“If men did the housework, there would be a Bissell Carpet Sweeper in every home,” a 1918 advertisement mused. In the 19th century, a list of chores for a woman to do around the house was long and arduous. As proof, Catherine Beecher’s 1841 book, A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School, offered 37 chapters of women’s responsibilities in the home. Chapter 24 covered the best practices for the care of parlors: “Sweep carpets as seldom as possible, as it wears them out. To shake them often is good economy. When carpets are taken up, they should be hung on a line and whipped, first on one side and then on the other.” The introduction of some sort of machine to accomplish that task was a welcome relief. Enter the Baby Daisy, a manually powered device. The Baby Daisy required two people to operate it — one to operate the bellows and one to operate the suction hose. Dust and dirt were collected in a cotton bag within the machine. While the vacuum required two people to operate and had limited suction power, it was far better than using a broom to clean dust and dirt from carpets and rugs. Fortunately, the portable electric vacuum cleaner came along in 1908. The Hoover vacuum quickly became so popular that they began being sold door-to-door. Several companies followed suit, like Eureka, Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co., and Richmond Suction Cleaners, but Hoover dominated the market for decades.
Vacuum Cleaners Before There Was Electricity
“If men did the housework, there would be a Bissell Carpet Sweeper in every home,” a 1918 advertisement mused. In the 19th century, a list of chores for a woman to do around the house was long and arduous. As proof, Catherine Beecher’s 1841 book, A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School, offered 37 chapters of women’s responsibilities in the home. Chapter 24 covered the best practices for the care of parlors: “Sweep carpets as seldom as possible, as it wears them out. To shake them often is good economy. When carpets are taken up, they should be hung on a line and whipped, first on one side and then on the other.” The introduction of some sort of machine to accomplish that task was a welcome relief. Enter the Baby Daisy, a manually powered device. The Baby Daisy required two people to operate it — one to operate the bellows and one to operate the suction hose. Dust and dirt were collected in a cotton bag within the machine. While the vacuum required two people to operate and had limited suction power, it was far better than using a broom to clean dust and dirt from carpets and rugs. Fortunately, the portable electric vacuum cleaner came along in 1908. The Hoover vacuum quickly became so popular that they began being sold door-to-door. Several companies followed suit, like Eureka, Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co., and Richmond Suction Cleaners, but Hoover dominated the market for decades.