Vacuums are extremely important when it comes to keeping everything in our lives nice and clean. Without these reliable tools, we would likely have dirt and dust all over our homes, our clothes, our cars, and our furniture. Since both regular and car vacuums seem to be something that we take for granted on a daily basis, we decided to explore the history a bit more and share the results with you. Come to Crazy Clean Car Wash in Odessa for free car vacuum use!
Manual Vacuums
The first vacuums were not electric, and credit for the invention of a “carpet sweeper” is given to a man named Daniel Hess of West Union, Iowa. In 1860, he created a sweeper that used a rotating brush and a bellows to create suction. Nine years later, Ives W. McGaffey created a device that worked similarly but used a belt-driven fan that was cranked by hand. This meant that it was difficult to operate, but it was quite successful when it hit the market.
Powered Vacuum Cleaners
At the end of the 19th century, we began to see powered vacuum cleaners. Many early types instead use blowing air instead of sucking to clean! One of these “blowing” cleaners was even brought from door to door on a horse-drawn wagon cleaning service. However, 1901 saw the rise of vacuum cleaners that used suction instead of blowing. Hubert Cecil Booth is often given the credit of coining the term “vacuum cleaner.” He created a horse-drawn combustion engine he called “Puffing Billy” that used suction with air pumped through a cloth filter in order to clean.
Domestic Vacuum Cleaners
The first vacuum cleaner that was available to homes and marketed to the public was created by Walter Griffiths in 1905. This cleaner was portable, easy to store, and whoever used it just had to compress a bellows-like tool that would suck up dust into a pipe. James B. Kirby developed a similar vacuum and used water in order to separate the dirt. After a few revisions, this became the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner.
1907 was the year the people first saw the electric vacuum cleaner. This new design from a man named James Murray Spangler utilized a rotating brush to help lift debris. He couldn’t produce the design, however, due to a lack of funds. So, he sold his patent to William Henry Hoover. Yes, this was the beginning of Hoover vacuums!
Today
These days, vacuums are quite easy to come by! Vacuums today are all powered by a difference in air pressure, which creates the suction. However, as you might know, not every vacuum cleans as well as we would hope. That’s why we offer the best in car vacuums at each of our Crazy Clean Car Wash locations! And, they are free for our customers! If you want to experience a whole new level of clean (crazy clean!), then come down to one of our three convenient Odessa spots. We look forward to seeing you, and your ready to be cleaned car, soon!
