apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i do not recommend the pronto. i bought it thinking it would do the trick for my tiny apartment. however, it broke after 6 months. after a huge headache i decided to buy a different vacuum (not a stick) instead of trying to get a refund. my friend had the same experience with the pronto.

Here is a link to a recent post on a different electrolux vac that has gotten really good reviews (go read the Amazon buyer reviews!). It was on the AT:LA site.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/cleaning/best-product-eureka-electrolux-ergorapido-2in1-sweeper-047188

I actually registered on AT just to share my new favorite cleaning tool! Swivel sweeper $34.95 Target. I have a 2 yr old and 3 cats so I need to be an everyday kitchen, bathroom, living room floor cleaner. It's great! I plan on giving it for showers and housewarmings in the future.

It has a battery pack that is rechargeable and you just empty after use. They give you a tool - kinda like a seam ripper to remove any hair that wraps around it.

Good luck!

I don't know how good it is, but the Karim Rashid Kruz looks hot...we have 3 Dirt Devil Kones and LOVE them.

I love my Pronto very much. It is so light, quick, and pretty that I actually choose to clean. :) Seven dogs at our house, all wood floors, but the Pronto is AWESOME on the carpeted stairs (Actually a runner).

I've had my Oreck stick vacuum for at least 10 years and it is still going strong and working beautifully. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I just want to warn everyone of Dirt Devil power stick vacuums. I have one and I hate it with a passion!

First of all, it's so loud that I have to wear earplugs when I vacuum. No kidding. (My poor cat, can't help her there.)

And the suction is so-so at best (power vacuum my arse...). Of course, it rarely is at its 'best' since the no-bag filter system is basically useless. One pretty much has to empty and clean the filter after EACH use (I live in a small studio) for the vaccum to do even a semi-decent job. And of course, emptying and cleaning that filter is a nasty chore which I just can't face doing each and every time I vacuum... So I end up cleaning it maybe every second or third use, which means I get one OK use out of it, and then a couple of sub-sub-sub par ones with seriously poor suction; if there are any little bits and pieces on the (wood) floor I basically have to pick up stuff and feed it into the vacuum. Should you really have to clean these filters after EACH use? If so,
how is the no-bag system an improvement in convenience??

As if this wasn't enough, they used some kind of hard plastic for the power cord, which has 'memory': when you roll it up for storage (which you're meant to do), the cord gets tight kinks and gets all twisted - which one then has to spend time straightening out next time one vacuums, or the power cord will get shorter and shorter...

I should add that this is not one of Dirt Devil's flimsiest models, it's quite substantial for a stick vacuum.

I've had a Pronto for about a year and a half. At first I was in love with it, but it's suction totally declined over time.

Then I cleaned it, and, once again, it sings. I didn't realize that rinsing both filters would make such a big difference. I also took out the brush and the wheels in the base and cleaned those too.

I still use it regularly but with two cats in a heat wave it is no match for our full-sized vacuum.

I know this is about Stick Vacs, but have you ever tried/considered a carpet sweeper for the wood and tile? Like these:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1280192

I had always wondered about those things. I'd seen them in use at hotels and restaurants for mini-messes. A few years back I saw the Swell line carpet sweeper on clearance for about $5.00 and I thought for five dollars, I'll check it out.

Single brush, dual pans, no bells or whistles, but it was pretty in white and pink and green. Yes, it does pick up stuff, surface stuff, on carpet. And does a pretty good job on solid surfaces. Including my balcony.

I brush out the brush to keep it peppy and non-tangled. I wash the whole contraption to keep it fresh and clean.

It has proved to be worth far more than it's $5.00 cost. Because it's silent, and I can use it at any time, day or night, and not have to worry about disturbing my neighbors.

It does not generate any heat, so it doesn't make the place hotter when it's hot out. And it doesn't use any power, other than my own body power (which you'd have to use anyway on a stick-vac or upright or canister).

No motors, no belts, no bags, no cords.

It's like combining a good broom sweeping without having to bend over frequently with a dust pan. Then you just flip open the pans over the garbage and all the stuff falls out. No filters.

If you've ever thought "It's too hot to vacuum" or "It's too late to vacuum", this might be a good product to consider as an ADDITION to a regular vacuum.

Or as an interim product between vacuums. I use mine a lot.

Is the carpet sweeper any good for carpet? Can anyone recommend a good stick for carpet?

History of the Carpet Sweeper:
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/carpetsweep.htm

"Melville designed and constructed a carpet sweeper machine that he hoped would solve the problem once and for all. His ingenious design was a success, and word of Melville Bissell's carpet sweeper spread quickly. ...

Following Melville untimely death in 1889, Anna Bissell stepped in and confidently took control of the company, becoming America's first female corporate CEO. Under Anna's aggressive and innovative management, The company soon began to look in new directions in product development and to expand their business to include all the continents of the world. Anna ran the company until her death in 1934, at age 87."

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Yes, the carpet sweeper is good for carpet, hence it's name. It's good for SURFACE stuff.

I added it in as an alternative to a stick vac.

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Basic tips:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/laundry-and-cleaning/vacuum-cleaners/reports/how-to-choose/index.htm?EXTKEY=SG72A00&CMP=KNC-CROAPPG&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=Vacuum_Cleaner_Reviews

Some stick vac reviews:
http://products.howstuffworks.com/stick vacuums/All/award-all

More here:
http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/best-stick-vacuum.php

It looks like the Bissell stick/hand vac with crevice tool is a good deal.
http://shop.consumersearch.com/bissell__3106-3_featherweight__upright_vacuum/linkin_id-8028054/sf-1/pid-20982735/NM-30/ND-30/VA-5/OP-w65/ND-30

Certainly is very versatile.
Read other people's reviews at Epinion:
http://www.epinions.com/Vacuums

I bought a Dirt Devil Vibe on Saturday; I haven't had it long enough to offer a solid recommendation, but so far I LOVE it, especially for the money! It's sort of a "light" vacuum, between a stick vac and a "real" vac, perfect for my little apartment. It was $50 at Target, weighs much less than a standard vac but seems to have plenty of power. Did a fabulous job for the first cleaning, anyway! I have been using a broom/dustpan and a Swiffer Sweeper, but I have two cats that I am severely allergic to, and that just wasn't cutting it. The new vacuum collected frightening amounts of hair, so I'm hoping it will help. The other major plus is that it includes attachments, which a lot of the smaller vacuums do not.

Kelly here. Thanks so much for all the advice, everyone! We went out and bought the Electrolux ErgoRapido (the one recommended by AT:LA in the second comment) this weekend. After 24 hours, we had to return it because the switch on the hand unit stopped working. The second one we got had a similar problem out of the box - the low function doesn't work at all, but the high does. We decided to keep it for a week and see what happens, and if it gives out on us, we'll return it and buy a different brand altogether. It seems Electrolux is not very good at making switches, since that is the part of our upright full-sized vacuum that gave out.

All in all, the Ergorapido is easy to use and did a good job of picking up all the pet hair and general dirt around our house on the hard wood floors and tile in the kitchen. It didn't do as great a job on the dust from patching/sanding/painting our walls, but that's what the upright is for anyways. It also didn't do a good job on our rug, but it was covered in cat hair and it took me a good 5 minutes with the full-size, so I don't hold that against it.

We have the Oreck electric broom and have been happy with it so far. Our dog sheds like crazy and it does a great job of picking up the dust bunnies. Plus, Oreck is one of the few (if only) vacuum companies that still make most of their stuff in the U.S. They also quickly responded to their workers in areas affected by Katrina, a company worth supporting.
http://www.oreck.com/small-home-appliances/cordless_electrik_broom.cfm