Best vaccuum for hardwood floors and rugs

[DevaMajka]

What's the best vaccuum/floor cleaner for hardwood floors and area rugs?

I don't mind using a broom, but it doesn't do a very good job on the rugs. The big vaccuum is heavy and bulky, and does a horrid job on the hard floors. I'm sure there's one that works well for both.

I saw an infomercial (lol) for one that I think vaccuumed hard floors, rugs, and steam cleaned hard floors. Does that ring a bell for anyone? I think it was sort of expensive, though.

What about Dysons?

[ellairiesmom]

My bridesmaids had bought me a Dyson a few years ago & I was a little overwhelmed by it at 1st, but then finally experimented with the different attachments & really like it for my hardwood & tile floors.  It is heavy & a little difficult to work with sometimes, and I have managed to knock myself pretty hard on the forehead a few times while maneuvering it which DH can't get over...it's the weirdest thing that I keep doing that...but that thing has some strong suction & does a good job.  The attachment for furniture is amazing...we have these 2 chairs that the cats lounge in all day & get coated in hair & the Dyson really gets it all up. 

I bought the ErgoRapido Orange 2 in 1 thinking it would be perfect for everyday/quick clean ups in the eating areas but after a month or 2, the main larger vac lost all power.  The dustbuster handheld part still works well but has to be emptied every time.  And even when its empty, cereal size pieces fall out if you don't flip it upright immediately after sucking them up.  It never really worked great & was a disappointment :(

I also bought a steam vac for our hardwood but it ruined them.  Left all kinds of grayish/white marks over them...

[Siennaflower]

I use my Dyson on everything.  Tile, wood, carpet, upholstery.  Cleaning up broken glass.  It has yet to let me down and is still going strong after 5 years.  It does have a bit of a learning curve at first but it's so easy to use once you get the hang of it.  I can't recommend it enough.

[dawncayden]

I would have loved a Dyson but couldn't afford one. We picked up a Bissel at London Drugs for $130 and it has been great for cat hair, carpet and hard floors. I LOVE that it's bag-less.

It might be the Power Groom one http://www.bissell.com:80/products-3/?id=1571 not sure

[mumkimum]

I know people who love the dysons with mainly wood floors & area rugs.

We ended up with a kenmore canister vac - and I will say it does pretty well on wood floors/area rugs (we only have carpet in 1 room and wood with area rugs elsewhere).  I think a big plus to the dysons is the bagless-ness, but I do like having the canister style for the types of vacuuming that we do (mainly getting dust in corners or spills of crumbs on the wood, smaller rugs, and furniture).  Great attachment for furniture/pet hair on the kenmore too (in case that's an issue at all OP).

[chel]

I love my Hoover. Not sure of the model, but one from target. Great for hard flooring as it has a bottom to turn off the spin brush. It replaced my last Hoover that went strong for ten yers

[MamaMunchkin]

I'm used to a broom myself - till very recently.  I didn't want to invest on anything costly, in case I don't like it, so went with this one instead - Dirt Devil Red Versa Power Stick - $18 from Target, highly rated at amazon.com too.  It doesn't steam clean.

I don't know how this compares with more costly vacuums, but it's definitely a nice upgrade over a broom.  Extremely light weight, doesn't suck too strongly that it pulls an area rug, but strong enough to pick up dirt etc from hard floors - though, sometimes you do have to go over dirtier spots several times.

It's not perfect and I don't know about durability, haven't used it long enough.  But for that price, completely fine.  

PS:  It's so lightweight and easy to use, I use it at least 2x/day, after breakfast and dinner, more on weekends - it really is a replacement for a broom, but works better.  With a regular vacuum, I probably use it once a week, hate the bulk, heavy etc.  Oh, and it's great for staircase too.

[vacuumlady]

Most Dyson models will work well on hardwood floors, even if they aren't advertised that way. However the Dyson DC41, Electrolux, and Hoover Linx are some of the best models that I could find over at http://bestvacuumforhardwoodfloorsreviews.com/. One thing I'd like to see is a vacuum that auto switches between hardwood flooring and carpet instead of having to hit the button.

[christofferjame]

I would suggest you to have “Hoover S2220 Flair BaglessUpright Vacuum” for rugs and hardwood floors. Its maneuverable, good suction, 2-stage switch for floors/rugs, attractive. For the jute area rug, hardwood, and tile floors, this light weight easy to use. Picks up the dust and the dog hair.

[blessedwithboys]

I love my Oreck Platinum Pilot.  I don't have to do any adjustments between flooring types, it just goes right from one to the other.  And it's very light, of course. 

[SunRise]

I've used a Eureka canister for 12 years. Really good for vacuuming pet hair and hardwoods. Works well on all my area rugs too. In the past year the red "velcro" tape that is on the bottom of the floor brush - that helps pick up stuff on rugs - has finally deteriorated so it doesnt work as well on rugs, but still good on tile / hardwood floor.

I don't know that mine is called the mightymight but this one looks a lot like mine w/ the exception of the colour. AND Im glad to find they still make this model as I am sure I will have to eventually replace it.

http://www.eureka.com/en-US/Vacuums/Canisters/Canisters-MightyMite-3670G.aspx

I bought an upright for my office and it sucks. The rug never looked completely clean after I vacuumed and then the suction stopped working on the floor brush. I have to  use the hand brush to vacuum now.

[MommatoGray]

Our roomba is awesome for our hardwood!

[scruffy too]

I use a small shop vac for my wood floors.  Very cheap, great suction.  Very light.  GREAT on dog hair.  Not the best on the 2 area rugs in the house, but for those, I use the other vacuum once a month or so (I think it's a Dirty Devil, but I'm not sure, it's quite old.)

[llwr]

I never liked my Dyson.....  I have the DC17 animal.  I find it really bulky.  It doesn't fit under anything.  I don't even try it for my hard floors anymore, because it doesn't fit in the space under the cabinets, and because it just makes me mad when a $500 vaccuum can't pick up a cheerio.  It also picks up a string on my beber carpet, pulling it out a couple of feet before I can get it turned off.  This has happened several times in 2 different houses.  It's hard for me to overlook an expensive vaccuum actually damaging my carpets.  And I had to replace the motor before it was even 4 yrs old.  They have a 5 yr warranty, but you have to pay shipping (it's really heavy), and if they think it's somehow your fault, you have to pay for the repair anyway.  So I spent about $100 for a new motor that my dad put in, and it's still not working well.  It overheats all the time and I don't expect it to last much longer.  Everyone else I know loves it.  Maybe I just got a lemon, but I'm not a fan.