FLOOR COVERING LARGEST INTERIOR INVESTMENT
CHOOSE BEST MACHINE FOR MAXIMUM CARE

March 15, 2005

Floors deserve major attention -- floor covering is typically the single largest interior home purchase. Keeping floors and other surfaces clean helps create a healthier home while protecting your investment. Cleaner floor coverings look better and last longer.

Selecting the proper vacuum cleaner to remove dirt, dust and allergens from floor surfaces should be an informed decision. After all, the machine you select not only helps protect your floor covering investment, when used and selected properly, it can also help you have a healthier home.

Remember, not all vacuum cleaners are created equally. There are many factors to consider. Vacuum cleaner effectiveness is more than a function of suction. The big three factors in a vacuum are 1) agitation, the power to lift dirt, dust and allergens into the vacuum cleaner 2) suction, the power to remove particles and 3) filtration, to capture and filter out even the finest particles while keeping them inside the vacuum until you decide to empty it.

To choose the right vacuum, you may also want to take a reality check: How much time, strength and effort do you want to spend on cleaning?

Thanks to advanced technology, Oreck Corporation developed cleaning technology that does more of the work for you. At only eight pounds, the new Oreck® XL21® Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner can be pushed with one finger yet delivers all and more of the cleaning power than those hulking tanks. When caring for precious floor surfaces, why put unnecessary stress on them from heavy cleaning machines?

For a vacuum that lives up to the highest cleaning and healthier home standards, here is a checklist to consider:

1. Bagged or bagless?
Bagless may seem convenient but bagless can mean less effective. Dirt and dust can spew back into the home and onto the hands and face and into eyes when dirt containers are emptied. Some vacuum bags leak dust when taken out of the machine. In contrast, the advanced self-sealing vacuum bag in the new Oreck XL21 Upright Vacuum Cleaner locks in dust, dirt and allergens. The vacuum bag is a filtering device integral to the vacuum's total HEPA filtration system.

The Oreck XL vacuum cleaner works with seven layers of filtration, including a three-layer inner bag inside a four-layer hypo-allergenic outer bag.

2. Cleaning power:
The dirt path, fan and airflow in a vacuum can affect the vacuum's cleaning effectiveness. To ensure the most powerful suction each time, the Oreck XL vacuum uses air power efficiently. The suction fan is only three inches from the floor. The vacuum uses a direct dirt path: Dirt and dust are sucked up through the handle, then fall into the bag. In other vacuums, dirt goes up into the bottom of the vacuum bag, so the motor uses power pushing up dirt already in the bag. Other vacuums have to suck dirt and dust through four feet of hose before the air reaches the floor.

3. Ease:
The easier a vacuum is to use, the more likely you'll use it. Most full-size upright vacuums weigh in at 26-28 lb. Pushing and lugging a heavy vacuum is labor intensive. Save the workouts for the health club. To speed up cleaning with less stress and sweat, Oreck developed lightweight, powerful 8-lb. vacuums. The lighter weight is possible due to high quality, durable plastics, a compact, highly efficient motor and by putting vacuum tools on a separate canister that comes with the upright. Look for other features to take it easy, like Oreck's patented, no-stress ergonomic Helping Hand® handle on the Oreck XL21 upright.

4. Kids and Pets:
With kids, any room can become the mud room. If you have children, think of kids playing on the floor and the vital need for clean carpets and bare floors. A child's developing system is most vulnerable to indoor contaminants, according to health experts.

If you live with cats or dogs, pet hair and dander can roam almost anywhere. Pet paws and human shoes can track in dirt and potentially harmful particles from the street, from lead to pesticides. You need faithful cleaning companions -- a high quality vacuum cleaner and high quality vacuum tools.

5. Tools rule:
Dirt and dust accumulate on floors and any horizontal surface. Look for a vacuum with a good set of tools that capture dirt in high and low spots and tricky corners.

Own a multi-level home? Multi-tasking tools increase your reach and cleaning results. Why lug tools around on an upright vacuum when you're not using them? The Oreck XL21 Upright Vacuum comes with a separate 5-lb. canister vacuum with tools. To get at hard-to-reach, stairs, blinds, lighting and more, carry the lightweight canister or sling it over your shoulder with its shoulder strap.

6.CRI seal of approval:
Check for the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) seal of approval that certifies a vacuum cleaner meets high standards for cleaning effectiveness. To earn the CRI seal, a vacuum must pass strict testing by the independent CRI, including tests for embedded soil removal, dust emissions and carpet retention. For dust containment, for example, the CRI test measures dust emissions from vacuums using a test chamber. Oreck XL vacuum cleaners were the first residential vacuum cleaners to earn the CRI seal.

8. Durability:
1,000 hours or more cleaning -- a top quality vacuum should work reliably and effectively for 21 years of cleaning, or more than 1,000 hours of cleaning, based on an average 50-60 hours of vacuuming a year.

8. Tune-ups:
Cars, furnaces and air conditioners get an annual tune-up so why not a tune-up for a machine that works hard to keep up a clean, healthier home? A tune-up can make sure the vacuum performs at maximum effectiveness. Check to see if a vacuum comes with an annual free tune-up.

The Oreck XL21 Vacuum Cleaner comes with a 21-year warranty and 21 free annual tune-ups as an extra measure of assurance for maximum performance. Owners simply drop their Oreck vacuum off at any one of 450 Clean Home Centers across the country for fast, expert service. While the machine is tuned up, Oreck owners are given a loaner until theirs is ready.

Finally, what about taking a vacuum for a spin on your carpets before you decide? Oreck lets people "test drive" a vacuum for a month so they can do the ultimate test -- how well it cleans in their homes.

The newest Oreck Clean Home Center opens March 15 in New York City, at 2003 Broadway, at 68th St., staffed by trained professionals offering expert advice as well as the latest technologies for creating a cleaner, healthier home.