Although they can be heavy and bulky to use, bagged vacuum cleaners have been around for a long time and nowadays offer many features and innovations.

People who suffer from allergies, often prefer a bagged vacuum cleaner as most offer a high-efficiency particulate air filter, or a HEPA filter, and once the bag is full, it’s removed and put in the trash without the person having to touch its dusty contents. However if the house is large and there are a few cats and dogs, frequent bag replacement may become a costly exercise and quite wasteful.

Bagless vacuum cleaners tend to be lighter and easier to use which makes the chore less of a hassle. Although the upfront cost (in the case of cordless models) is often more than a bagged model, and emptying the machine may cause some dust to escape, the performance is similar if not superior in some models. You’ll also save time and money because you won’t need to buy replacement bags.

No, is the response from most experts as water is the enemy of wooden floors and steam mops in particular can force water between boards and could cause swelling, stains and warping.

Although some floor steamer models claim to be safe on wooden floors, it is not recommended and such claims should be treated with caution according to flooring specialists, and is best to be used on tile and grout.

Floor steamers do a great job of cleaning and sanitising ceramic tile and vinyl floors, but should not be used on wood, even wooden floors sealed with polyurethane. The dirtiest parts tend to be high traffic areas where there is the greatest likelihood of scratches from wear and tear. These 'damaged or scuffed' areas could allow the water in from your floor steamer.

The robot vacuum is a brilliant innovation that offers a hassle-free way to do quick surface cleaning on a daily basis. Whilst robotic vacuums don't offer the deep clean of a stick vacuum, the daily cleans may reduce the frequency of deeper cleans. These vacuums are best in rooms with bare floors, minimal clutter and low-pile rugs. They are also perfect for cleaning those dust bunnies under furniture that’s usually hard to access with upright vacuum cleaners.

Cordless vacuums on the other hand, are no longer the small handheld machines that offer very little suction and running time. Nowadays, leading vacuum brands like Miele, LG, Samsung and Beko offer a powerful clean and come with innovations that sanitize such as HEPA filters and specialised cleaning for pet owners. With a max charge of around 60 minutes, the cordless vacuum cleaner is light and easy to use.

It depends on the needs of your home and the pile of your carpets. A robotic vacuum is usually better on hard floors. For deeper cleans of fine dust, particles and pet hair from carpeted areas, barrel vacuums are a good choice as well as some of the better stick vacuum cleaner models. While a barrel vacuum are known for their good suction power, many stick vacuums are now comparable.