Firstly, What Is The Vacuum Cleaner?
To go through the Vacuum Cleaner’s history, let’s first establish what a vacuum cleaner is and how it works.
The vacuum cleaner is a piece of household or commercial/industrial equipment designed to suck up dust, dirt and other debris, clearing floors of this debris in the process. When the vacuum cleaner sucks up debris, it is collected in a dust bag or cyclone and discarded in a bin once the vacuuming process has finished.
Vacuum cleaners come in various shapes and sizes, from smaller handheld variants to big industrial cleaners that can hold hundreds of litres of debris.
Vacuum cleaners have evolved massively over recent years, becoming more advanced and powerful while becoming ever more user-friendly. This post will look at the history of vacuum cleaners, when they were invented, and how they’ve evolved.
The Invention of the Vacuum Cleaner
As you can imagine, the vacuum cleaner is not a modern tool, with its invention coming in the 19th century. The vacuum cleaner has developed for over 100 years to become today’s machine. It was initially designed as an electric broom-like device that would blow air out, disturbing dust on the ground with the hope of collecting it in a dust bag as it settled.
Before the invention of vacuum cleaners, brooms and dustpans were the only practical way to clear small debris from the floor. This was standard practice, but factories increased rapidly as the Industrial Revolution began to roar in the 1800s.
These factories produced huge amounts of pollution across the nation, with dirt, soot and dust being emitted everywhere. This level of pollution caused many people to get sick, and this was the first time that people started to prioritise hygiene in the country. With this being the case, inventors set to work finding ways to clean up heavy pollution levels and do so in an automated process.
There were many attempts to create a machine that could automatically clean areas. All were seen as steps in the right direction but not quite practical or easy enough to use. However, this all changed with the invention of the first motor-powered cleaner in 1898 by Mr John Thurman.
John Thurman’s cleaner did not use suction power, instead of blowing compressed air out and disturbing debris on the ground. The first suction vacuum cleaner would be created in 1908 by Mr James Spangler. James created the first portable vacuum cleaner, making people’s lives worldwide, both domestically and in industry, a bit easier in the process.
As fears of germs grew, it had become ever-more important to develop a device that could quickly clean an area and maintain the cleanliness of homes and factories alike. This is exactly what the vacuum cleaner did.
Many people can be credited for creating their variations of the vacuum cleaner around this time, with Henry Booth and Daniel Hess also being among the inventors that led to the invention and eventual evolution of the vacuum cleaner.
The Vacuum Cleaners Evolution
The evolution of the vacuum cleaner was now in full swing, and the goal was to make it as light, portable and easy to use as possible. In 1926, the next major development in the story of the vacuum was made. After buying the patent for a suction cleaner from James Spangler, William Hoover created the first bag-on-a-stick vacuum cleaner. This meant the vacuum could now be mass-produced and brought into people’s homes.
By the 1930s, plastic vacuum cleaners were on shelves worldwide and ready for people to take home, rapidly making them a mainstay in almost every home in the country. This was a breakthrough for the vacuum cleaner and established it as the single best and most convenient method of cleaning the floors of your home.
Across the 20th century, vacuum cleaners have evolved gradually, becoming smaller, more widely available and more practical. Vacuum cleaners have become a standard piece of equipment in most houses worldwide, becoming almost as important as washing machines or ovens. The race to tackle the germ crisis of the 1800s has led to a durable and reliable tool that continues to evolve today.
The Modern-Day Vacuum Cleaner
The modern-day vacuum cleaner is the most agile, portable and practical variation of the vacuum cleaner we have ever had.
Thanks to the pioneers mentioned in the creation and development of the vacuum cleaner, we now can continue evolving this excellent piece of equipment. Nowadays, we have many different types of vacuum cleaners, with some new designs still being created today, such as:
- Domestic wireless Vacuum Cleaner
- Heavy-Duty Industrial Vacuum Cleaner
- Automated Domestic Vacuum Cleaner
Domestic vacuum cleaners are now entering their automated phase, which begs how long it will take for this automated feature to be brought across to industrial cleaners. The wave of AI taking over the world will eventually find its way into industrial cleaners. It is more a case of when than if this will happen.
Now you know about them, need one?
You’ve learned the fantastic history of vacuum cleaners and the difference between domestic and industrial environments across the last almost 150 years. If you’re looking for a state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner that can handle heavy-duty environments, look no further than Industar for all your vacuum needs.
Whether you’re looking for the right vacuum for an office environment or whether you need something tough enough to handle a construction site, we have the right equipment for your needs. To enquire about our fantastic range, get in touch today! We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have and help you find the perfect equipment for you.