Though vacuuming floors, carpets, and furniture isn't exactly fun for most people, one home appliance can help you complete this chore with a minimum of dust, noise, and hassle--a built-in central vacuum system. With a built-in central vacuum, you do not have to lug a heavy vacuum cleaner from room to room or up and down stairs.

Instead, you just tote around a cleaning attachment on the end of a long, lightweight hose. To vacuum, you plug the hose into any of a several wall-or floor-mounted receptacles. Dust and debris travels through the hose into the receptacles and is then delivered to a remote cannister by a system of hidden plastic pipes. The vacuum cannister is typically located in the basement or garage.

In addition to being handy, central vacuums reduce allergy symptoms and do an excellent job of vacuuming. Because the vacuum cannister can be larger than a conventional household vacuum, it can do a more powerful job of collecting dust, pollen, dander, and other airborne pollutants without recirculating those allergens into your living spaces the way conventional a portable vacuum cleaner does. And even though they are larger and more powerful than conventional vacuums, they are quiet because the motor noise is out of earshot.

For more about central vacuum systems, check out the article links below.