Hardwood Floor Vacuum

Vacuum Cleaners for Hardwood Floors

The best vacuum for hardwood floors will not have beater brushes, will be light weight, have a maneuverable head for getting into nooks and crannies, and enough suction to pick up debris like small pebbles and cat litter.

If the vacuum head does not come padded, I recommend attaching thin cushion to the portions that rub along the floor to prevent scratches. Felt furniture strips work well for this. Brush them clean after each use to ensure grit doesn't stick to the padding and scrape the floor.

Choose your felt pads carefully. You get what you pay for. I haven't had much luck with the light tan pads often found at retail stores. They don't stick well - and it does you no good if they fall off or if you have to replace them constantly.

Hi! Bob's wife here. I shared a little about my love for the portable cordless Dust Buster and its attachments on the How To Clean Hardwood Floors page. It doesn't replace the vacuum, broom, or mop (whichever your preference) but I feel it is a necessary extension of them. To keep my hardwood floors in tip top shape, I grab my dust buster after cooking meals and run it along areas where the cupboards, the oven, and even the garbage can meet the floor to get all those crumbs. I run it on the seats of the chairs and around the table legs after meals. I suck up dirt and little rocks at entrances from the garage into the house and at the front door, spilled cat food, and even lint on top of the dryer. I use it on steps, floor mats, in closets ... it's wonderful!

I also use my dust buster at the end of the day on my routine walk-through to get bits of dust, dirt and other debris that have accumulated on the floor. Why do I do this spot cleaning? So that I don't have to vacuum or sweep as often!

And I've found that my floors don't get as beat up because I'm sucking up bigger pieces of grit that would normally get pushed around by people's feet, a broom, or a vacuum and scratch the floor. Bob and the boys use the dust buster too, even little Nick!. I know they wouldn't take the time to use a full size vacuum!

If the idea of bending over with a dust buster bothers you, try a stick-style vacuum (made for hard floors) like this Hoover Bagless Upright Vacuum. It is light, maneuvers around corners and furniture pretty good, and even works great along baseboards. It's got a power cord - quick and easy to take out and put away - and does a great job on floor mats and area rugs that a regular, more powerful vacuum would try to suck up. It's also inexpensive and you don't have to buy bags for it.

Bob's recommendations to the right for hardwood floor vacuum cleaners are also excellent based on feedback from his customers and other hardwood floor owners. Take the time to click on the items that interest you and read the online reviews from other consumers.

Some hardwood floor owners prefer the wet/dry type canister or upright vacuum. They help you quickly deal with both spills and other liquid cleanup as well as dirt and grit that can scratch your floors. You don't need a broom, dust pan, mop or bucket if you use one of these machines!

Bissell hardwood floor vacuum The Bissell upright wet/dry machine pictured here features three options - vacuum, heated wet vacuum, and drying. Owners love the idea of vacuuming, and then mopping with heated cleaning product (released on your floor by a trigger you squeeze), and then drying the floor ... all with one piece of equipment.

It takes practice to use the unit correctly. You may need to wipe up water leaks with a towel, and you will need to purchase cleaning product for use with this machine.

For those who have asked about a hardwood floor steam cleaner, this Bissell steam mop is a good consideration.

It weighs less than 7 pounds and the head swivels to get under kitchen cabinets and around furniture. It uses only water to create steam, so there are no cleaning products to buy and no chemicals or odors.

Bissell Hardwood Floor Steam Mop It may not necessarily disinfect the floor, but it does wash the surface and leave it looking fresh and clean. It's possible it might leave droplets or small puddles of water - not good on wood floors. So follow up with a towel (drag it around with your feet) to ensure you catch any water that's left behind.

I am a bit uncomfortable with the idea of "steaming" hardwood floors. In fact, I'm not real fond of wet vacuums either. Since wood is so sensitive to water ... leaving the water management during the cleaning process to a machine seems risky. If there are small puddles or streaks of water left behind that you don't notice, it could cause damage to your floor. So, please use caution.

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