A brief history of vacuum cleaners

The vacuum cleaner is a handy device that most of us could not imagine living without. Today, there are tons of models, styles, and sizes available on the market and this cleaner has become a staple in just about every home. But how exactly did the vacuum cleaner come about, and who can we thank for simplifying our daily cleaning routine?

The first person credited with inventing the vacuum cleaner is Daniel Hess, in 1860. Mr. Hess referred to his invention as a “carpet sweeper”, and the device had a rotating brush much like modern day vacuums. The cleaner also had a quite elaborate “bellows” system that generated suction in order to pick up dirt and debris.

In 1868, Ives W. McGaffey redesigned the vacuum a bit, and came up with the first manually powered cleaner. His machine, “The Whirlwind”, was a bit difficult to operate, as it had to be cranked by hand at the same time it was pushed across the floor. McGaffey marketed his cleaner with the help of The American Carpet Cleaning Company of Boston for a price of $25.

The vacuum cleaner continued to evolve, and in 1876 Melville Bissell of Grand Rapids Michigan created a new version of the device for his wife to assist with the removal of sawdust from carpeting. It was at this time that the Bissell Carpet Sweeper came to fruition. In 1889 Melville died unexpectedly, leaving his wife Anna to take control of the vacuum company. She became one of the most powerful businesswomen in the world, and with the help of John Thurman, put the first motor driven vacuum cleaner on the market in 1899.

In 1901, Hubert Cecil Booth produced and patented the first powered cleaner with vacuum technology. Booth got his inspiration for the device when he saw a demonstration of a product used in trains to blow dust off of chairs. He thought it would make more sense to have a device that sucked rather than blew and thus his invention was born. Booth went on to form the British Vacuum Cleaner Company and continued to modify his vacuum cleaner over the course of several decades.

From this point many other inventors joined in the cleaning revolution and continued to modify the design of the vacuum cleaner. Walter Griffiths improved upon the device to add attachments for various types of cleaning, as well as making the cleaner lighter weight and easy to move and store. James Murray Spangler sold his patent for a rotating brush to loosen and lift dirt and debris to W.H. Hoover in 1907. Over the course of the last one hundred years the vacuum continued to change in order to make cleaning even easier. Canisters replaced uprights, portable replaced bulky, and innovations such as “cyclone technology” removed the need for bags. In 1985, James Dyson introduced a unit that moved on a ball to make maneuvering almost effortless. Today his vacuums continue to be among the best on the market.

From lightweight and portable, to units without wheels, and even robotic vacuums that take care of the cleaning process themselves, the vacuum is truly a device that has seen a great deal of improvement and modification over the years. The next time you pull your vacuum out, take a minute and think about the journey of evolution the device has taken. No matter what type of cleaner you use in your home, it is almost impossible to imagine keeping a home clean without one.