Vacuuming is a no-brainer. You flip the switch, clean out the filter every now and then, and go to work on that area rug your dog likes better than his bed... right? We aren't saying buying and using a vacuum is rocket science, but we do want to point out a few of the things you might have missed when, like most of us, you tossed your machine's owner's manual into a junk drawer. Here to help: Consumer Reports' Senior Home & Yard Editor, Ed Perratore, who shared some of the most common vacuum cleaner dos and don'ts with HuffPost Home. DO: Keep in mind what you'll use your vacuum cleaner for the most. "The toughest job for a vacuum is deep-cleaning carpets, which is what our research says is the number-one job people want in their vacuum. Equally important is being lightweight enough that it's not hard to push, pull, lift and generally maneuver. DO: At least try and lift the vacuum before you leave the store. "Try, in the store, to push and pull it around. Try to turn it around tight corners and lift it from its intended handle.

Look for a power switch that's mounted high on the unit to avoid bending. DO: Check out the "minor" details.best vacuum upright vacuum cleaner "If it's a bagless, compare its bin size to that of other models. what is the best way to clean an rv awningLook for a brush on/off switch if you have bare floors, suction control if you'll be vacuuming drapes. clean laptop fan samsungAnd before buying either a bagged or bagless model, look up the price of the bags and filters. leather cleaning kit sofasSome filters just need washing out, not replacing, but there's often more than one."what is the easiest way to clean horizontal blinds

DO: Buy a vacuum that works with your lifestyle. "We test for pet-hair pickup and find that some models do very well at getting up what their pet sheds without the hair wrapping around the brush. leather cleaner for inkNeither uprights nor canisters have the edge there. For apartment dwellers, the size of the unit matters a lot. If you have lots of carpets, we recommend bagged uprights since they tend to have the best airflow and suction. If you don't want to lug around an upright and also maybe vacuum stairs a lot, consider a canister. And for general pickup of spilled dry items and dust, many people also have hand, stick and even robotic vacs--though you can't count on them for deep-cleaning." DON'T: Get hung up on the pricey models. "Our best models are often not the most expensive. And occasionally, a very inexpensive model scores highly, like the Hoover WindTunnel T-Series UH30300, priced at $140 and the Panasonic MC-CL935, which goes for $330.

DON'T: Forget that it's all about HOW you use the vacuum. "There are a few ways to vacuum "wrong." Never vacuum water or even a wet floor; use a wet/dry vac instead. Change your bag or empty your bin promptly; it affects available airflow. Ditto for the filters; inspect them every couple of months. If you vacuum up something big like a sock, turn the vacuum off right away--besides blocking airflow, you could break the belt, which is there to protect the motor. And if you vacuum a bare floor like wood or laminate and don't turn off the brush (or don't have a brush on/off switch), you'll wear away that floor's finish over time." DO: Get to know your machine. "Usually there's at least a crevice tool (for edges and tight places), a bristled brush for furniture, and one or two extension wands. Some vacuums also have rubber-bristled brushes for picking up pet hair from furniture without static." DON'T: Expect your vacuum to last forever. "We've seen recent EPA figures of 5-8 years, but we think people replace their vacuums more often than that."

You know a vacuum is ready to be replaced "when it either will not start, or it starts, but no longer picks [anything] up. [Provided you've checked that] hoses and other points of airflow are neither damaged nor clogged, the brush roll is not jammed up or filters don't need replacing, and the bag or bin isn't full. In other words, if you're properly maintaining the vac and it still won't pick up, it's time to at least get it looked at--perhaps replaced. DO: Take note of these top models. Buying A Vacuum Vacuum Cleaners Vacuums Carpet Cleaning VacuumShoppers are cleaning stores out of powerful vacuums as an EU ban on hefty motors is just 48 hours away. Panic buying has swept through Britain after consumer watchdog Which? warned Brits to “act quickly” if they wanted an appliance that is 1,600-2,200 watts. Today supermarket giant Tesco revealed sales of vacuums with super suction soared by 44% in a last-minute push to bag soon-to-be-outlawed vacuums. Tesco planning manager Louise Rix said: “The EU ban has been a much debated topic over the last few days - it’s certainly provoked a lot of interest amongst consumers and manufacturers. “

We’ve seen huge sales increases of vacuums and we expect the high demand to continue over the next two days before the ban comes into place.” On Monday Brussels busybodies will pull the plug on all models that are more than 1,600 watts to make the UK greener and more energy efficient. It means big brands like the 2,300 watt Hoover Hurricane and 2,000 watt Cylinder bagless Vax will be banned as factories stop production to make less powerful models. And by 2017, power will be slashed even further to 900 watts which will see 1,200 watt household favourites Henry and Hetty also barred. Some experts have warned that the weaker vacuums will affect asthma and allergy sufferers as the suction will not be strong enough to pick up every pet hair or deal effectively with dust. But the EU insisted that the smaller watt models will be efficient and save consumers money. And for the first time the new machines will carry A to G ratings for energy use, cleaning performance on hard floors and carpets, dust emission and noise.