Particle pick-up

A vacuum cleaning machine is all about airflow and particle capture/removal.  The first step in the process is to launch floor dirt (particles) into the airflow of the machine.  A solid floor like wood, tile, concrete, etc. is a great floor for capturing particulates and launching them dynamically into the machine’s airflow.  All that is necessary is sufficient airflow to overcome friction and the weight of the object.

Occasionally it will be necessary to give particles a nudge with a brush to overcome something called stiction.  Stiction is where a particle has some compound attached to it that is also attaching to the floor surface.  This slight attachment needs to be overcome for the particle to be launched into the airflow of the machine.  An attachment brush does just fine.

The solid floor type is great for launching floor particulates into the airflow.  Unless the particulates are physically bound to the floor surface (stuck to the floor) . There will be very little friction or other binding attribute holding the particles in place.  The airflow of the machine should be sufficient to launch them into the airflow and subsequently the waste container.

Removing floor particulates from a soft floor is considerably more difficult than from a solid floor.  A soft floor is typically covered by a carpet which has a pile and a backing.  Because of this there are many more surfaces involved and significantly more locations for particulates to be come lodged.

Carpets today use synthetic fibers which bend and curl right out of the extractor.  The bending and curling of the synthetic fibers cause sand and other particulates to become embedded and impeded in their removal when otherwise they would be launched into the airflow of a vacuum cleaning machine.

To overcome the impeding nature of synthetic fibers most machine manufacturers have implemented a rotating brush or bar that shakes the synthetic fibers causing the particulate material to become dislodged enough so as to be launched into the airflow of the machine.

The use of the beater bar is somewhat controversial.  The beater bar is a piece of stainless steel or of plastic that is attached lengthwise on a roller that spins as part of a power head attachment.  As the bar spins it creates a beating like motion in the carpet pile dislodging particulates.  The problem with a beater bar is that in order for it to work well it must come in fairly direct contact with the pile fibers.  This sort of contact generates a fair amount of friction which if prolonged can generate enough heat to melt the synthetic fibers in the carpet.

An alternative engineering solution is to use a brush in place pf the beater bar.  A brush rotates in the same manner as does the beater bar, but introduces much less friction in it’s operation.  The brush also agitates the carpet pile and causes the synthetic fibers to release particulates that are subsequently pulled away by the airflow.

The downside to a brush instead of a beater bar is that a brush tends to unravel the carpet pile fibers.  The results in the fibers becoming untwisted and less able to hold each other in an upright position.  As a result a carpet may start looking a bit worn and will mat down more easily.

The third approach is a hybrid of a beater bar and a brush.  This seems to be the best of all worlds.  The beater bar is in contact with the carpet pile half of the time and the brush is in contact the other half of the time.  With both harmful effects cut in half it seems carpets are able to cope with the cleaning heads.

Where would we be without accessories and their benefits.  It seems that there is always a need for accessories.  All accessories are hose attached devices and usually are bundled with an upright or pull-behind style machine.  When considering accessories the most used accessories are the crevice, the soft brush, and the 6 inch hand tool.  Other accessories are available from various manufacturers, and may have a slight twist on functions or appearance.

The crevice tool is surprisingly useful for window tracks and extending the reach into tight locations or hard to reach locations.  Look for a crevice tool with a softer polymer as the construction material.  All too often the crevice tool is used next to easily marred surfaces.  A hard polymer tool will inevitably damage the surfaced of delicate woods or other surfaces.  A crevice tool that bends or is otherwise pliable will  protect your delicate surfaces.  Try not to use the crevice tool as anything other than what it was designed for.

The soft brush is the second most used accessory.  The soft brush is often used in the capacity of a scrub brush which is precisely not what it was designed for.  The soft brush is a tool intended to delicately agitate surfaces to liberate dust and other contaminants without causing any physical damage.  Often the soft brush is introduced to complicated or ornate objects to remove dust or cobwebs.  Often overlooked is the fact that the airflow of an attached vacuum cleaning machine is drawing a significant volume of air and it will treat delicate small objects just the same as floor dirt and remove them from sight in an instant.  If there are small objects needing to be dusted get an appropriate sized machine and accessory tools.

The third most popular tool is the hand tool which looks like a small version of the carpet agitating head.  This accessory can range from 3 inches to 6 inches and it typically made from a hard polymer.  Often this tool is used for launching bulky surface contaminants into the airflow of a machine.  Some manufacturers add a electrical motor or air turbine motor to a small rotating brush to assist in loosening contaminants and launching them into the airflow.

All vacuum cleaning machines that support hoses and accessories should be considered dangerous and potentially fatal to infants and pets.

While the vast majority of hoses have vacuum relief holes bored into the side of the connecting ends, these holes are there to provide a moment of time to grab a hose away from an infant or pet.

When a toddler places their mouth on a hose with an active airflow, the machine can remove part or all of the lungs from the toddler or pet.

Pictured is the accessory end of a utility hose used on a Kirby vacuum cleaning machine. Notice the safety holes to reduce airflow in the event the hose end is blocked by an infant or pet.

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