No vacuum excels at all types of cleaning— your home’s layout and even décor dictate the type you might need. That will become clear as you get ready for a thorough spring cleaning. Do you have lots of carpet or just bare floors? And it will be especially apparent if you have pets that are leaving little reminders of their winter coats everywhere you look.They’re a vacuum’s toughest job and rank highest on many people’s priority lists. Dirt tends to collect and hide in the carpet, and our feet can grind it in. The better bagged uprights, with beefy motors and wide brush rolls, clean the most deeply. But you want them to be maneuverable as well. In our tests, no bagged vacuum that was superb at deep-cleaning carpets was especially easy to handle, but five of the top bagged-upright models we recommend weigh less than 20 pounds. One of the lower-cost picks in our Ratings worth a look: the $150 Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Pet UH30310. It gets superb marks for pet-hair pickup and has a manual adjustment for carpet height.

At 17 pounds, it’s also light enough to maneuver easily. If you have few carpets and lots of tile, bare wood, or vinyl flooring, you can get a bagless upright—say, the $260 Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away NV501—and enjoy easy handling in a lighter-weight vacuum. Other full-sized vacuums might do almost as well for carpets while excelling at bare floors, a relatively easy task. A heavy vacuum can be a true liability if you have stairs. The better canisters, led by the bagged Miele S 8590 Marin, $1,000, are heavier than most uprights—but you’re mostly moving just the hose and power head, not the entire machine. In addition to our vacuum cleaner Ratings, our brand-repair history lists the percentage of upright and canister vacuums that failed or had a problem that was unresolved. Sometimes you need just a light cleaning before guests show up. For that, see our recommended handheld and stick vacuums. None of them can handle carpet deep cleaning, but they do a decent job.

Which vacuum for which taskcar leather cleaning sydney On average, these are the lowest-cost way to deep-clean carpets. best way to clean dark wood laminate floorsBagged models in particular can deep-clean carpets and rugs, and all offer a wide cleaning swath.dryer vent duct cleaning services Pulling, pushing, and carrying them can be hard, especially on stairs.dell laptop fan cleaning For maximum airflow with both full-sized types, replace the bag or empty the bin before it’s completely filled.best way to clean oak trim

They’re superior for cleaning curtains, upholstery, and spots beneath furniture. best air duct cleaning michiganCanisters are also easier on stairs because you move just the hose and powerhead. The top canisters are pricier than comparable uprights. When retracting the cord, routinely letting it snap can weaken the plug. Slow down the motion during the last few feet. Quickly picking up dry surface litter anytime you don’t want to or cannot bend. Most don’t pick up as well as hand vacuums, their dirt bin is usually small, and most are noisy. Frequently clean or replace filters, and clean out dirt cup to prevent bacterial growth when using both hand and stick vacs. Light, quick surface cleaning on carpets and bare floors, especially in tight spots that you can’t reach with a stick vac. Some can handle pet hair on upholstery. Like stick vacuums, they don’t have much power compared with a full-sized vacuum.

With cordless hand and stick vacs, charge the battery according to the owner’s manual for maximum product life. Top-rated: Kenmore Elite 31150, $350 CR Best Buy: Kenmore 31140, $200 Top-rated: Miele S 8590 Marin, $1,000 CR Best Buy: Panasonic MC-CG937, $330 Top-rated: Dyson DC59 Animal, $500 Top-rated: Shark Pet Perfect II SV780, $60 —Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter) Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the February 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. View and compare all Vacuum Cleaners ratings.Stained concrete floors should last for years to come, but proper maintenance is essential to keeping them looking great. The Cleaning House has the expertise and the tools to show you how to protect and clean those concrete floors.Dirt and dust are your floor’s biggest enemies. Floors that are left dirty tend to dull and scratch quickly. Dirt and sand act as abrasives to the surface; if you were to put a piece of sandpaper under your shoe, you would get the same effect – scratches!

Let The Cleaning House help you preserve those floors. Just a few simple steps and some easy cleaning will protect the floors and keep them looking great.Step 1 – Floor MatsStopping dirt or mud from entering your house is the starting point for protecting floors. Outdoor Scraper Mats at each entrance take off debris such as mud, small pebbles, etc. that stick to the bottom of shoes and can severely scratch flooring. Indoor mats at each doorway help stop dust and moisture on shoes from reaching floors.Step 2 – Floor ProtectorsBe sure to apply floor protectors to all furniture, such as chairs, couches, etc. to protect your floor from dents, scratches and rust stains, as well as reduce noise. Felt protectors are available in several styles. Stick-on protectors  work well for lighter furniture that doesn’t get moved a lot, while tap-in protectors will work better for furniture that does get shifted around. Slip-on protectors are for metal legs and Grippers for furniture that you want to stay in place.

Step 3 – Dust MoppingDust mopping is an essential step in all floor maintenance and needs to be done routinely. Dust mopping removes the sand, silt and clay that will abrade, scratch and grind away floor seals and finishes if left unattended. What’s the right way to dust mop?1. Remove any stuck on particles before you begin.2. Sweep or vacuum corners and hard-to-get areas. Be sure to use the brush attachment on your vacuum not the beater bars.3. Using a Microfiber Dust Mop, go over your entire floor. Microfiber is engineered to aggressively collect dust, can be washed up to 200 times and never requires dust mop treatment. Microfiber dust mops are available at The Cleaning House in 18”, 24” and 36” widths.4. To clean your dust mop, go outside and shake the dirt out. Launder occasionally as needed and air dry.Step 4 – Damp MoppingNow that you have gotten the dust off the floor, it’s time to mop. The Flat Mop System is growing in popularity and has proven to be a great system for concrete flooring.

Available in 18” or 24” widths, Flat Mops make mopping easy with machine-washable microfiber mop covers.1. Use only neutral cleaners for mopping. The Cleaning House suggests Nu-Tral, an economical concentrated floor cleaner to help preserve your floor’s shine.2. Follow label directions when mixing cleaners.3. NEVER use ammonia, bleach or vinegar or products containing high phosphate levels or pine oils. These products are corrosive to the finishes that were applied to your concrete floors.When concrete floors are done, a floor finish is applied to protect the sealer as well as to add shine. This “top coat” will need to be reapplied depending on the amount of traffic on your floors; generally this needs to be done once or twice a year. The Cleaning House recommends Thoroughbred, a 23 percent solid floor finish. This high performance floor finish is ready to use and adds protection and shine to concrete floors. Thoroughbred is easily applied with a Nylofoam applicator.These simple steps will help prolong the appearance of your concrete floors for years to come.