What really sucks!

If you are a longtime reader of the Times and this column, you may already know my claim to fame of being a true “house husband”. I do the laundry, cleaning, some home mechanics, shopping, water and care for the plants and most times I am in charge of animal care and well-being. Tonight, I am cooking  Chicken Marsala from scratch, and in all likelihood, cleaning up afterwards.

Wife Patti is in charge of… Well, I haven’t quite figured out what she does around the house. I will get back to you on that one.

Having the cleaning chores, I  have become a vacuum cleaner aficionado. I research all the latest models and read Consumer Reports and online evaluations as almost a hobby — to the point that most of the family thinks I am obsessed with vacuum cleaners. I have actually spent oodles of money in search of the vacuum cleaner that keeps me happy. I have been known to buy a vacuum, try it out for a couple weeks, then turn around and give it away. My kids all have vacuum cleaners, rug shampooers and such that I have donated after trial periods. In short, if it doesn’t suck right, I move on.

Having three cats and a dog requires a vacuum, with attachments, that cleans carpets, floors and upholstery.

Thanks to my research and trial and error, I am now going to reveal the best at both sucking without sucking your wallet dry

Having gone both bag and bagless, I now admit the newer generation of bagless have gotten much better and easier to empty, without all the mess.

That being said, here are my pros and cons for the models currently serving the Holdraker household.

1. The main vacuum is the Bissell Heavy Duty Power Clean Multi Cyclonic bagless. It outshines the power of a much more expensive Dyson, has a lifetime belt that never needs changing, dual edge cleaning and has a dynamic tool for  getting animal hair off anything, including Wife Patti’s black pants.

The only drawback is that, with most cyclonic models, a toothbrush is necessary on occasion to clean out the little holes on the easy to remove cyclonic intake device. (hint: make sure you clean thoroughly before returning wife’s toothbrush to holder).

The list price is $199, but can be purchased cheaper online and at some stores. Bissell is an excellent company to work with if any problems arise.

Moving on:
I also wanted a lighter vacuum for quick jobs, floors and up high places. Only Dyson has addressed this market with a hand-stick, cordless, lightweight (about 5 pounds) machine. It includes a wall-mount docking station and cleans both high and low (under furniture) places with ease. Also includes tools necessary for every situation.=

Drawback:
Dyson digital slim vacuum features dual power mode. While one mode offers 15 minutes of continuous suction, the other offers only six minutes running time on MAX power.

Pricey, the Dyson lists for $329 ($325 at Walmart, but a savvy shopper can use a Bed Bath & Beyond 20% off coupon (found online and often in newspapers and magazines) to really get a great buy.

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