Just the other day I wrote an article on the handy-dandy, electriticity-free way to clean your carpets: the carpet sweeper.  Carpet sweepers are fine for light cleaning or touch-ups between proper vacuumings, but is there a way to "vacuum green"?

Carpet vacuums have existed in one strance form or another since the late 1800's, but it wasn't until James Murray Spangler combined a fan, a box and a pillowcase in 1907 that we had a device resembling a modern vacuum cleaner.  Even the fanciest modern vacuums adhere to the basic principles of these early crude vacuums.  You need a source of electricity, an electric motor, and someplace to store all the dust and dirt you're collecting.  This brief history lesson is somewhat important as you'll see in a moment.

There are three major categories of vacuum cleaners on the market today:

1. Disposable Machines - Bright colors, cheap plastic and brush head rollers made of cardboard.  These are readily available in the aisles of your local big box retailer for under $99.

2. Gimmick Cleaners - If your vacuum features designer colors, scientific suction systems, robot controls, headlights, strange wheel and handle systems then congratulations, you paid lots of extra money for a 'cool' household appliance!

3. Ol' Faithfuls - With prices usually in the $1000+ range, these retro throwbacks aren't lightweight or stylish, but they'll last forever.

So what makes a vacuum cleaner 'green' anyways?  Power consumption is one issue.  It's cheaper for manufacturers to throw in a higher amp motor than it is to engineer a better suction system, and higher amps means more of a power draw.  Disposability is another issue.  The big brown canister vac that your grandma used to lug around her bungalow proabably lasted 25-30 years.  Do you think your Dirt Devil will even make it 'till Christmas?  Bags and filters are another issue.  Most dust bags are made from paper and can actually go into your composter if they haven't been coated with plastic.  Still, a big gimmick in vacuums is the inclusion of a HEPA filter.

Cleaners like the Eureka EnviroVac use an 8-amp motor for a 33% power savings over a comparable cleaner with a 12-amp motor.  The British Turtle Vac has a unique solution on their industrial/home use canister vacuum: an "eco switch" that reduces the amount of power the electric motor draws.  So you still have extra cleaning power when you need it, but for general use you can coast along at a 35% power savings.

Gimmicky cleaners such as the popular iRobot Roomba may seem eco-friendly - after all they're so small - but don't be fooled.  These little contraptions are packed with electronics, sensors, and delicate cleaning components.  If you're Roomba isn't sitting in a landfill within 12 months you can count yourself among the fortunate few.

Dyson makes very innovative, and somewhat pricey products that certainly seem as if they should be eco-friendly.  After all, they are about as sexy as a vacuum can get and "they don't lose suction".  They also feature power-sucking 12-amp motors, nearly all-plastic construction and eBay vacuum expert Great-Vacs estimates a Dyson's lifetime to be about 10 years.  Certainly a better lifespan than the 6-18 months you'll get from your Wal-Mart special, but there are better options still.

The vacuums that fit into category 3 above aren't sexy or cheap and they have almost no gimmicks: the ol' faithfuls.  Canister vacuums such as the Filter Queen Majestic can cost well north of $2,000 but can easily last 30 years.  Often heavy with metal components and big roller wheels, what these workhorse cleaners lack in delicacy they make up for in longevity.  Many modern models have 3 or more power settings and the big bonus is you can pick up a old refurbished vacuum for just a few hundred dollars on eBay that may still have another decade of usefulness left in it.

And finally, it's worth mentioning that some companies such as Hoover offer an excellent catalog of replacement parts for almost all of their products.  If you're a bit handy you can even extend the life of your cheap-o vacuum cleaner by showing your machine some TLC when it breaks down instead of chucking it in the garbage.

So here are 6 things to consider when searching for an eco-friendly vacuum cleaner:

   1. Beware of gimmicks and stick to the basics: remember a vacuum is a canister with a motor! 

   2. Look for a vacuum with an 8 amp motor or at least power-saving mode.

   3. If the vacuum has a filter, be sure it is washable and reusable.

   4. If the vacuum takes dust bags, be sure they are made from paper that has not been plasticized or heavily treated with chemicals.

   5. If you can't afford a super high-end vacuum, look for one used on eBay.

   6. Check out the manufacturer's web site for replacement part availability.

Do you have a green vacuum at home that you can recommend?  Tell us about it in the comments!

» Vacuum Cleaner (Wikipedia)