack seems to impress most users as it makes this vacuum both versatile and flexible enough to be used in almost any location.
Since these vacuums are intended to be carried on the back, they’re usually lightweight and perfectly loaded with ergonomic pads to reduce user fatigue when vacuuming. They also increase efficiency and productivity as you can easily vacuum while still moving stuff with your hands to create space.
These vacuums are available in both corded and cordless versions with the cordless variants being the most dominant. They help to reduce clutter and are heavily considered as the best option when cleaning high traffic or congested areas such as conference halls and walkways near the reception areas.
Advantages
- The best for cleaning busy and heavily congested areas.
- Since they’re lightweight, carrying them and maneuvering around hard to reach areas is quite easy.
- They can be used for cleaning stairways, carpets, and hard floors such as hardwood, laminated, and tile floors.
Disadvantages
- Since most are cordless, recharging the batteries will cost you a lot of your time.
- The design of these vacuums makes them quite pricey.
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4. Handheld Vacuum
Another commercial vacuum that has been available for quite a long time is the handheld variant. Having appeared first in 1979, this type of commercial vacuum is hugely regarded for being the best in spot cleaning large areas especially high traffic areas.
Their featherweight nature makes them highly portable making them the best in spot cleaning stairways, moldings, and drapes. They’re available in either corded or cordless versions depending on your needs.
Advantages
- Since they’re small and lightweight, these vacuums are the best in spot cleaning profile areas.
- They have a high suction power that makes them the best in cleaning even wet residue.
- They can be paired with multiple accessories to make cleaning a breeze.
Disadvantages
- Since they’re tiny, you’ll need to empty the dust cup and clean the filters more frequently.
- If you happen to choose a cordless model, recharging the battery more frequently will force you to waste a lot of your time.
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5. Wet/Dry Vacuum
Last, in my list, we’re going to discuss the wet/dry vacuum cleaner. Now, just as its name suggests, the wet/dry vacuum is designed to clean a myriad of floors with both wet and dry residue. They have a sophisticated motor system that doesn’t get damaged when fluids are sucked.
Wet/dry vacuums are not so picky like most other vacuums I’ve discussed here. That’s because their heads are easily paired with common accessories to make cleaning a breeze. They can be used to clean both carpeted and hard floors without any problem.
Advantages
- They’re versatile enough to clean both wet and dry litter on your floor.
- They can be paired with a variety of attachments to clean profile areas.
Disadvantages
- The commercial model of the wet/dry vacuum is very loud and quite heavy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you thought that commercial vacuum cleaners were not available in different variants, then think again. These vacuums come in five different variations that help to improve productivity. So, whether it’s cleaning soils, spills, dirt, or any other type of slurry after a wet mopping procedure, commercial vacuums will always be the perfect choice you’ve got either in your office or in your home.