Vacuum cleaners were first invented in the early 1900's, and were the first major advance in home cleaning since the invention of the mop. Vacuum cleaners changed very little in the time since their invention, until the introduction of the bag-less vacuum late in the last century. Bag-less vacuums have become extremely popular, but still have the same basic set up as their predecessors.

In addition to bagged or bag-less, the basic vacuum also comes as either a canister or upright. The original vacuums were uprights, but eventually someone decided to separate the vacuum into two sections, connected by a flexible hose: the intake- usually a power nozzle, and everything else (called the canister). Putting the canister on wheels resulted in less weight to be supported and pushed by the arm when vacuuming, and an easier time vacuuming in narrow areas or under furniture.

Your basic vacuum cleaner, whether bagged or bag-less, upright or canister, has 4 main parts: an intake, one or more filters to catch dirt and dust, a motor, and an exhaust. The intake is where the dirt, dust and air are sucked into the vacuum. The motor, obviously, provides the suction. The exhaust is where the air, minus the dirt and dust, leave the vacuum.

The filter is the key to the vacuum. Without the filter, a vacuum is nothing but an air pump. In a bagged vacuum, the first filter is always the bag itself. The bag is porous; to allow the air to pass through, while trapping dirt and dust. Some dirt is small enough to blow through the bag, along with the air, so most bagged vacuums have a HEPA filter immediately after the bag, to catch any small particles of dirt and dust that might get that far.

A bag-less vacuum will have a central area, usually made of plastic that the air swirls through after entering the intake. The heavy particles of dust drop out of the air, before it passes out of the dirt catch through a series of small holes (first filter). Immediately after the dirt catch is a series of traditional filters or HEPA filters, to catch any dirt or dust that is light enough to be carried out of the dirt catch.

No matter what type of vacuum you have, it is important to change or clean the filters regularly. In a bagged vacuum, the bag gets filled, but also over time the tiny holes in the bag can widen, allowing more dirt through. The dirt catch of a bag-less vacuum needs to be emptied and cleaned at least after each use. (Keep in mind that the vacuum picks up crumbs and bacteria, along with dirt and dust. Cleaning the dirt catch will keep the bacteria from lasting long enough to send out colonies.) The other filters need to be changed regularly, because normal use will eventually clog them and make them less efficient.

The average vacuum cleaner will last around 3 years before needing to be replaced or repaired. Normally repair or replacement becomes necessary because the motor breaks in some fashion. Often the life span of a vacuum can be extended by making sure the filters are regularly cleaned and replaced, as clogged filters force the motor to work harder, and over heat.