What is the best vacuum to buy for your cleaning business? This is a very common question.

There are so many different styles of vacuum cleaners nowadays and many more brands to purchase, that this can be a very overwhelming decision. I have seen some sites just listing vacuums without experience in cleaning homes.

Anyone who has owned a house cleaning business knows that a vacuum that is sufficient for a homeowner, is not sufficient for a cleaning business.

The difference is that cleaning businesses will use their vacuum up to 600% more times in a week than a homeowner. Also, when your cleaning for profit, you need a vacuum that does not interrupt your cleaning flow.

A cleaning business needs a vacuum that will be able to hold up to very frequent use, be able to clean up to 4 houses a day, and not lose its suction power.   

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When looking for a vacuum cleaner for your cleaning business there are several things to keep in mind:

The Best Vacuum for a Cleaning Business

There are 3 classes of Vacuums I recommend for Cleaning Businesses. Those are the Stick Vacuum, Upright vacuum, or a backpack vacuum. Here are the top vacuums for each of the 3 classes.

Stick Vacuum

Shark Apex DuoClean with Zero-M No Hair Wrap (ZS362) Stick Vacuum

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Stick vacuums have become very popular in recent years. They are lightweight and can vacuum under most furniture. Most stick vacuums are compact and have easy-to-dump canisters. These make the vacuum appealing for House Cleaning businesses.

Stick vacuums are great for home use, but they are not the best vacuum for cleaning businesses.

Pro’s:

• Lightweight
• Vacuum easily under furniture
• Easy-to-empty canister
• Easy transition from carpet to hard floors
• Cord Length 25 ft
• Self Cleaning roll brush. Easy to clean between homes.

Con’s

• Small canisters
• Attachments are not as accessible when vacuuming.
• Price is a little higher, you are paying for the compactness of the vacuum.

Upright Vacuum

Shark Rotator Professional Upright Corded Bagless Vacuum for Carpet and Hard Floor with lift away Hand Vacuum and Anti-Allergy Seal (NV501).

This vacuum is my favorite and what we used in my cleaning business. I know other owners who used the same vacuum.

It has a great suction rating and some bells and whistles for a lower price. The lift-away functionality makes it easy to transition from vacuuming to using the want-to-reach in hard-to-reach corners and crevasses. I even used it to vacuum baseboards fairly quickly with my clients as I was vacuuming.

This vacuum also easily converts from carpet to hard floors. I know some would recommend bringing 2 vacuums to a home, one for carpet and one for hard floors. But this vacuum can very effectively clean both.

Pro’s

• Great suction
• Easy to use attachments with lift away function, hose reaches up to 8 feet.
• Cleans hard floors well
• Great filtration system, with HEPA filter
• Cord length is 25 feet.

Con’s

• This vacuum is not as light or compact as a stick vacuum. It can be a little cumbersome to carry with your other cleaning supplies. But there is a handle on the top of the canister where
• Carpet vacuum does not reach under most furniture pieces

Back-Pack Vacuum

ProTeam Backpack Vacuums, Super CoachVac Commercial Backpack Vacuum Cleaner with HEPA Media Filtration and Telescoping Wand Tool Kit, 10 Quart, Corded

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This would be the best of the backpack vacuums. If you are cleaning larger homes, and larger offices this will be your best pick as it has a large canister and powerful motor to run for longer periods of time.

I have never used this vacuum, but I have known other cleaning companies that swear by them. What I did not like about the backpack vacuums was the awkwardness of having it on my back. I was afraid I could run into furniture or walls if I had to back up or maneuver around tight spaces.

The cost was another reason for this vacuum to not be my #1 choice for residential cleaning To purchase a quality backpack vacuum you would be spending close to $400. But the backpack vacuums do allow for hands-free movements and less carrying around an upright vacuum.

Pro’s:

• Easy to maneuver around and under furniture
• Check to see if it will transition from carpet to Hard floor.
• Large capacity canister
• The filtration system is excellent. Four Level Advanced Filtration and HEPA media filter.

Con’s:

• Awkward to carry on your back, will take some getting used to.
• Canister-used bags are not easy to change between homes.
• The price is higher, running at about $400.00

Looking for more advice on Cleaning Equipment and Supplies??? Visit My Recommendations page for a list of cleaning supplies and equipment for Residential Cleaning Businesses

What to look for in a vacuum for a Cleaning Business

When cleaning homes for a business you will be cleaning multiple homes in a day. So, you will want something that will last, maintain suction, and is easy to maneuver.

1. Suction power

Look for a vacuum with a higher Suction power. Read the reviews as well to get a clue as to how long the vacuum maintains the suction power. You will want to stay away from cordless vacuums.

They generally have lower suction power. In addition, you will be traveling from house to house and not have the ability to charge it in between cleaning services.

2. Ability to change from carpet to hard floors seamlessly.

When you’re cleaning, you don’t want to have to spend much time transitioning from carpet to hard floors. Your goal is to vacuum the entire house at 1 time.

If you are using more than one vacuum or have to take several steps to transition vacuums it will take up extra time. Your goal is to clean as quickly as possible while maintaining high quality. So you do not want to take up extra time transitioning from vacuuming hard floors and carpets.

3. Easy to dump the canister

I recommend a vacuum with a bagless canister. It is important to dump your vacuum canister after each cleaning service. This is where bagless canisters are easier and ideal for a cleaning service.

This keeps the vacuum cleaner between each home you clean. Therefore, you will want a canister that is easy to empty and not complex to where you have to take apart the vacuum.

When packing your vehicle between each clean you should empty the canister before putting the vacuum into the vehicle. I would keep a garbage bag in my vehicle and would throw it away each night.

4. Easy-to-clean filters

Similarly to emptying the canister in the vacuum, you will want to clean filters nightly. As part of our nightly routine, we would wash all filters and let them air dry overnight. Having multiple filters is helpful as well so that you can have 1 filter washing and use another because more than likely your filter will not be 100% dry by the next morning.

Keeping your vacuum filters clean helps to keep your vacuum clean and limits contamination from one house to another. You don’t want to bring an odor from one client to another.

So, when looking for the best vacuum for your house cleaning business, you will want to choose a vacuum that has an easy-to-remove filter that can be cleaned. You will also want to purchase at least 2 – 3 backup filters for use while others are being washed.

5. Attachments to vacuum furniture and high and low.

When choosing a vacuum look for one that has easy-to-access attachments that allow you to vacuum high and low. You will need to be able to vacuum valences or corners of walls and ceilings. You will also want to be able to vacuum baseboards when needed.

Having easy-to-access attachments will allow you to do this more quickly. You will not want to fumble around with attachments to connect, this will disrupt your cleaning process flow.

6. Longer Power cord length.

You will want a longer power cord so that you do not have to unplug and look for outlets several times throughout your cleaning service. In addition to the vacuum cord, we used 50 ft extension cords. This way we only had to plug in 1 – 3 times during a clean.  These little steps add up to lots of time saved.

Additional Resources for Your Cleaning Business:

• 5 Must-Have Speed Cleaning Tools
• How to Clean Wood Floors like a Pro
• How to Start a Cleaning Business from scratch