The vacuum cleaner was invented by a man named James Spangler, who patented the idea in 1908, though other less successful models were trialled earlier in the decade. The first vacuum cleaners were much different from the ones we use today; they had to be attached to gas engines and were incredibly heavy. Vacuums as we know them came about after World War II when electric motors became more widespread. Today, there are many options for vacuuming your carpets: from canisters that reach under furniture and clean upholstery to robot vacuums that do all of the work for you. In this article, we’ll explore the history of the humble vacuum cleaner and what came before.
Prior to the invention of the vacuum cleaner, people used brooms to sweep their floors. The first patent for a broom was awarded in 1797, prior to that people would have had to fashion their own from twigs and branches. The first vacuum cleaner was not actually a vacuum cleaner at all, but rather a carpet sweeper. Carpet sweepers were invented in 1876 by Daniel Hess and worked by using a fan to suck up the dirt and debris from carpets.
The invention that really changed the game in the world of the vacuum cleaner was, however, by Spangler who sold the patent to his idea to William Hoover. Hoover was able to improve on the design of the vacuum cleaner and make it more efficient. The first electric vacuum cleaners were released in 1921 and quickly became popular due to their ease of use and low price point. Indeed, Hoover became synonymous with the vacuum cleaner and is still a byword for vacuum cleaning today. It wasn’t until the 1930s however that the vacuum cleaner reached mass adoption, with its popularity growing throughout the 1940s and 50s.
There are now many different types of vacuum cleaners to choose from, catering to all sorts of needs and budgets. Whether you’re looking for a powerful upright for deep-cleaning your carpets or a lightweight canister for quick clean-ups, there’s sure to be a vacuum cleaner that’s perfect for you.
With so many of our domestic devices now being ‘smart’, the robot vacuum is the next big innovation in vacuum cleaning. Robot vacuums have been around since the late 1990s, but they’ve only recently become popular as the technology has improved. Robot vacuums are perfect for smaller homes or apartments as they can clean all of the floor space without needing to be moved and can be scheduled to run at specific times. Using A.I (Artificial Intelligence) many new models of smart vacuum cleaners ‘learn’ the layout of a room or home and adapt their cleaning patterns to ensure that everything is covered.
So, the next time you take your vacuum cleaner out for a spin, be sure to give thanks to James Spangler – the man who changed the way we clean our floors forever. And if you are looking for some expert advice from a local company with international buying capabilities be sure to check out www.euronics.co.uk.
