In June of 2008 Rubbermaid launched its well engineered and well tested lineup of commercial vacuums. Their vacuum cleaner line ranges in price from two hundred dollars up to eight hundred dollars. The full vacuum line encompasses a full genre of vacuums each well suited to a particular task. The Rubbermaid UL12 is the smallest and lightest of the lineup making it comparable to the Oreck XL at almost half the price tag. The UL12 vacuum cleaner consists of a compact base and large front cloth bag system that has ample room for large amounts of debris. The vacuum stands quite tall for a compact vacuum with an extra wide cleaning path and side bristles for convenient edge cleaning for carpeted and bare floors.

The debris recovery area is designed simply yet very effective in its compact nature. The handle on this vacuum cleaner doubles as the pickup hose connecting the base unit to the bag assembly. Clogging could occur where the vacuum handle connects to the bag if larger debris is sucked into the unit. The bag on the vacuum is large for a compact model with almost three times the capacity of the average commercial vacuum cleaner. The bag is friction fitted to the recovery nozzle and is very easy the change taking only one minute for total bag replacement. The soft cover unzips quickly and is made from quality materials with a plastic backing plate adding to the sturdiness of the bag. Weighing in at only ten pounds this vacuum is highly recommended for the elderly or buildings that are multi level. The vacuum cleaner can easily be carried from level to level with ease and stores into tight spaces quickly and easily. The cord on the unit is forty feet long, five feet longer than most commercial vacuums giving a little extra reach when needed. The cord is easy to wrap up and unravel and can be wound neatly from a hook on the upper handle to a large hook midway down the rear shaft. The switch is located on the handle and easy to operate with one finger, making the vacuum easy to switch on and off

The base of the unit is very simple in both design and features. The suction hose connection can be easily unhooked from the base if debris clogs the main recovery tube. The vacuum cleaner rides on the main brush giving deep penetration of carpet fibers and no need for height adjustment. The brush roller is made from quality materials that will hold up to deep pile caret but also be gentle on hard flooring. The rear wheels are smaller than most commercial vacuum cleaners making the vacuum cleaner slide around corners but the rubber coating does give excellent traction on hard floors. The wheels are securely fastened to the rear axle with very little play evident. A unique feature to this vacuum are whisker like side bristles that create extra suction close to the baseboard removing debris other vacuum cleaners will not.

Overall the Rubbermaid UL12 is a great light duty commercial vacuum cleaner. The motor has ample suction for light to medium vacuuming tasks but lacks a handy onboard tool kit or wand. The vacuum is very colorful sporting a yellow and black motif making it very unique in looks. At one hundred dollars less than Oreck’s flagship vacuum the UL12 will give the XL a run for its money. The vacuum cleaner tears down quickly into three pieces and can fit in a small box for extended storage or easy transportation. This vacuum is recommended for residential use and light duty commercial cleaning where weight and portability is a factor.

The term upright vacuum cleaners came into existence when the Hoover Company attached the bag where the debris from the carpet was deposited onto the handle of the vacuum cleaner in the late 1940s and put the motor on wheels. Prior to this innovation the sucking handle and delivery tube of most vacuum cleaners was a separate part leading into some sort of device, or canister, that held the carpet debris and the motor.

When it was first introduced, it was marketed on TV to housewives all across America as the greatest labor-saving device in history; sales soared. No longer would housewives have to lug heavy machinery around the house to clean their carpets. No longer would their vacuum cleaners require extensive storage space in the house. And while they are extremely efficient machines that clean large areas in record time, they are also easy to operate for that spilled ashtray or other debris that needs to be picked up quickly. Upright vacuum cleaners have become the best selling machines on the market.

However, there are some drawbacks to the upright versions. They are extremely difficult to use on stairs and, since they house the entire mechanical workings of the machine, they are often heavier. Even when made with todays lightweight, heavy-duty plastics and space age metals, the overall weight of the upright vacuum cleaner exceeds that of its canister counterpart. They are also more difficult to use underneath furniture and in smaller spots around the house.

Some users say they have less suction than the canister vacuums but the manufacturers disagree with that assertion. It has been noted that when comparing the attachments for both types of vacuums, the upright attachments are smaller. Finally, the uprights usually require the owner to wrap the power cord around two latches on the side of the machine, unlike the canister vacuums which have always had retractable power cords.

The evolution of the modern vacuum cleaner has resulted in models of every variety; all of which promise to clean more thoroughly and rid your house of dust and dirt more efficiently. In the process of this development vacuum manufacturers are producing a new line of vacuums that are bag free – eliminating the need for changing vacuum cleaner bags. But the benefits of these bag-free vacuum cleaners are still unclear.

Those vacuum models that tout the advantages of being free of vacuum cleaner bags leave out a couple of rarely known facts. While changing vacuum cleaner bags can be time consuming – and sometimes tricky – bagless vacuums have some lesser known disadvantages. Vacuum cleaner bags hold far more volume than a canister in a bagless vacuum. Therefore, a bagless vacuum cleaner must be emptied more frequently than would vacuum cleaner bags. Further, vacuum cleaner bags offer a barrier against dirt and dust so that you are not subjected to allergens during emptying of the vacuum cleaner.

When searching for a system that utilizes vacuum cleaner bags, look for a unit that meets your specific needs. If you are interested in cleaning more than just carpets – such as floors, curtains, baseboards, ceilings, and more – then look for a system that includes the appropriate attachments and functionality.

Further, if you have people living in the home who suffer from respiratory ailments, asthma, and ongoing allergies, then look for a vacuum cleaner that offers a HEPA filter as standard equipment. A HEPA filter will trap and contain dust, debris, and other allergens through the cleaning process and prevent them from being redistributed into the air. Vacuum cleaner bags can help on this front as well, as they offer further protection from contact with allergens during required vacuum maintenance.

Vacuum cleaner bags must be on hand at all times for vacuum cleaners that require bag changing. And while this is an added step in maintaining a clean home – and the bags can sometimes be pricey – vacuum cleaner bags can be well worth the investment for keeping the materials and air in your home clean and allergen-free.

There are numerous places to find parts for a broken vacuum cleaner if you have someone in the house thats handy enough with tools to take a crack at fixing it. The part that breaks on most of the less expensive vacuum cleaners is the drive belt. Its a rubberized belt about six inches long when stretched that turns the brushes on the bottom of the unit. When you vacuum over objects that dont belong in a vacuum cleaner like pieces of rope or the cats tail and the unit jams to a stop, the burning smell coming from your vacuum cleaner will be the melting drive belt.

Fortunately, this piece of equipment is available in numerous locations, so many in fact that most likely your local drug store will carry them. Theyre cheap and easily replaced with a screwdriver and just a little bit of skill. For other vacuum cleaner problems, I suggest you go to a repair specialist, but for those of you ambitious enough to tackle broken things on your own theres a lot of sources for parts near you, in the mail and on the internet.

Always remember when youre buying parts for your vacuum cleaner that most of the parts you need to buy have to have been specifically made for your brand name and model. Except for the most basic of items like those pesky drive belts and most disposable bags, parts are not interchangeable between brands and also between different models in the same brand.

The first thing you should try is your local Yellow Pages. Inside youll find listings for appliance parts suppliers. Youll have to call them individually to see if they carry parts for your brand and model of machine, but if not, they can probably order them for you quickly and easily. The second thing to try is calling the company that manufactured your vacuum cleaner.

If you live in the right spot they may actually have a parts warehouse with a retail section near your house. If thats true, they will tell you which part you need and also give you a few tips on making the repair yourself. Failing that, theyll provide you with local repair specialists nearby who can do the job for you. Finally for the Internet savvy, going online can overwhelm you with the choices and possibilities for vacuum cleaner parts.

You must search by brand name and then narrow your search to the particular model that you own and then you can order any part from their catalogue. You can do this direct from the manufacturer or you can deal through catalogue houses that specialize in stocking popular vacuum cleaner parts on a wide variety of brands and models.