Foot Traffic, Floor Surface Dictate Vacuum Cleaning Frequencies

Why are canister vacuums not as popular in the United States as they are in Europe?

Most floors are hard floors with just rugs in Europe. The rugs there are usually not the thick wall-to-wall type carpet found in the United States. Therefore, tub vacuums work very well. Quiet and compact vacuum cleaners work better there from all the research that’s been done over time.
— John McDonnell, Marketing Manager - Commercial and Dealer Division, Hoover, Glenwillow, Ohio


In the United States, we have much more carpet than in Europe and many Americans find uprights to the most effective way to clean carpet. Europeans prefer canisters for their flexibility and for cleaning hard floors, stairs and vertical surfaces. In the United States, uprights are generally larger and have more capacity so users don’t have to change bags as frequently.
— Dalvin Green, Product Manager - Commercial Brands, Electrolux Home Care Products North America, Charlotte, N.C.


Historically, the vacuum market in the United States was developed by companies like Hoover, who were upright manufacturers so people got used to using uprights. Hoover was strong in the UK also and because of this it's a strong upright market when compared to the continent. Canada is a strong canister market when compared to the United States because of the European influence; people use what they grew up with.
— Gareth Mason, President, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Facility managers always want to cut cleaning frequencies. How often should carpet be vacuumed?

The frequency of cleaning carpet varies depending on the type of flooring, the office setting and environment, people traffic, and the location of the building.
— Dalvin Green, Product Manager - Commercial Brands, Electrolux Home Care Products North America, Charlotte, N.C.


I feel traffic lanes should be vacuumed at a minimum every other night (preferably nightly) with low traffic areas vacuumed at least weekly.
— Gareth Mason, President, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


The first step is to divide a facility by usage. Clean the highest traffic areas daily, medium traffic areas two or three times a week, and all other areas weekly to address particulate matter that affects indoor air quality.
— Rich Steinberg, Vice President of Sales, ProTeam, Boise, Idaho


If it looks dirty, it needs to be cleaned. That goes without saying, but generally once per day for light cleaning and at least two times per week on the deep, in-the-crevices type-cleaning.
— John McDonnell, Marketing Manager - Commercial and Dealer Division, Hoover, Glenwillow, Ohio