A century of doing America’s dirty work

One hundred years ago in Canton, Ohio, James M. Spangler, an asthmatic department-store janitor, attached a broom handle, a sateen pillowcase, and an old fan motor to an empty soapbox, creating what would eventually become a must-have appliance for every U.S. household. Twenty-six million vacuum cleaners were sold in the United States in 2006, generating sales of $4.4 billion.

Motivated by a desire to lessen the cough-inducing dust kicked up by the manual carpet sweeper he used on the job, Spangler continued to tweak his invention. He received a patent for it in 1908 and started the Electric Suction Sweeper Company based in New Berlin, Ohio (now North Canton). A diagram from the patent application is shown here.

Although Spangler’s clever cleaner is crude by today’s standards, back then it impressed his cousin’s husband, William Hoover. A saddle maker and leather merchant, Hoover bought into Spangler’s company, eventually becoming president and changing the name to the familiar Hoover Company in 1922.

Unfortunately, most people weren’t as impressed as Hoover. He improved upon Spangler’s original design, but initial sales were sluggish. Enter the door-to-door salesman. Home demonstrations and 10-day free trials kick-started business.

Vacuum cleaners reached critical mass after World War II, when families moved to wall-to-wall carpeted homes in the suburbs and started raising mess-making baby boomers. As the industry evolved, vacuums became lighter, traded cloth bags for disposable, and came with accessories.

The next major change in vacuum technology came in the 1980s, when British inventor James Dyson developed a bagless model. Frustrated by conventional vacuums that lost suction as the bag filled up, Dyson created a machine that used centrifugal force to fling dirt out of the airflow’s path.

The handy vacuum has long been one of the most popular products we review. (The photo here shows a suction test from 1954.) Today, vacuum cleaners come in many shapes, sizes, and types: upright and canister (Ratings are available to subscribers), handheld, wet/dry, stick sweepers, central systems, and robotic.

In keeping with Spangler’s original inspiration, vacuum makers are now pushing asthma and allergen relief along with the usual cleaning as their claims move beyond carpets and floors. It’s worth noting that our recent tests show that those promises sometimes mean less than they suggest.—Helen A.S. Popkin

Essential information: Want to find out more about the latest innovations modern vacuum cleaners offer? Read our free buying advice and watch our video shopping guide.