Dirt Devil Quick Power Stick Vac: What's Not to Love?

Cordless and bagless, the Dirt Devil Quick Power Stick Vac is the household appliance without which I wouldn't want to do. I was shopping for a vacuum cleaner when I found his little red beauty at Wal-Mart. I almost bought a traditional vacuum but the bags were not available; obviously fate had led me to my stick vac. It stores easily due to its fold down handle and at five pounds, it is easy to use for those who for whatever reason are not able to lift or push heavy objects. The stick vac has a brush roll for cleaning carpets or the brush can be deactivated with the flip of a switch for bare floors. It is rechargeable and holds its charge for several days.

Because the compartment that holds the dirt is transparent you can see when it is time to pull it off and dump the dirt in the trash. The receptacle has a fill line and when the debris reaches the fill line, the compartment clicks off at the push of a button then clicks back on for more vacuuming just as easily. You can also tell when the debris has reached its maximum level because it stops spinning. The body of the vacuum also swivels relative to the handle for getting into hard-to-reach places and the head of the vacuum is low-profile for getting under beds.

When working in a hotel where I had to clean the lobby and the continental breakfast room as part of my desk clerk duties, I would fold up the tiny, light stick vac, stow it in the trunk of my car and take it to work with me. It provided a pleasant, dare I say, fun alternative to sweeping with a broom and dustpan. It picked up large crumbs from the floor of the breakfast room as easily as it picked up lint balls and dirt from the floor of the lobby.

At home, I do not have a driveway so large amounts of grass and leaves are tracked in despite the mat outside the door; the stick vac sucks them all up easily. Because I have a three year old boy, I take the stick along on long car trips to pick up the dirt and crumbs from the car's carpet. I can't believe I used to have to put quarter after quarter into a machine at the car wash, and then drag the unwieldy hose through the car in order to have a clean carpet. Or worse, at home when I didn't feel like paying to vacuum, I would plug my grandmother's 1950-something tank vacuum into an extension cord and lug it out into my yard. If I could I would take my friend the stick vac everywhere with me to clean the floor that I know at some point my child is going to get down and roll around in.

I have two minor problems with the stick vac. First of all, it does not take very long for the dirt receptacle to fill to capacity. I can't clean my entire house without emptying it at least once. Secondly, the last thing it picks up before I turn it off falls out when I turn it off unless I let it run over some clean floor to let it finish sucking up after all the dirt has been eliminated. But these are very small issues. The vacuum cleaner is to me the greatest modern invention. Can you imagine having to drag your rugs outside and beat them? At a cost of only $29.99, I would give this as a gift. In fact, after reflecting upon it while writing this article, I may go out and buy another one for myself in case something happens to the first one.