This is a re-post because we were talking about this on Facebook over the weekend and we have so many new people that I wanted opinions again.
Okay folks, here’s the deal. All of us Erickson girls, who are only Erickson’s by marriage, have several things in common and one of them is keeping a vacuum cleaner in working order.
Nikki, Sue and myself go through them like crazy. I’m probably the worst. I can’t get one to last a year. The reason we all know this is because Jason and Nikki were over on Sat and they asked if we had a spare one. Because Nikki is so hard on them, they took out a warranty on the last one but Best Buy doesn’t know yet what they are going to do to fix theirs yet. And yes, I had a spare one because I didn’t like it and only used it a month before going out and getting a different one. That one was so damn light that it fell over all the time ON ME when I was doing the furniture.
My deal with them is I have a yellow lab and an English springer/golden retriever mix and 5, yes 5 cats so I vacuum my furniture every day at least once. If I can’t stand it in the morning, I do it then and then do it at night or if anyone comes over. Nikki just has a HUGE little problem with keeping things clean. Sue, I’m not sure what her deal is with them but she’s always needing a new one too. Sue said her mom still has one of the first ones Sears made so what the heck??????
I was talking to my brother about it and his “expert” opinion is that everything now is made out of plastic and plastic cracks etc. For me, I use my attachments more than anything so for me, once the furniture brush attachment breaks, I need a new one and of course unless it’s the one that “goes” with the vacuum you have, it won’t work. Sue has given me several as she doesn’t use those like I do. I go through so many that I can never even find the book to even see if I could just order that. I’m going to look into that today so I have another one on hand. I am sick of always needing a new one. I just got one last Sept and now yesterday.
I have tried expensive, cheap and middle of the road. To me, they are all the same and just die out. So tell us, what kind do you have and how long have you had it AND, what are we doing wrong???
Us Girls..Our Views 
Ahhhh, pet dander huh? Before my dad died he had one lung removed and had emphazeema (sp) on his remaining lung. The house was pretty dusty so I purchased an Austin Air Purifier (Health Mate). It’s portable and on the high setting it will change the air fuor times an hour in a 15oosf room! It has HEPA filtration + 15lbs of zeolite (sp) charcoal to remove chemicals from the air. I think this little machine would make a dramatic difference on the amount of vacuuming you need to do. You can move it from room to room to clean up the pet dander as needed.
You can Google it. I think they are around $450-$500 now. I used to be a dealer but don’t sell them any longer. You should see if any locals have demonstration units.
That thing looks really neat. I’d love to have one. I wonder how much it would help me with my breathing?
I have a vacuum cleaner named Vicki and she comes over once a month. I’m not sure what brand she uses.
Of course, I used to do it myself, but never on a daily basis. I’ve never had pets or any particularly messy habits. I used an “electric broom” for a few years, then graduated to a Hoover (I think). That thing was terrific – it worked like both an upright and a canister. It broke once and I took it apart and fixed it myself. I was mighty proud, and it lasted years after that. But finally I broke a part that was essential, and I think I bought another Hoover. It wasn’t as nice, but good enough. We still have that one but only use it once in a while.
I don’t think I’d pay a lot for a vaccuum cleaner. We had a Kirby guy try to sell us one. He was very enthusiastic and did great demos and all. But my question was, if you have dirt stuck under the carpet, WHO CARES? What difference will that ever make to anyone? The guy left in a huff.
I have two vacuum cleaners, one big American one and a Hoover cannister vacuum cleaner. In the Netherlands, everybody uses cannister vacuum cleaners. So when I came here, the first thing i bought was a cannister one. I truly hate that big American vacuum cleaner, you cannot vacuum under the sofa or beds. You have to pull out that other, smaller tube, change the settings on the cleaner and then, when you are done, you have to put the tube back and so on. I think, if I would try harder, I would get used to it, but I am too attached to the little one 🙂
They both are alive for 2 years (I bought that little one when I was visiting here for 2 years, before my marriage.) And I vacuum, since we do not have a cat anymore, 3 times a week.
I agree with you Ellen on the “changing the tubes and settings” is a pain. Mine is like that too. I need to use the furniture hose and brush, change from floor to tube setting then vacuum my furniture, put it all back the way it was. To do that each time is very time consuming. Also, I try and do all the jobs that need the tube setting, like the furniture and along the walls and the furnace ducts, then do the floor but I ALWAYS forget something. It’s so frustrating. I did like it when all you had to do was remove the one part.
Ok that’s sad .. your vacuum cleaner is giving you lots of trouble . I guess you should ask your relatives or friends as to which vacuum cleaner they are using . I mean out of experience they may tell you which one is the best for you .
Ok, fess-up time. It was me. I’m the “facebook conversation” from the other day…
My name is Laura and I murder vacuums for entertainment. I need help.
I’ve been married for 17 years now. I’ve had five household vacuums and three – no, FOUR – wet-dry vacs. I’ve killed all but two of them. One still lives, it’s a wet-vac. The indoor one that I didn’t kill (yet) is rapidly on it’s way, and it is one that I ‘inherited’.
Not only do I have a Golden Retriever who sheds enough to make another dog EVERY DAY (we have tumbleweeds of dog hair around here), I also live on the corner of two country dirt roads, which means that the sign on my wall, “It’s ok to notice the dirt, it’s part of my country look” is the absolute truth.
Hair and road dirt are murder on vacuums.
The best one I’ve owned was a Kenmore that we bought several years ago, but two subsequent dogs, the road dust, and just a lot of hard work finally killed that one. I burned through more belts than I can count, took it apart to clear clogs more than anyone should ever have to, and it finally simply ran out of suction.
I’ve killed two Bissels in the last two years.
My first vacuum belonged to Steve’s grandmother. I have no idea what brand it was, but it was an old upright, and it was on its last legs when I got it, so it was no surprise that it died. The Kenmore came next, then the pair of Bissels.
I am now nursing that second Bissel along, and also have a hand-me-down Rainbow in the closet. That one is close to 30 years old, having belonged to my aunt and uncle before me. When I got it, I had very high expectations – Rainbow and Kirby are the same level of vacuum, and my mom’s had a Rainbow for more than 30 years, and it still works as it did when she bought it. But this one? Was rode hard and put away wet, and it just doesn’t suck. Which, really, is an absolute necessity for a vacuum.
We won’t even discuss the wet-vacs. It’s too traumatic for me.
So now I”m seriously considering a Dyson Animal, because it is specifically made for pet hair. It has a hefty price tag, but I suppose that’s offset by the fact that it’s purple. Everything’s better if it’s purple.
I think my mom’s original vacuum is a Kenmore. She did finally upgrade, but old bessie is still in the closet!
Hmm I think I’ll join your club of vaccum killing women 🙂 I just recently killed my last one (Kenmore I think?) and now own a Eureka. Not a great one.. but for now it works…but I already broke the belt once. My problem is that I also have a cat that sheds a lot.. and MY OWN HAIR!! I have thick, very long hair and it always gets stuck around the vaccum and I have to spend time cutting off the hair after every time I vaccum. Does any one else have that problem?!!!
My mom used to have an old Hoover vaccum that lastet throughout my childhood into my late teens!!! The only reason she had to get a new one was because she couldn’t buy a certain replacement part she needed!! Since replacing her Hoover she had two other vaccums…. neither of which she really likes or do the job well… so I think there’s some truth to old vaccums being better quality.
Welcome to the “killer of vacuum cleaners” club Lucy 😉
I have the blue one you gave me!!! It still works…it’s a miracle! I have spent so much money on vacuums and the one I don’t spend money on lasts the longest! wth?
I don’t vacuum like I used to. I used to do it upwards to 3 times a day. Now it’s every other day. Unless needed. Maybe it’s the new house, I have brand new carpet. The other house had old carpet and I felt like I had to vacuum it often. Plus there was carpet in the kitchen! Who puts carpet in a kitchen! Never again!!!!
I’m not SO OCD about cleaning, to be honest I don’t have the time to be OCD about it anymore. Things have to be clean, and clutter absolutely drives me insane so I’m still a little crazy but a lot better! LOL
Nikki, I love you, but never come to my house. It would kill you. I am the Queen of Clutter!
Well Ive had the exact same problems as you ladies, i was going thru a vacuum a year, all usually ranging in the price of 200.00 or less, well 2 years ago i decided to bite the money thing and i bought a Dyson for the price of just under 500.00 which i thought was a lot for a vacuum BUT its been two years now and its still going strong. (knock on wood) Hoping it lasts atleast a few more years…lol
I’m now leaning towards that one Vicki. I’m sick of getting new ones all the time and we are getting new carpeting soon and I want a new vacuum. It’s just that seems like so much money but if it works, it’s worth it.
THANK YOU Vicki!!!
I’ve been nervous about shelling out the bucks for the Dyson because it IS a lot of money, a fact that my mom quickly pointed out to me.
But then I asked her… “well, when you bought your Rainbow (back in the ’70’s), how much did you spend? And it’s still going strong, right?”
And she agreed… back then it was $350, which apparently was a lot of money (I was like 6? maybe younger), but it’s still working, so I’d say she got her money’s worth. Which is why I’m less shy now about spending the $600 on the Dyson… if they’re as good as they say, I’m willing to make the “investment”, as opposed to ‘dropping” another whatever for a crappy vacuum.
Sean pointed out to me that the Dyson comes with a 5 year warranty. which is a nice thing to know.
That really is good to know. That’s the only thing that’s scared me from getting one of those is what if it breaks in a year like all the others. That is REALLY good to know.
Funny but this post makes me feel so good. I was feeling so alone in my trials with the vacuum. I thought it might be “me” and that I was just extra hard on them because I can not get them to last very long in my house hold. I long for the wonder vac, the solution, the one that I can buy that will do a great job and last forever. Growing up my mom had a Kerby it was incredibly heavy, but we did have it for years. I remember vacuuming the steps as a kid that was before they had the little tiny vacs for stairs.
It’s official Starla. You’re one of us now. Welcome to the dark side!!!!!
You made me laugh GFTG!!!
Since this post, I have had the same vacuum. It’s the Bissel momentum cyclone. For the most part it works great, but it seems like the filters have been clogging faster and faster lately. I try and vacuum every other day just because the dirt/gravel piles up so fast at the front door. We don’t have animals in the house anymore, but when Ella was here I vacuumed every day b/c her hair was everywhere. I also don’t think they make anything like the use to. Whether it’s vacuums or blenders or hair dryers! Everything falls apart so fast.
I eat Bissels for breakfast.
Oh Great, I have a Review all hoover Hoover Upright Cleaner
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