Here's another great tip from BobVila.com.

One of the wonders of the modern age, vacuum cleaners, range in price from $60 to almost $2,000. What’s different about them? It’s a matter of choosing the right tool for the job.

There’s a lot of hype about the ability of vacuums to eliminate pollen, mold spores and other allergens. The fact is that most allergen particles are big enough to be handled by any vacuum, whether it says HEPA or not. The key is the vacuum’s emissions: what comes out the back end.

Bagless models are attractive for those of us who forget to buy the bags or just would like to throw less away. But, for allergy sufferers, they may not be the best bet. You still need to empty the dust chamber into a trash bag at some point, and even if you do this outside, you still come into contact with some dust.

Other factors to consider are the sorts of surfaces your vacuum will have to clean. Most do well on bare floors. But if you have carpets of varying pile heights, you’ll want to be able to adjust your machine.

If you have mostly carpet, you’ll probably want to consider an upright model. If pet hair is an issue, you’ll need to compare models on that basis. Canister models are generally easier to handle. Some European canisters are easier on the ears than most. But statistically, canister models are also more prone to needing repairs than uprights.

Once you’ve decided which features are important for cleaning your home, there are good bets in every price range.

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