Vacuum for hardwood floors

About to install 1000 sq ft of hardwood flooring to replace carpet...

I'll need a new vacuum cleaner and it's not obvious to me what strategy to take...

  • A canister style
  • A "stick" style

Cordless is attractive but I fear it will not have the suction power or the battery capacity to finish the job.

It's not clear to me if a wet/dry capability is necessary either. I don't really expect spills of significant volume -- only quantities that could easily be wiped up.

I do already have a decent upright for other areas of carpet/rug etc. and, of course, a shop vac ;-)

I would appreciate hearing what has worked and not worked for others with hardwood floors.

Reply to
Malcolm Hoar
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The "Dust-Buster on a Stick" type is sufficient for me. The dust doesn't really "stick" to the floor nor get entangled in the fibers where it has to be beaten out.

Every so often, I fire up the shop vac to suck the mung out from the corners and places the stick-vacuum doesn't have the power to extract. In your case, perhaps the floor attachment for your shop vac will fit the upright you already own. If not, adapters are available as well as duct tape.

Wood floors (laminate) are every-so-much easier to care for than carpet...

Reply to
HeyBub

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If I had the money it would be a whole house vac in the basement and outlets in every room. On wood a vac doesnt need to be super strong, and you still have to dust them clean with some type of slightly damp mop.

Reply to
ransley

How about a 36" commercial dust mop, a hand broom and dust pan? Most effective, and probably a lot cheaper.

s
Reply to
Steve Barker

Hi Malcom,

I had hardwood floors for many years and now have tile floors.

I always used a canister vac with a brush suitable for hard floors. (The brush with bristle all round the rectangular suction mouth.) I don't use the carpet head usually supplied with canister vacs on these wood or tile hard surfaces.

I always hand carry the vac while vacuuming to avoid floor damage, which can be a particular issue with wooden floor finishes.

I've never found wet and dry vacuuming to be required.

I always vacuum and then wet-mop to finish.

These floors are much easier to keep clean compared to carpet.

Ross

Reply to
RMD

After vacuumin I take a broom and get even more. A broom, a dustpan, and a ol fashion dust mop are still da best on hardwood--quieter and cheaper to. -Cappy

Malcolm Hoar wrote:

Reply to
Cappy

Canister vac is the only way to go - I do most of my dusting with it as well. I have had wood floors, now mainly tile and terazzo. Canister vac with floor attachment gets into/under tight spots much easier. Slap on the small round brush for baseboards, cobwebby corners, etc. Damp mop EVERY time? Not I.

I was shopping around for a waxer to use when I strip the terazzo every couple of years. One cost over $20. Whew! I started to make one by pulling the bristles out of an old $1 scrub brush, but then I discovered Swiffer. Save the $5 pack of wet wipes for special occasions (like when Christmas falls on a Tuesday) and slap on an old rag. Very easy to use. I may make a work of art from my old string mop and hang it by the front door.

Reply to
norminn

Push brooms, dust mops. Sometimes a damp - DAMP, not wet - mop. All are good for tile too.

Reply to
dadiOH

Roomba robot vacuum, I turn it on everyday when I leave the house and it does a great job. Hardwood, tile, kid, dog. I raised the couch alittle with sliders and it doesn't get caught.

CL

Reply to
C_L_R_D

Agree 100%. the canister vac will also allow you to use the vac to get the dust off of window ledges, the tops of door trim, baseboards, etc.

I have an old Filter Queen (basically a shop-vac looking thing but with cyclonic action) and love it but wouldn't advise buying a new one. Their marketing scheme seems akin to Amway and they are ludicrously overpriced (used ones can be found in junk stores or on fleaBay though.) Another nice feature of the FQ and probably other better canister vacs is that the floor tool rotates on the wand in such a manner that you can fully vacuum under couches, coffee tables, etc. with only a couple inches clearance - no need to move all your furniture around to do a good job of cleaning.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

But with an upright -- don't they "beat as they clean as they sweep" -- it's that rotating brush that probably makes it more effective than just suction?

David

Reply to
David Combs

An upright is useless on hardwood. It just moves the stuff around. You need a hardwood attachment (onboard hose) if you're using an upright.

Reply to
h

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