Picking the Right Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner for Your Needs

The right wet and dry vacuum cleaner is able to clean up messes ranging from sawdust and plaster in the shop, leaks and spills in the kitchen to carpet disasters and deep cleaning of your rugs. When you consider the price is generally less than for a standard upright vacuum, the wet and dry is a wise investment.

The wet and dry vacuum phenomena has burst onto the market now featuring top brands that are designed to fit all budgets and every need. Some are great in the shop and others do their best work giving your carpet a solid cleaning. Others perform well at any job in any room in the house or the garage.

Cost

Prices are dependent on what your needs are. If your use is only occasional and involving light messes, a smaller model can be purchased for under a $100. The heavy duty models run in the range of $200-400 with large commercial models over $500.

Key Questions to Ask Before Shopping

1. Will I use the vacuum cleaner often? If you plan on using your vacuum all over the house and for both heavy duty and light weight applications, you’ll be using the vacuum frequently. That means you’ll want a heavy duty vacuum with some sucking power. The larger cleaners are built for regular use but are more expensive.

2. Where will you be using the machine? If the machine is going to be used for DIY projects in the garage or shop, you’ll need a stronger engine and longer hoses to get into out of the way corners and reach all areas without having to move the vac much. You’ll also need a longer power cord than if you’re only concerned with completing jobs like vacuuming up small messes or cleaning the carpets in your car.

3. How large should the tank be? If you’re only looking at cleaning up small spills and light jobs, the 2-6 gallon units should be fine. If you’re looking at cleaning jobs in the workshop, house, garden or garage, an 8-14 gallon tank should do it. A larger tank would be necessary for commercial use.

Features

If storage is a consideration, make sure that the height and width of the machine are right for the storage space or closet. You may want to look for a model that converts to a blower if you want to do yard or patio cleanup. If you plan on picking up larger debris, make sure you buy a model with a hose diameter of at least 2 inches. If you suffer from allergies, a HEPA filter traps more than 99% of pollen and other allergy causing dust.

Reputation

There are many highly respected brands on the market today. I’ve found that sites like Amazon that have customer reviews are a great way to filter out the better brands and to assist in buying the best wet and dry vacuum cleaner for your needs.

This short video explains how you can repair your vacuum cleaner.