vacuum cleaners

I can't recommend it because I don't know how it compares but I was just used to my simple upright.

My mom's vacuum, which is now ours, is a Miele. It's a floor canister. You can tell it is probably an expensive vacuum, but I find it a bit complicated with all the hoses and hookups. I keep it all hooked up in the closet so I don't have to fuss with it every time, and that makes it easier to just pull it out when I need it (about 3x a day!). It has a HEPA filter and it runs quiet, and I think the suction is sufficient. It gets up all the hamster litter, anyway, but the kernels of corn from their food have to be picked up by hand because they don't fit under the rotary brushes. It has a retractable cord (just step on the foot pedal). Our model has a motorized rotary brush thingie that has a power button of its own on the handle. The other tools are stored neatly inside.

I think it's a good vacuum, but I still preferred the simplicity of my upright.

Now I am ashamed to admit mine sometimes only comes out twice a MONTH. Mostly I use it weekly, though now we have our new addition (9 week old black labrador) I'll probably have to do it more often.

Anyway, getting to the point, I have had an upright Dyson for several years and I think it's wonderful. The suction is very strong and it is far more powerful than an ordinary vacuum cleaner. I dread the day when it dies, as I certainly couldn't afford another one (the one we have was a Christmas present from my parents). You do have to be happy to confront your own dirt though! It can be very disconcerting to have the evidence of how dirty the floor was, whirling around in front of your eyes!

Honey

I used to own a rainbow vacuum, and I miss it. They're really great for people with allergies, because they filter the air, while you're vacuuming. Plus they're great for fleas. At the time that I bought it I had 1 cat, but my roommate had 2 (unfixed) cats, and they had a total of 15 kittens. Suffice to say, we had a lot of fleas. But you can put Eucalyptus Oil in the water of the vacuum cleaner, and the smell runs off fleas. I wouldn't have believed it, but it worked! We were completely flea free within a week. It was great. Plus, it's got GREAT suction. That vacuum cleaner did a better job vacuuming than any vacuum cleaner I've had. The down side? They're really spendy. But you can make monthly payments. So if you have the money (or the credit) I'd get a rainbow.