The stick vacuum cleaner has caught many of us by surprise.

Many of us have been using the same upright vacuum cleaner for most of our adult life. We bought a vacuum in our twenties and many of us still use the same machine. Obviously, we replace the bag when it needs it. But we also replace the brushes, and the belts, and the hoses, and the wands. If it breaks down, we have it serviced. and it has been.

Today, many of us move into a home that has two stories and a central vacuum. The central vacuum has a twenty-foot hose with wands and attachments. It works fine, and whenever we commit to doing a whole house vacuum, dragging all the equipment our and moving Miele Bodenstaubsauger S 8340 PowerLine it from outlet to outlet doesn't seem too bad. But in-between for quick cleanups or to refresh a carpet in a guest room, it's too much. And lugging the old, heavy upright up and down the stairs isn't exactly a joy either.

After a few years of that, we finally decide to shop for a new solution.

At first we find the new lightweight upright vacuums, but they still have many of the problems of the upright -- a big tank, a power cord and an awkwardness when used on stairs. Then we discover the stick vacuum cleaner. At first, we may be drawn to the corded stick vacuums. They have many of the features we're looking for, very light weight, easily moved, and works easily on stairs. But they still have a cord, and that keeps them from being truly portable.

Then we discover the rechargeable cordless stick vacuums, This is like a dream come true. Now at last we have a truly portable system. The come with excellent features. For example, the Electrolux Ergorapido has a detachable handheld feature. It works on stairs, in the car, behind and under furniture, and in all sorts of nooks and crannies. Best of all, stick vacuums are cheap enough that you can afford to have one for each floor or at each end of the house. Many are priced well below one hundred dollars.

You'll probably still use the other vacuums. The central vacuum still works for heavy-duty cleaning and so does the old upright. You may want to assign one or the other to a particular floor to save moving it between floors. In between times, for quick pick ups, just grab your stick vacuum and let it do the job.

A stick vacuum isn't for every situation. If you have heavy-duty requirements like a large floor space, plush carpets, or pet hair, you'll probably need to use a heavy-duty vacuum system. But you won't beat a stick vacuum for convenience and portability when you don't want to commit to whole house cleaning.