Life with pets, a busy household, and varying floor types often brings a persistent challenge: keeping everything genuinely clean. For years, I found myself wrestling with vacuums that either struggled with pet hair, couldn’t transition effectively from carpet to hardwood, or simply bogged down with poor filtration, leaving a lingering sense of incomplete cleanliness. The constant battle against dust bunnies, tracked-in dirt, and allergy triggers became a drain on my time and energy, knowing that if I didn’t tackle these issues head-on, my home wouldn’t just look messy, but would also become a haven for allergens and grime. That’s why finding a reliable and efficient cleaning solution became a priority, leading me to invest in the Kenmore Bagless Upright Vacuum. After extensive use, I’m ready to share my insights.
Before committing to any new cleaning appliance, it’s essential to understand what problems a vacuum cleaner typically solves and who truly benefits most from a particular model. A good vacuum isn’t just about picking up visible dirt; it’s about maintaining a healthier living environment, particularly for those with allergies or homes with shedding pets. It’s about efficiency, ensuring you spend less time and effort on chores. The ideal customer for an upright vacuum like the Kenmore often lives in a medium to large home with a mix of carpeted and hard floors, perhaps with furry companions adding to the daily mess. They value powerful suction, effective filtration, and the convenience of a bagless system.
However, an upright vacuum isn’t for everyone. If you live in a small apartment with only hard floors and limited storage, a lightweight stick vacuum might be a more practical choice. Similarly, if you primarily need to tackle very deep shag carpets or have specific industrial-level cleaning demands, you might need a specialized model. Before making a purchase, consider these key aspects: the type and amount of flooring in your home, the presence of pets or allergy sufferers, your tolerance for noise, the importance of attachments for versatility, and naturally, the overall weight and maneuverability. Thinking through these points will help you gauge if an upright, and specifically the Kenmore, aligns with your household’s unique needs.
Introducing the Kenmore DU2012: A Closer Look at This Upright Vacuum
The Kenmore DU2012 Bagless Upright Vacuum, with its striking green finish, promises a robust solution for a myriad of household cleaning tasks. It’s designed to be a multi-floor, multi-surface cleaning tool, adept at removing pet hair, dirt, and dust from carpets, hardwood floors, and upholstery. What you get with your purchase is the upright vacuum cleaner itself, accompanied by essential accessories including a combination tool, an extension wand, a flexible 10-foot hose, and an upholstery tool, ensuring comprehensive cleaning reach. In a market often dominated by brands like Dyson or Shark, Kenmore aims to offer competitive power and features, particularly its 2-motor system and HEPA filtration, without necessarily carrying the premium price tag.
This specific vacuum is an excellent fit for families with pets, individuals who suffer from allergies, and anyone with a blend of carpeted and hard flooring in their home. Its powerful suction and specialized tools make quick work of entrenched dirt and pet dander. However, it might not be the best choice for those seeking an ultra-light stick vacuum for quick clean-ups or for homes with very delicate, high-pile carpeting that could potentially be damaged by a strong brush roll.
Here’s a quick overview of its strengths and weaknesses based on my prolonged experience:
Pros:
* Exceptional Suction Power: The dual-motor system truly delivers, picking up stubborn dirt and pet hair effectively from various surfaces.
* Effective HEPA Filtration: Traps nearly all allergens and fine dust, contributing to cleaner air indoors.
* Bagless Design for Easy Emptying: Simple debris disposal without the need for expensive replacement bags.
* Good Cord Length and Hose Reach: The 30-foot cord and 10-foot hose provide ample range for larger areas and elevated cleaning.
* Versatile Attachments: Useful tools for crevices, upholstery, and extending reach.
Cons:
* Maneuverability Challenges: The swivel steering can be “squirrelly,” making it difficult to maintain a straight line without constant effort.
* Subpar On-Board Tool Storage: Attachments tend to fall off or lack a truly secure place on the vacuum.
* Heavy for Extended Use: While lighter than some, its weight combined with steering issues can lead to fatigue over larger areas.
* Carpet Flattening Concerns: The aggressive brush roll can sometimes flatten carpet nap, especially on certain types of carpeting.
* Nozzle Instability During Hose Use: When using attachments, the main unit can topple over due to strong suction, posing a stability issue.
Detailed Insights: Exploring the Features and Benefits of the Kenmore Vacuum
Having used this vacuum extensively over time, I’ve developed a thorough understanding of its key features and how they translate into real-world benefits, as well as some areas where it falls short.
Robust 2-Motor Power Suction System
One of the standout features of this Kenmore vacuum is its powerful 2-motor system, boasting 1200 watts of cleaning power. This dual-motor setup means one motor is dedicated to suction, while the other powers the brush roll. The result is consistently strong suction that really pulls up embedded dirt and pet hair from carpets, which was a huge relief after years of less effective machines. The product description also highlights a suction control feature, allowing for optimal airflow and cleaning efficiency on various surfaces and for different fabric and carpet weights. In practice, this means I can adjust the intensity to prevent delicate rugs from being sucked up or to maximize power on thick carpets.
The benefit here is undeniable: a visibly cleaner home with less effort. On carpeted areas, the vacuum does an impressive job of lifting debris. However, I have noticed, as some users point out, that despite the strong suction, hair can sometimes accumulate around the beater bar rather than being fully pulled into the canister. While it definitely leaves the top layer of carpet looking refreshed and darker, a closer inspection on some carpet types might reveal that it doesn’t always manage to fully stand up the deep nap, potentially leading to flattening over time. This is a crucial point for long-term carpet care.
Efficient Bagless Design and HEPA Filter System
The bagless design of the Kenmore Bagless Upright Vacuum is a major convenience. With a 2-liter capacity, the dustbin handles a substantial amount of debris before needing to be emptied. Disposal is straightforward: simply lift off the container, take it to the trash, and press a button to release the bottom flap. This system largely eliminates the mess associated with emptying, and there are no ongoing costs for replacement bags. I’ve also found that the internal steel mesh filter stays remarkably clean, thanks to a design that swirls debris effectively, preventing clogging.
Complementing the bagless system is the enhanced HEPA filter system. This is a critical feature for anyone concerned about indoor air quality, as it traps 99.7% of dirt, dust mites, pet dander, and other allergens. For allergy sufferers in my home, this has made a noticeable difference, reducing airborne pollutants and creating a fresher environment. While the main HEPA filter needs periodic replacement, the foam and felt pre-filters can be washed with water, extending their life. However, finding replacement filters has been a minor annoyance, requiring specific searches or even phone calls to the manufacturer, and they aren’t always cheap. This is a definite area for improvement.
Lightweight Build and Swivel Steering
Weighing in at under 14 lbs (closer to 15 lbs in my experience), this lightweight upright vacuum is certainly more manageable than many older, heavier models. This lightweight design, combined with swivel steering, aims to make it easy to maneuver around furniture and obstacles. On hardwood floors and less congested areas, it glides reasonably well.
However, the swivel steering has proven to be a double-edged sword. While it offers agility, it can also be “squirrelly,” as several users (and I) have found. The vacuum often feels like it has a mind of its own, wanting to drift left or right rather than maintaining a straight path. This means constant micro-adjustments and pressure on the handle, which can lead to a tired wrist and hand, especially when cleaning larger rooms. It’s akin to wrestling a shopping cart that pulls to one side – manageable for a short while, but exhausting over extended use. This detracts from the “lightweight” benefit, as the effort to steer compensates for the reduced physical weight.
Extended Reach with Hose and Cleaning Tools
The Kenmore Bagless Upright Vacuum comes equipped with a flexible hose that extends up to 10 feet, coupled with a 3-in-1 combination tool (crevice tool, dirt brush, upholstery brush) and a separate upholstery tool. This extended reach and array of attachments are invaluable for cleaning above-floor surfaces, stairs, furniture, and tight corners. I found the long hose particularly useful for dusting shelves, cleaning ceiling fan blades, and getting into the often-neglected corners of rooms. The wide handheld tool also makes quick work of upholstered furniture and stair treads.
However, a significant drawback is the lack of effective on-board storage for these tools. They tend to fall off, or there isn’t a dedicated, secure spot for them, which can be frustrating when you’re moving from one cleaning task to another. Some users, myself included, have resorted to makeshift solutions like attaching a mesh bag to the handle to keep tools handy. Furthermore, when using the hose and attachments, the vacuum itself, due to its powerful suction and lighter weight, can become unstable and topple over, which is not only annoying but also potentially damaging to the unit or surrounding objects.
Multi-Surface Cleaning Capabilities
This versatile cleaning machine is designed for multiple surfaces, including carpet, hard floor, and hardwood. The 2-motor system allows for effective cleaning on both types. On hardwood, the suction is good, and there’s minimal kickback of debris when pulling the vacuum backward.
However, switching between modes (Hardwood Mode and Carpet Mode via a small red switch) can be finicky. In Carpet Mode (CM), the rotating brush bar engages with high suction. While this provides excellent cleaning on area rugs, it can be too aggressive for lightweight throw rugs, often lifting them. On some low-pile carpets, the aggressive brush roll can even pull the vacuum forward, requiring significant effort to pull it back. This raises concerns about long-term wear on carpet fibers. For stairs, the situation becomes even more complicated. The roller bar only rotates when the handle is in a reclined position, which is impractical for stair cleaning. This means tackling stairs either with high suction but no roller (handle upright, managing the head by hand) or struggling with a flopping head and handle. It’s certainly not a seamless experience for vertical cleaning.
Additional Features and Observations
The Kenmore DU2012 also includes a headlight, which is useful for illuminating dust and debris in dimly lit areas or under furniture. Peculiarly, this light only operates in Carpet Mode, not Hardwood Mode. The 30-foot power cord is generously long, allowing me to clean larger areas without constantly searching for new outlets. While some might find it a bit too long for small spaces, it’s a blessing for open-plan living. Noise-wise, it’s quieter than some older vacuums I’ve owned, though it still emits a distinct “soft whine” that some might interpret as sounding a bit underpowered, even though its suction proves otherwise. Cleaning the roller bar of wrapped hair, especially long hair, appears to be a tedious task, likely requiring scissors, which is a common complaint with many vacuums but still an inconvenience here.
Real-World Feedback: What Other Users Are Saying
Having scoured the internet for other users’ experiences, it’s clear that many share similar sentiments regarding the Kenmore DU2012. Many users echo my satisfaction with its powerful suction, often remarking on the astonishing amount of dirt and pet hair it picks up, even after using other vacuums. The HEPA filtration system is frequently praised for its effectiveness in trapping allergens, making homes feel cleaner and fresher, particularly for those with sensitivities. The ease of emptying the bagless canister is also a recurring positive, along with the generous length of the power cord and the flexibility of the hose and attachments. Users appreciate its ability to reach under furniture due to its flatter head angle.
However, the common frustrations also align with my own. The “squirrelly” swivel steering is a consistent point of contention, with many finding it tiresome to keep the vacuum in a straight line. The design for on-board tool storage is widely criticized, as attachments frequently fall off. Several pet owners lament the hair wrapping around the brush roll, which requires manual removal, and the potential for the aggressive brush to flatten carpet nap. The instability of the main unit when using the hose for attachments, causing it to topple, is another shared complaint, as is the difficulty in effectively cleaning carpeted stairs. Some reviews also mention issues with filter availability and the vacuum’s durability, with some experiencing suction issues or mechanical failures after relatively short periods of use. Overall, the consensus points to a vacuum with exceptional core cleaning power but some significant design and usability quirks.
Concluding Thoughts: Your Decision on the Kenmore Upright Vacuum
In conclusion, the challenge of maintaining a truly clean home, free from pet hair, dust, and allergens, is a significant one. Neglecting this leads not only to an unsightly living space but also to potential health complications for residents. The Kenmore Bagless Upright Vacuum presents a compelling solution to this problem, offering powerful suction and advanced filtration.
Despite its few disadvantages, such as the finicky swivel steering and some design oversights with tool storage, its core performance shines through. The robust 2-motor system ensures deep cleaning across multiple surfaces, the HEPA filter system significantly reduces allergens, and its bagless design simplifies maintenance. For those seeking a potent cleaning machine that tackles pet hair and general household dirt with gusto, particularly if you have a mix of carpet and hard floors, this vacuum is a strong contender. It delivers exceptional value for its cleaning capability. To discover more about its features and decide if it’s the right choice for your home, Click here to learn more and check out the Kenmore Bagless Upright Vacuum.