Cleaning tools/gadgets: which ones are worth the hype?

[Morning Glory]

Currently have: big hulking vacuum, 12 years old. Very heavy and loud but works well for dog hair and stuff. Brush motor transmission thingy is starting to go out (at least that's what the Google says the godawful grinding noise means) and the replacement part is $130. (It's the Dyson DC28 with the overengineered air-powered servos that make the brush assembly go up and down, so you can't just change the belt, transmission, whatever without replacing the whole vacuum head, at least according to a couple of guys on youtube :)). It still works fine on "bare floor" mode or if I use the hand tool.

 I do not have a lot of carpet any more so I was thinking of replacing the big vacuum with one of those cordless stick things, as they are quieter and I think I would be more motivated to vacuum frequently if it didn't mean hauling out the big machine and winding up the cord when I'm done.  Dyson has a refurbished V8 on their website currently for $180. I have heard the V10/11 is a better model so I can wait until they have one of those again. I have seen other brands advertised but have no idea if they are any good or not. 

I also have a shark steam mop about 10 years old that is good for cleaning hard surface floors without getting them too wet. It has reusable mop pads that can go in the washing machine. The cord is a little annoying and the handle is broken so it has to be held carefully but otherwise it works fine. Mentioning because I have heard of vacuum-mop combinations and am wondering if one of those would be able to replace both tools. Not interested in anything with proprietary disposable pads though.

I also have a regular broom and dust pan lol.  Not very efficient with dog hair, although it is the quietest and most mustachian option. Willing to spend a little $$ for something that will get the job done better and faster.

I know a lot of people like the robot vacuums but it would not survive in my house. Maybe when the kids are older.

Household steam cleaner/upholstery cleaner: I have never had either of these but my couch and also the seats of my car have some stains that I haven't been able to remove by other means and I'm wondering which would be better. I like the idea of the steam cleaner because it could also be used for jobs like cleaning the oven, but if the upholstery cleaner works better for stains on carpet and furniture then I would rather get that instead. I have no idea which models/brands of these are actually any good.

I kinda want a pressure washer for outside but it isn't a priority.

Other gadgets idk. Anyone got something that they can't live without??

[Bartlebooth]

My sister recently got some sort of steam cleaner and is enamored with it.  I have not used it myself, but she brought it over and along with my wife they made some various surfaces in the bathroom *very clean*.  Tile, countertops, etc.

Have had a Dyson V8 for about six years now and it is a great machine.  Battery lasts about 5 years I guess and then is $140 to get an OEM one.  A corded-hulk vacuum does vacuum deeper though.

[Freedomin5]

If your city has a “Library of Things”, you can often borrow many of the items you listed in your post, and try them out first. Then, if you use like it enough and use it often enough to justify purchasing your own, go for it.

Our city has a Thing Library - it costs $50/year to join, and you can borrow any number of items from tools, cleaning machinery, camping gear, baking/cooking appliances, etc.

[reeshau]

We got a stick vac a year ago.  It was interesting to find out that Consumer Reports does not recommend any of them, despite several scoring highly in tests, because of short battery life.  Battery life has not been an issue for us, but it is not very powerful.  We ended up getting a cannister when we got cats.

[sonofsven]

I have a Makita stick vac (because I have lots of Makita tools) and I use it a lot; I'd say it works ok.

It needs to be emptied a lot; it has a washable filter, and I blow it out with compressed air. I have two dedicated batteries for it.

I use my main vac when I want to really clean.

It's an old Compact from the 60's, rebuilt by a vacuum shop, and it will last forever.

I also have a Fein Turbo II shop vac that I really love. It is super quiet, has a really long hose, nice wheels, and it has a plug in for tools so the tool can trigger the vacuum, which is great for dust collection.

I know a lot of contractors who like them so much they've bought the smaller versions as their home vacuum.

I have a few friends have Miele vacuums and swear by them.

I also have a gas engine pressure washer that I use for quite a few things: deck, roof (metal), concrete, pole barn, dishwasher racks, salvaged wood, cars, equipment, etc.

I've never tried an electric, but depending on what you're cleaning that might be an option.

[Telecaster]

I love my Swiffer.   BUT, I have a reusable Swiffer mop head I got on Etsy and I make my own Swiffer juice out of water and vinegar.   

[10dollarsatatime]

I have a Bissell hydrovac with steam. I think it's great, but it does have to be emptied at least twice when I'm doing my whole 600 square feet of living spaces.  I use the proprietary cleaning solution because of you use one that foams up, it makes a mess.  But it cleans very thoroughly, which I love.  I replaced my shark steam mop because it feels like it's just moving dirt around. The Bissell squeezes the dirty water out of the roller with every turn.  I still have a shark stick vac, but I use it very rarely now.

[GuitarStv]

The house cleaning tools that are worth owning (in my opinion):

- Vacuum (carpeted or bare floors, this is great to have - also for cleaning your car)
- Push broom (patio, garage, front walkway)
- Regular broom and dustpan (for occasional small spills and cleaning up broken glass)
- Large sponge and bucket (for spot cleaning parts of the floor that won't vacuum clean, bathroom shower tile.  If you are really set on mopping floors, get one of those sponges on the end of a stick that can be squeezed out - way better than a mop).
- Small sponge/rag (dishes)
- White vinegar (all purpose cleaning solution . . . and I've found if you keep on top of cleaning regularly you don't really need anything more powerful)


Other than a wet vac that we rented once because of some spilled stuff on a large area of carpet, those are pretty much all the cleaning tools I've used for the past twenty years.

[hooplady]

I love my floor squeegee, it has a regular blade on one side and rubber bristles on the other. Works great to pick up pet hair on carpet, also handy to scrub outdoor spaces. Low tech and easy to store.

[uniwelder]

We have hardwood floors and really love our 24" wide dry mop.  It covers a very large area quickly and leaves almost nothing behind.  Just plop it on the floor and push it all around.  As long as you don't pick it up, nearly all dirt and hair get carried along with it.

[Morning Glory]

If your city has a “Library of Things”, you can often borrow many of the items you listed in your post, and try them out first. Then, if you use like it enough and use it often enough to justify purchasing your own, go for it.

Our city has a Thing Library - it costs $50/year to join, and you can borrow any number of items from tools, cleaning machinery, camping gear, baking/cooking appliances, etc.

Ooh, good idea. I checked my library's Thing catalogue and they have a lot of cool board games and some hobby stuff but no tools.

Home depot has pressure washers to rent for a pretty reasonable price though. I could probably do the siding and patio in one day.

[Freedomin5]

If your city has a “Library of Things”, you can often borrow many of the items you listed in your post, and try them out first. Then, if you use like it enough and use it often enough to justify purchasing your own, go for it.

Our city has a Thing Library - it costs $50/year to join, and you can borrow any number of items from tools, cleaning machinery, camping gear, baking/cooking appliances, etc.

Ooh, good idea. I checked my library's Thing catalogue and they have a lot of cool board games and some hobby stuff but no tools.

Home depot has pressure washers to rent for a pretty reasonable price though. I could probably do the siding and patio in one day.

Yes, the public library usually only has smaller items like puzzles and baking pans. The thing library in my city is not affiliated with the public library. It is a non-profit (I think) that was started by a group of individuals and is privately run.

[ownmytime]

We have hardwood floors and really love our 24" wide dry mop.  It covers a very large area quickly and leaves almost nothing behind.  Just plop it on the floor and push it all around.  As long as you don't pick it up, nearly all dirt and hair get carried along with it.

How do you clean the mop after use?  I have four dogs.  So much dog hair.

[uniwelder]

We have hardwood floors and really love our 24" wide dry mop.  It covers a very large area quickly and leaves almost nothing behind.  Just plop it on the floor and push it all around.  As long as you don't pick it up, nearly all dirt and hair get carried along with it.

How do you clean the mop after use?  I have four dogs.  So much dog hair.

Just shake it.  I push everything into a central pile, then shake the mop over top, then sweep the pile with a dustpan and little broom.  Most dirt and hair falls out, and I don't worry much about whatever sticks.  Eventually you can detach the mop portion and throw it in the wash, but we've never done that yet.

Its awesome for dog hair.  We have two large dogs. 

Not sure if this needs explaining, but you don't use it like a bucket o' water type mop.  More like a push broom.  As long at its always going in a forward direction, it traps virtually all dirt and hair.

edited to add--- this is it.  Also called a dust mop.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Products-Cotton-Dust-Mop/5014180957

[jeninco]

Hmm, the dust mop conversation is interesting, because we get cat and people hair up using a 2 (2 1/2?) foot wide push broom. We have an indoor one, with softer brushes, and an stiffer outdoor one that we use outside (on patios and decks) and in the shop.

Also, we finally replaced out 60's era vacuum with a new mid-range miele that has an emptiable dust container. Not super-cheap (but not nearly as expensive as the ones they were selling in the dedicated vacuum store...) but seems to work quite well. That takes care of all the carpeted floors and the area rugs.

I'm eying one of the steam cleaners, but we have a friend who owns one, so we may just borrow hers on the occasion when I decide I'm in the mood to use one.

[Ron Scott]

1. To tag onto the mop discussion, I’ve been using Rubbermaid Hygen for a few years now. I use it on hardwood flooring and tile…and the heads are interchangeable so I have wet, dry, duster, etc. You can use 3rd party mop pads too to save $$.  I believe this line of mops is used in many hospitals and like establishments: https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=rubbermaid+hygen&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=616931486617&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15297933223115891189&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004326&hvtargid=kwd-19119739284&ref=pd_sl_1hgjwwhsxe_e&hydadcr=24659_13611768

2. Magic Sponge! Cheap! I use these things all over. Recently I hung a 8-picture gallery in my daughter’s house and used the sponge to erase all the pencil marks on the wall. Went around the house this week erasing shoe scuffs off the baseboard molding. Many different brands so just get the cheapest.