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Some people believe that the first machine designed to clean floors was made in England. However, it is difficult to find evidence of this machine.
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In 1869, Ives McGaffey from Chicago, U.S.A. invented a sweeping machine. This did not have a motor. It swept up dirt but was difficult to use. The operator had to turn a handle while pushing it across the floor to make it work. This machine was called the Whirlwind. It was made from canvas and wood.
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In 1899, John Thurman from St Louis, U.S.A. began a door-to-door cleaning system. He invented a petrol powered vacuum cleaner. His machine blew dust into a container. He used horses to move his machine from house to house.
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After Thurman’s system, Hubert Booth from England invented the first machine that sucked dirt in 1901. His machine was also very large and needed horses to move it from house to house. It was powered by petrol. Long hoses were put through the windows of a house and the dirt was sucked through the hoses into the machine outside.
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Following Thurman’s and Booth’s big machines, James Spangler from Ohio, U.S.A. invented the first vacuum cleaner that one person could hold and use easily. It was made from a wooden box, an old fan motor and a pillow case to catch the dust. He invented this in 1907. He invented it because the big machine he was using was making him cough too much.
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Then, Spangler sold his vacuum cleaner ideas to William Hoover. Spangler had many good ideas for vacuum cleaners but didn’t have money to make them. Hoover had money so he could make them. Hoover became very rich from selling these vacuum cleaners.
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In 1920, the Air-way Sanitizor Company made the first throw away filter bag.
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The first stand up vacuum cleaner was made in 1926 by William Hoover’s company.
