The first day of spring has just passed March 20th 2011 ,the red robins have been in my yard for at least a week. Now is the time to start my spring cleaning.  The first thing to do is to open the windows to let the fresh air in.  Using the right tools is the key to doing the job easily and effectively.  Pack your tote , carry cleaning supplies in a caddy along with your vacuum and duster.

Make a checklist of chores to get organized.  Begin with the rooms that are dirtiest.  Take down blinds and dust down and wash window sills.  Clean all windows inside and out.  Use ammonia and water or vinegar and water.  Dry windows in one direction to avoid streaks.  Don’t mix cleaning products ammonia and bleach they are toxic.  Use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner to dust heating vents and door frames.  The vacuum also is a good tool to remove dust from lamp shades, and upholstered surfaces.

If you haven’t cleaned your carpet in a year, now is the time to use your carpet cleaner.  Move the sofa ,beds and other heavy furniture.  Pull them away from the wall ,use the crevice tool of your vacuum to dust along the baseboard.

Scrub the shower and tub.  Clean shower doors.  Clean medicine cabinets.  Throw away expired medicines, discard nearly empty bottles.  Old prescriptions should not be saved.

Clean the cabinets in the kitchen check spices and other items to see if they have expired.  Throw them away. Dust down the ceiling and corner of walls.  Take your spring cleaning time to clean grease and spilled food from your walls.  Use your vacuum on the front of the coils and motor of your refrigerator to remove dust and dirt.  Baking soda will absorb odors for a month or so in your refrigerator.

Always sweep or vacuum a floor before mopping.  Wetting dirt will make the floor harder to clean.  For wood floors mats at the door are necessary to collect dirt.  Frequent dust mopping in high traffic areas is important.  The brush attachment on the vacuum can be used.

Don’t forget to put on your favorite music as you clean!

When it comes to the modern upright vacuum cleaner, the Oreck brand is one of the best-known and most reliable vacuums on the market today. Oreck currently provides a variety of upright models that are suitable to most residential and commercial needs. Several of these Oreck uprights, however, have been built with superior functionality for circumstances where ultimate cleanliness is desired. Let’s take a look at these two upright giants; The Oreck XL UPRO 18T and the Oreck Halo.

Oreck XL UPRO 18T Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner:

This powerful and easy to use vacuum cleaner is a versatile unit that offers excellent reliability and durability. The Oreck XL PROTM 18T professional grade upright commercial vacuum includes a powerful 1000 watt dual motor system that deep cleans on the first pass. The rugged construction of the Oreck XL PROTM 18T ensures long operating life in commercial applications and includes wrap around bumpers that protect the vacuum and furniture. With a full set of attachments, including telescoping wand and a 9-foot stretch hose, detail cleaning is very simple and convenient. Like other Oreck uprights, this Professional Grade machine also lays flat for convenient cleaning under furniture.

Additional upgraded features on this model include 50 ft. power cord with sturdy cord strain relief system, electronic sensors to detect a blockage or broken belt, non-slip belt with overload protection, roller brush motor that automatically turns off to protect carpet when tools are in use, and a balanced center of gravity to prevent tipping when using accessories This vacuum is also very quiet in operation and includes a two-year commercial warranty.

Oreck Halo Vacuum Cleaner HALO100C:

This machine has exceptionally powerful suction that removes dirt, dust, and dead microbes deep within carpeting. This debris is then trapped within a HEPA filter bag. The Oreck Halo vacuum cleaner features two powerful motors; One that drives the powerful roller brush to agitate the carpet and bring debris and germs to the surface, and one to produce the incredible suction that traps dirt and microbes. This vacuum cleaner picks up dirt and debris in a single pass, and works perfectly across any floor surfaces from carpet to tile and even hardwood floors. The roller brush is also on a switch so that it can easily be engaged or disengaged, and a five-level height adjustment allows efficient cleaning across varied floor surfaces.

This machine also includes an array of detailing tools with a telescopic wand and a 13-foot hose. The extra unique feature on this vacuum is the patented UV-C light chamber, which is directed onto the floor to kill many of the germs, bacteria, mold, dust mite eggs, and flea eggs on your floors. This is accomplished without the use of standard chemical cleaners, therefore making this a safe solution for pet households and other sensitive environments.

The Electrolux Guardian vacuum cleaner is a top-of-line; high quality vacuum cleaner built to the old time
standards of powerful yet manageable Electrolux canister vacuums. This vacuum is filled with features
making it ideal for anybody seeking a top of the line canister vac. The high powered and innovative
electric hose on this vacuum has an easy to access power button as well as controls for the power nozzle
right at your fingertips. The EPIC power nozzle contains a brush roll meant to clean both hardwood
floors as well as any type of carpeting, as well as convenient controls to clean tile floors, and to gently
clean upholstery and curtains. The EPIC wand allows for you to extend the hose even further. The
power nozzle also has a handy reset button that allows you to turn it back on in case something were to
clog the brushroll and it stop working. If any of your Electrolux Gruardian parts break, you can find them all at evacuumstore.com

As for the many accessories that come with this vacuum, just open up the front of the canister
by the blue button to find the vacuums accessories neatly tucked away for easy organization wherever
you keep your Electrolux vacuum. Upon opening the latch you will find a few nifty tools, a crevice tool
for vacuuming hard to reach areas, as well as a tool for both dusting and gently cleaning upholstery such
as couches and chairs. Along with these great tools the guardian is also compatible with a Sidekick 2, which are two small extremely handy accessories that click easily into your Epic wand in order to get a deep down clean in things like carpeting and upholstery. The Guardian vacuum also contains a cord winder neatly and conveniently put the vacuum away with no hassle whatsoever.

Repairing you vacuum cleaner can be a difficult task if you have never don it before.  First you will need to diagnose the problem and determine what part that is broken.  This can be done by reviewing factory schematics and parts diagrams, which can aid you in pin pointing the broken part.  Sometimes it may be difficult to dissemble the vacuum cleaner and work on the major components. You will most likely consume more time your first time that a professional would, but you have the potential to save yourself hundreds of dollars by doing it yourself.  One thing you need to consider is, if your vacuum cleaner is still under warranty, you do not want to fix it yourself.  Fixing it on your own will void your warranty and it will be nearly impossible to get the part form the dealer for free to fix it on your own.  You are better off bringing your vacuum cleaner to the dealership and have them fix it for free if it’s still under warranty.  After you have determined that you vacuum is out of warranty you have to determined the broken part. The next task is trying to locate the exact vacuum parts that you are in need of.  First you will need to locate the model and type of vacuum cleaner you have.  This can be done by finding the factory service label on the back or bottom of the vacuum cleaner.  In some cases the model number is located inside the door where you put the bag.  If you have a central vacuum cleaner, the service label will be located on you power unit.  Now that you have your model number finding the right part should be easy, right?  This is not always the case, you will now need to find a authorized dealer that is permitted to sell the parts that you are in need of, or looking on eVacuumStore.com which is a dealer authorized for all major brands.   Now that you have found the corre vacuum part you will just need to put the vacuum cleaner back together the same way it came apart, and then test the performance.

Ever since the notion of a vacuum cleaner was first thought up in the late 1800’s, inventors were challenged with coming up with a way of capturing the debris that was collected by the bulky, ineffective machines. The first methods of containing this debris included blowing it around instead of sucking it up, using water as a filtering solution and even using cloth pillowcases. This pillowcase method proved to be the revelation that inspired the creation of the first vacuum bags.

Twenty years of trial and error with various dirt capturing methods finally led to the realization of the disposable vacuum bag in 1920. These disposable vacuum bags were first made of paper and were mounted within a larger cloth bag, which reduced the amount of dirt that was reintroduced into the machine and environment.

Many of the common vacuum cleaners on the market today still utilize a disposable vacuum bag. The majority of manufacturers are also offering bag-less models that use a clear plastic canister for capturing the dirt. This bag-less design has gained popularity because many feel that it is convenient. These vacuums don’t require constant bag replacement, and they allow the user to see when the canister needs to be emptied. One of the downfalls of this design is the cloud of dust that is often produced when the canister is removed and emptied. This can lead to a new mess to clean and can also cause to health issues, especially for asthmatics and those with allergies.

The modern vacuum cleaner bag design has progressed greatly since the original paper version from the 1920’s. Vacuum bags are now usually made from a spun cotton material, and are much more efficient at containing very small dirt particles. Disposable vacuum bags are available in many different types including genuine, generic, high filtration and allergen. Most vacuum bags are also universal; so one bag will fit almost any vacuum cleaner. This makes them easy to replace and relatively cheap. The choice between a bag and bag-less vacuum really comes down to personal preference and need. Regardless of current trends, the good old vacuum cleaner bag is still an important and useful component of the machines that clean our homes today.