Evolution of the Perfect Vacuum Cleaner

About five years ago, Tornado introduced a new vacuum cleaner—a machine that was developed over a two-year period and cost more than a million dollars in research and development. Much of the research focused on meetings and discussions with hotel housekeepers because they use vacuum cleaners eight to ten hours per day in tight and demanding situations.

Housekeepers are constantly lifting and carrying vacuum cleaners, vacuuming under beds and tables, and working around furniture and fixtures. This can be stressful and physically demanding and is complicated by the fact that most housekeepers are given a relatively short time to clean each guest room.

Some of the items these cleaning professionals said they would like to see in a vacuum cleaner included:

• A machine that is light and easy to carry but sturdy and effortless to maneuver, most likely made of robust plastic

• A machine with a low profile so that it can easily vacuum under hotel beds, cabinets, and furniture

• Some type of clutch system that disengages the roller brush if an object becomes trapped in the vacuum cleaner

• An ergonomically designed, molded handle that is lightweight and comfortably conforms to the user’s hand

• Attachment hoses that are specially designed to withstand bending with “strain reliefs” to protect the hoses from tearing

• Vacuum bags that slide into place—instead of being pushed—and automatically seal as they are removed to prevent dust and dirt from escaping

• Tools that are securely captured within the body of the machine and not protruding from it

• Ease of assembly requiring no tools

• Advanced air-filtration system to better capture dust and dirt, improving indoor air quality and protecting the health of the user

• Shock- and sound-absorbing wheels to reduce vibration and noise levels

• Injected molded bumpers to better protect a customer’s furniture from accidental damage

• A power switch that will never break and an “on” light in the front of the machine that is easy to see

And hotel owners and managers wanted a machine that is cost competitive—easy to own and inexpensive to maintain.

Meeting Their Needs: The CV30

By listening to these cleaning professionals and attempting to meet their needs, we believe we have made significant inroads in building the perfect vacuum cleaner, the CV30. Today the CV30 has been awarded the Carpet and Rug Institute’s CRI Green Label for superior performance, air filtration, and the ability to keep a carpet looking its best.

And with our CV30, we took air filtration to an even higher level by developing what we call a true-HEPA vacuum cleaner. Our research into air filtration on vacuum cleaners found that it is critical that a vacuum cleaner be completely sealed—meaning that all airflow passes through and is cleaned by the HEPA filter with impurities deposited into the machine’s high-filtration paper bags and not released into the atmosphere.

We at Tornado plan to keep listening to our distributors and end users, especially now as we develop more of our own products in house. We have found that is the best way to design and refine all of our machines, including our vacuum cleaners. As they tell us their likes and dislikes and how we can make their job easier, healthier, safer, and more efficient, we will develop our machines accordingly to meet their needs.