The Best Vacuum for Tile

How to Find the Best Vacuum for Tile

We’ve told you how to find the best mops for tile, and now we’re going to help you find the perfect vacuum cleaner. As tile has a unique composition compared to hardwood or bare surfaces like concrete, not any vacuum cleaner will do. If you want your tile floor to look just like it did when it was initially installed, you need to choose the right machine for the job.

Do you need a wet-dry vacuum?

The first thing you need to think about with tile flooring are wet mops. Do you have one already, or are you interested in a system that can both mop and vacuum?

Those are an option in this class, and a great way to keep your tile clean. Alternatively, if you already have a great mop, you may want to look for a stick vacuum considering a traditional upright isn’t necessary if you are only cleaning tile flooring. If you need a system to clean several types of rooms in your home, you may want to check out one of our other vacuum cleaner guides.

Robot vacuum cleaners are also an intriguing option for tile flooring. They have come a long way technologically since the early models, so you can now find affordable robot vacuums with Wi-Fi or camera-based navigation. The size of the areas you need to clean will have an impact on the style of vacuum you choose as well. That means you need to think about battery life if you plan on going cordless.

Battery Life 

You’re going to find a lot of cordless systems on our list, as we believe they are the best style for tile. That’s because tile is easier to vacuum than other surfaces, even if stains can be another story. A battery-powered vacuum may go dead in 10 minutes on carpet, but you don’t need quite as much power to clean tile.

Budget-friendly cordless vacuums usually have a runtime of around 20 minutes. That’s in “normal” mode as well, so any modes that boost the power will drain your battery quickly. Premium models can get up to 40 minutes per charge. Recharging times take hours, however, so you want to make sure you have enough power for your cleaning routine. Removable batteries are a wise choice as well.

The Brush Roll

Unless you plan on purchasing a suction-only vacuum, you should pay attention to the brush roll. Ideally, for tile, you’ll want to look for a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush roll. Usually made from microfiber, they can work magic on tile floors, laminate, or hardwood as long as there is enough suction.

A standard brush roll with bristles won’t damage a porcelain tile, but it can scatter debris and isn’t nearly as gentle on other types of surfaces. If you do need a vacuum with a bristled brush roll, look for a system with a switch that can turn it off when you encounter hard surfaces.

Do you have allergies?

Allergies affect millions of Americans each year, and keeping your home clean is part of the yearlong battle against pollen, dust mites, and other particles that irritate your sinuses. A vacuum cleaner is one of the first lines of defense against allergies. A poorly designed machine can also put half of what you vacuumed back into the air.

Filtration is common on most vacuum cleaners aside from some vacuums with a mopping feature. Multi-stage filtration is a popular option on premium vacuums, but you can also find mid-range cleaners with pre-motor and exhaust filters. HEPA filters are another form of filtration you’ll encounter frequently, and an excellent choice for homeowners with allergies or pets.

Ease of Use 

Vacuum cleaners are designed to be simple. You generally just need to plug them up, hit a switch, and begin cleaning. When the system is full, you’ll have to empty the bin or dump a bag, which is where the problems start for many consumers. Things are even more complicated if it’s a dual-purpose vacuum with a water reservoir.

The bin or dust cup should be easy to dump, and even if it’s large, look for a “full” line. Controls located near the handle are another feature to keep an eye out for. If the vacuum has filtration, make sure those filters are easy to access. The same goes for the brush roll, whether it’s soft or filled with nylon bristles. Eventually, it will need to be cleaned, and while some pop out, others require several tools and some patience. 

What about Grout?

Nothing can make tiles pop like having a nice clean grout line. Bright white grout can turn a row of ordinary grey subway tiles into something special, but dirty grout will be an unattractive eyesore to everyone that enters the room.

Unfortunately, grout isn’t something a normal vacuum cleaner can handle. That means you’ll need to manually clean those grooves or turn towards a mopping system. Some of the wet-dry vacuums on our list can get into the grooves, but most lack the power to deep clean grout in tile flooring.

Durability

A good vacuum cleaner should be lightweight, which means most are made from plastic with some aluminum mixed in. Motors and other parts are metal as well, but the exterior of a vacuum takes the most damage. It’s impossible to judge how durable a vacuum cleaner is unless it has a wealth of poor reviews in that area, but you can take a hard look at the warranty.

The average warranty for most vacuum cleaners is 2 to 5 years. If you have a 10-year old upright in your closet now, that’s because many systems will outlive their guarantee – it just depends on how often you use them. If you plan on vacuuming every day, you’ll want to pay up for a high-end system with a warranty on the motor and the vacuum itself.

For normal usage, a machine will still outlast its warranty when proper maintenance practices are put into place. Extended warranty plans are always an option as well, but you need to read the fine print with any system in order to know exactly what’s covered. A 5-year guarantee may seem like a great deal, but not if it only covers a few parts and excludes shipping.