While the use of electricity may have been rapidly expanding near the end of the 19th century, the first device used to pick up dust and debris from the floors developed suction by the operator using a hand crank. This first vacuum cleaner, developed in Chicago in 1868, was tough to use, as the crank had to be turned while pushing it across the floor. It may have been tough to use but at the time, there was not much else on the market. It took until 1900 for the patent to be issued for the first electrically powered vacuum cleaner, designed in Savannah, Georgia.

The rotating brush, commonly referred to as a beater bar, was developed in 1908 and since then the vacuum cleaner has undergone major changes, including a canister that uses the units exhaust to create a airfoil on which it glides across the floor. What to do with the dirt the vacuum cleaner sucks up has been a problem and from filtering bags to the newer bagless vacuum cleaner, this part of the process has also undergone some changes over the years.

Nearly ever home that has carpeting has a vacuum cleaner to help keep it clean. Some use their vacuum cleaner on hard floors, such as wood or vinyl, but typically they are most often used on carpeting. The carpet also muffles the noise generated by the machine for quieter use.

Machine Power Measured By Motor Power

Today’s vacuum cleaner has come a long way in terms of suction power and many different designs have been introduced to provide the most suction. The power of the unit, typically indicated by the amperage required to provide peak suction, can be misleading in some instances. The industry notes the higher the Amp rating of the vacuum cleaner the better suction the machine is capable of creating.

However, there are other variable that determine the cleaning capability of a vacuum cleaner, including the condition of the brushes in the beater bar, how tightly the suction head can adhere to the ground and the type of dirt and debris it is attempting to lift off the surface.

The filtering device also plays a role in the power of the vacuum cleaner and many different means of trapping the dirt inside the machine, preventing it from being blown back out into the room have been devised. Special filters to trap dust and particles as small as pollen and dust mites as well as passing the vacuumed air through water have been tried to reduce the amount of dust collected by the vacuum cleaner from being recycled.