There’s no doubt that vacuum cleaners have become popular over the years.
If you’re used to traditional brooms, a vacuum cleaner or hoover is a device used to clean by sucking dirt and dust from the floor.
Is a vacuum an electronic or an appliance? In this post, we’ll tackle all your questions regarding vacuum cleaners. Read on to find out more.
Are Vacuums Considered Electronics or an Appliance?
No, vacuums are not considered electronics.
Read on further to find out why?
Hoovers or vacuum cleaners are devices that clean through sucking dust from the floor, draperies, upholstery, and other surfaces within seconds.
It is powered and takes dust by using a cyclone or a dust bag to be later disposed of.
Creativity levels are beginning to rise in the industrial world, especially in the technological sector. Many functional and quality devices have been developed to serve human needs.
Vacuum cleaners are one of these inventions as it makes it convenient for us to clean.
To determine whether a vacuum cleaner is a quality appliance, two critical factors need to be looked at critically to determine if they fit the category.
What is an Appliance?
First, in simple terms, an appliance can be described as a device that actively helps humans in their daily household duties and activities like entertainment, cooking, and tidying in your house.
The design must also be more of a house design and fit into the appliance category. Usually, depending on the functions and size of these devices, they are classified into three groups:
- Small appliances
- Consumer electronics
- Major appliances
Major appliances are huge machinery mainly used for washing, cooking, and food preservation. The devices that fit this category include refrigerators and washing machines.
A common feature among these significant appliances is that they are not portable. You can call them fixed devices usually available to you when you rent a furnished house.
However, unlike significant appliances, the small appliances are extremely portable or semi-portable, which means it’s easier to move them to any corner of the house to fit your needs. These small appliances include a blender, coffee maker, cooker, and oven.
What are Electronics?
Lastly, we have consumer electronics, which differ from major and small appliances as they are equipment used for communication and entertainment. They include computers, telephones, and televisions. Its distinct and unique feature is that it’s connected to the internet.
So is a vacuum cleaner an appliance? And if so, which type?
Basically, from what we’ve seen, a vacuum falls into the category of small or significant appliances and not consumer electronics.
The best category that would fit the vacuum cleaner is the small appliances as it is portable or semi-portable.
What Counts as an Appliance?
An appliance is a piece of machinery designed to achieve or perform a specific task. These include refrigerators, coffee makers, and washing machines, and, depending on the portability, you can again classify them into major or small appliances.
A domestic appliance, better known as a home appliance, household appliance, or electric appliance, is simply a machine that helps us perform specific domestic functions such as food preservatives, cooking, and cleaning.
5 Awesome Reasons Why Vacuum Cleaner is a Must For Your Home
There are two sets of homes, one is for those who follow trends and keep up with the new appliances in the market, but there are those that believe in the traditional ways of doing things, such as using a broom to clean.
Even so, a vacuum cleaner can serve them both efficiently as it cleans carpets and floors effectively.
But what other ways can a vacuum cleaner be beneficial to you at home? Let’s find out.
1. Help Remove Excess Pet Hair
If you have a pet, you know that they start shedding a lot of hair; some will even shed hair regularly.
If you’re in this situation, you can take some preventive method that renders a vacuum cleaner handy. You’ll simply need to vacuum clean places the dog has shed hair, like carpets or bedspreads, before you add them to the garment washer.
However, you can take some preventive methods to prevent dogs and other pets from shedding too much hair at home: get attachments that will assist you in suctioning and brushing your pet’s loose fur. However, ensure your pet isn’t uncomfortable or hurt by the method you use.
2. Aid in Insect Control
According to the study done by Ohio University, using a vacuum cleaner regularly will destroy 96 percent of insects in your household. Vacuums also do a great job getting rid of dust mites and other human skin cells; they stick to mattresses.
A crevice tool and vacuum hose are also incredible in capturing spiders and mosquitos that reside in the ceiling corners and need to be removed promptly. After dealing with the insects, put a clean white cloth to corral dust and remove cobwebs using a crevice tool.
3. Can Limit Chances of House Fires
Vacuums are also effective in cleaning excess accumulations of textile fibers (lint) which tops the list as the more likely cause of house fires from the dryer and the dryer vent itself.
You should unplug the dryer and turn off the gas line before using your crevice tool to access under the appliance and the vent area.
Similarly, you can open the back of the dryer and vacuum clean any visible lint.
4. Best for Removing Bad Odors
Besides removing dirt, dust, and crumbs, a box of baking soda and a vacuum cleaner can effectively brighten fabrics and remove odors within seconds of use.
You have to put a little bit of baking soda over the toss pillows, carpets, and upholstery, then use a mop or a sponge to work it through lightly.
Let the baking soda stay on the surface for one hour before using a vacuum cleaner. You’ll be surprised at how bright the fabrics will be as the abrasive nature of baking soda loosens the soil.
5. You Can Recover Small, Lost Items
Perhaps you’ve dropped small pieces like nails or earrings: you’ll probably need your vacuum cleaner to save the situation.
Similarly, place an old pantyhose or a mesh at the end of the crevice tool by attaching it with a rubber band. Then aim at the missing pieces, and the vacuum pressure suck will hold it against the mesh for recovery.
Can Vacuum Cleaner Clean Dust?
Yes. Vacuum cleaners can clean up dust, allergens, and dirt from the surface. However, we recommend using HEPA filters as they are more reliable as they remove more particles than what they release.
Yes, the vacuum cleaner cleans dust, but the challenge will come when the dust is inside the vacuum. Even if you have a vacuum that has a HEPA filter, it will still clog and eventually put a strain on its motor. It’s impossible to control dust on small appliances.
Can a Vacuum Cleaner Remove Bed Bugs?
Yes, a vacuum cleaner can help in removing bed bugs.
Vacuum cleaners can do an incredible job of capturing bed bugs, as research conducted by Ohio State University showed that vacuums are 96 percent effective in controlling insects. Even though it’s not 100 percent effective, you can still get rid of bed bugs and their eggs off your house.
However, note that bed bugs can survive while in a vacuum hose which means you’ll have to remove them from the vacuum to avoid the problem repeating. You’ll need to get rid of the vacuum bag and effectively seal it using tape, then use another bag to seal the vacuum bag.
You can then dispose of the bag in the trash: if your vacuum doesn’t have a bag, you’ll have to wash its parts with hot soapy water to ensure no bed bugs survive.
Can a Vacuum Cleaner Be Used as Blower?
Yes. You can use a vacuum cleaner as a blower, but it has to be the latest model as they are designed and act as a blower alongside its standard suction power.
It will help you reach some dust particles in inaccessible parts of your house, like on top of your door and windows.
It’s possible to use the modern vacuum cleaner to blow clean your computer hard drive, CPU, and other delicate places that contain a lot of dust.
If you want to blow away dust, mites, and spiders out of your house but you don’t have a blower, then use a vacuum cleaner.
Can a Vacuum Cleaner Be Used For Mopping?
Yes, you can use a vacuum cleaner to mop your house or other places using a wet vacuum cleaner.
First, collecting soil and dust particles makes it easier for mopping to be done. The idea is that when you pour water on the dust without vacuuming them, they become muddy, which compounds the dirt.
By using a vacuum cleaner first, you’ll save more time than you would have used cleaning.
However, a wet vacuum ensures that 99% of dust and soil is removed, making the floor cross-contamination free.
Similarly, it cleans uneven and hard floors to perfection. Dry and wet vacuum cleaners are also suitable for cleaning curtains as both curtains and floors contain a lot of debris and dust.