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HOUSE CLEANING

HANDHELD VACUUM CLEANERS

The most popular type of handheld vacuum operates on rechargeable batteries and can be carried easily from room to room. But hand vacuums with cords offer serious competition, since they can extend vacuuming beyond the length of time that a typical rechargeable model allows. Handheld vacuums offer extras such as revolving power brushes to beat dirt out of carpeting, as well as an assortment of attachments and extensions designed especially for nooks, crannies, drapes, and ceilings. In addition, cordless models come with a wall-mounted storage bracket that has a built-in battery charger. Car vacuums, which plug into an automobile'S cigarette-lighter socket, look much like the cordless models, but they come without a wall storage bracket.
CLEANING ABILITY

Most cordless models rely solely on suction to do the job. The suction end typically tapers to an oblong slot some three inches wide. Plug-in models, on the other hand, generally provide wider coverage. They often come with a built-in five- or six-inch revolving brush well suited to cleaning rugs. The plug-ins tend to be heavier than the cordless models and auto vacuums. Consumers Union tested cleaning ability with a variety of soils spread across a smooth wood surface that simulated hardwood flooring. A hand vacuum should be able to deal with such items as granulated sugar, rice, and bread crumbs. Low-pile carpeting littered with tougher material, however, highlighted the advantage most plug-in models enjoy over their cordless cousins. To retrieve, say, potting soil from a carpet, most cordless vacuums and car vacuums need 20 to 30 passes; a good