A commercial vacuum cleaner is one of the most important parts of your business.

Anything from janitorial services to restaurants can’t survive without a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner. But the right type of vacuum for your business relies on how you plan to use it.

Keep reading to learn more about what you should look for when you’re buying a commercial vacuum cleaner.

What Makes a Vacuum Cleaner Commercial?

Most people use their home vacuum cleaners a few times a month. Residential vacuum cleaners are designed for this type of use. If someone were to use them in as a professional cleaning tool, it wouldn’t last long.

Commercial vacuum cleaners are both more powerful and more durable than home vacuum cleaners. Even though professionals use them for heavy-duty, continues use, they last longer than other vacuums.

These vacuum cleaners also come with commercial power cords.

Why is this important?

Most cleaning businesses have specific safety guidelines they must follow. Commercial power cords help keep the business within these safety parameters.

Things to Consider About Commercial Vacuum Cleaners

Commercial vacuum cleaners come in different shapes and sizes depending on the type of job you need them for. So there are several things you need to consider before buying one.

To make sure you get the one that’s right for you, you should pay close attention to these features.

Bagged or Bagless

Because you don’t have to keep buying new bags when you run out, bagless vacuum cleaners can be less expensive than the alternative. But this doesn’t mean bagless vacuum cleaners don’t have parts that you’ll need to replace.

Bagless vacuum cleaners have more filters than bagged vacuum cleaners. To keep your vacuum in working condition, you’ll have to clean these filters and replace them from time to time.

Emptying a bagless vacuum is a dusty job. People who have trouble with allergies or asthma might experience symptoms while doing this chore. Using bags keeps all the dust in one place, so it’s easier to empty.

But when you use bags, you run the risk of running out of them and being unable to work.

There isn’t one type of vacuum cleaner that’s better. You have to pick the one that suits your needs, whether that includes bags or not.

HEPA Filtration System

When you vacuum the floor, you’re throwing things like dust, pollen, and other allergens into the air. This is why vacuum cleaners have some kind of air filter.

But they don’t all use HEPA filters.

HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air or High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance, and these certified filters remove most of the particulates that get into their air while you’re vacuuming.

If you want to keep the air free of allergens while you’re working, you’ll want to use a HEPA filter. While there are many other kinds of filtrations systems, HEPA filters keep the air cleaner than many others.

Other Features Your Commercial Vacuum Cleaner Should Have

Again, your commercial vacuum cleaner might need different features depending on how you’re planning to use it. However, your vacuum should have several, if not all, of the features below.

Here’s a quick list of things to look for in your commercial vacuum cleaner.

Height Adjustment

When you switch from a hard surface to a carpet or from a thick carpet to a thinner carpet, the vacuum must go through a height adjustment. The reason you need to pay close attention to this features is because some vacuums require manual adjustment.

If you want to vacuum different types of surfaces without turning the vacuum cleaner off and on again, look for a vacuum that has an automatic adjustment.

Edge Cleaning

Some commercial vacuums come with additional brushes along the edges of the power head. These come in handy if you need to clean the baseboards and walls as you go.

Hardfloor Operation

Not all vacuum cleaners work well on hard floors. For example, most canister vacuums need a specific cleaning head to vacuum these floors in an efficient way.

If you have to clean hard floors, you need to pick a vacuum cleaner that can handle the job. Usually, upright vacuum cleaners don’t have a problem with hard floors.

But make sure you double check the hard floor features on your commercial vacuum.

Roller Brush Type

You’ll want to be able to turn the roller brush, or brushroll, on and off. If you can’t it can scatter dirt and dust all over the place when you’re vacuuming hard surfaces.

Some roller brushes have different power level settings, some are powered by motors, some are powered by suction. Make sure your roller brush can do what you need it to do.

Cord

The length of your cord depends on what kind of rooms you need to vacuum. Standard commercial cord length is anywhere from 35 feet to 40 feet. But if you’ll be vacuuming larger rooms, you might want a cord as long 50 feet.

You can also find cordless vacuum cleaners if the building you’re vacuuming doesn’t have enough outlets. These vacuums use rechargeable batteries instead of electrical cords.

Hose Diameter

This might not be what you first think of when you’re looking at commercial vacuum cleaners, but it’s an important feature. Most hoses are about 1 1/4 inches or 2 inches in diameter.

But does 3/4 of an inch really make that much of a difference?

For one thing, it’s easier to store a smaller hose. But this sized hose can’t handle the same amount of dust and dirt as a larger hose. Light vacuuming does fine with a smaller hose, but if you need to do some heavy-duty vacuuming, you’ll want a bigger hose.

Noise Level

If you have to vacuum in areas with other people, like an office building, you’ll want a quiet vacuum cleaner. Some vacuum cleaners have different noise levels that can get as quiet as a normal conversation.

What to Know About Your Commercial Vacuum Cleaner

The kind of features you should look for in a commercial vacuum cleaner depends on the job you’ll be using it for. Spend some time considering how you’ll use your vacuum cleaner before you buy one.

Knowing this information will let you choose a vacuum with the right height adjustment, hose diameter, hard floor operation, noise level, etc.

Are you looking for a new commercial vacuum cleaner for your business? Make sure you check out some of our options.