When shopping for a vacuum cleaner, the type of vacuum will speak volumes regarding how efficient it is as cleaning floors. But one very crucial aspect to bear in mind is cleaning path. So, what is the cleaning path, and what is the ideal size?
The vacuum cleaner’s cleaning path refers to the width of the brushroll. How wide or narrow the brush is will let you know how many passes it will take to finish vacuuming your home. The ideal cleaning path size is as wide as the user is comfortable with.
To learn more about cleaning paths and what those figures are for the different vacuum cleanertypes , we invite you to continue reading.
How Wide Is a Vacuum Cleaner’s Cleaning Path?
The width of a vacuum cleaner’s cleaning path varies from type to type. In this guide, we’ll briefly cover the average cleaning paths of the most widely used types of vacuum cleaners in homes.
Upright Vacuum
Uprights are objectively the most widely used vacuum type in homes and offices. You can find upright vacuums that come with suction hoses for spot-cleaning furniture, car interior, and carpeted steps.
They generally have a 12-inch cleaning path, such as the Shark Rotator Lift-Away DuoClean Pro ZU782. Others, such as the Bissell Lift-Off 2998, have 13-inch cleaning paths.
Canister Vacuum
Canister vacuum cleaners are oftentimes more powerful and convenient than uprights. They rely on vacuum attachments that connect to a flexible suction hose for cleaning floors, ceilings, and virtually any surface in between.
The cleaning path of a canister’s floorhead tool is usually under a foot in width. The Miele Compact C1 Turbo, for instance, comes with an 11-inch-wide parquet floor tool.
Handheld Vacuum
Handheld vacuums are generally used for spot-cleaning purposes only. As such, they do not come with wide nozzles since a wider inlet could lead to decreased suction power and reduced cleaning quality.
The size of the nozzle varies dramatically from model to model. For example, the Dirt Devil Scorpion SD20005RED has a 1.5-inch cleaning path, whereas the Shark Rocket Ultra Light Hand Vacuum has an 87.5-inch-wide nozzle.
Robot Vacuum
Robot vacuums are at the top in terms of convenience. However, manufacturers don’t usually measure a robot’s cleaning efficiency by its cleaning path but rather how many square feet it can clean per charge.
That said, brush rolls found in robots like iRobot Roomba j7+ and s9+ are slightly narrower than their 12-inc-wide bodies.
Stick Vacuum
Stick vacuums are lightweight, usually cordless vacuum cleaners that allow you to clean multiple surfaces by swapping and using different attachments. The floorhead tool that you’ll use for the majority of vacuuming jobs, will typically measure under 10 inches, as is the case with the Shark HV343AMZ Rocket.
Wet/Dry Vacuum
Last up, we have wet/dry vacuum cleaners. As their name suggests, wet/dry vacuums can pick up both wet and dry debris, including wet concrete, sawdust, and even juice spills. The floorhead attachment, such as that found in the Vacmaster VF408, will measure around 10 inches wide.
