The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY NANCY GAGNET | MIRROR REPORTER — Maumee Sweeper Center has been a fixture in the community for nearly two decades by helping people keep their work and living spaces clean, and during this health crisis, the company remains more committed than ever to maintaining that promise.
John Gulbronson purchased the business last year, and with the help of two dedicated staff, is focused on providing every customer who walks through the door the right information to buy the very best machine to fit their needs.
“Sometimes people come in here with an idea of what they want, but usually we ask them enough questions to get a feel for what their particular situation is. For example, what kind of flooring do they have, how big is their house, do they prefer bagged or bagless, corded or cordless?” he said.
The general perception is that bagless is easier, more convenient and less expensive to operate when in fact, the opposite is generally true. Bagless vacuums require more maintenance due to the increased frequency of dumping the bin and cleaning filters. Bagged vacuums generally capture more of the dirt in your home, he said.
“We try to match the vacuum not only to the house, but to the person, so we ask a lot of leading questions to get to that point.”
The shop carries a full line of vacuum cleaners, including Miele, Oreck, Dyson, Shark and Hoover, with machines that have duel cleaning capabilities designed to work on both hard surfaces and carpet. There are cord-free, upright, canister and commercial-type mach-ines that can range from $1,400, which are top-of-the-line Miele vacuums, to more mid-range machines that are a few hundred dollars. While a high-end vacuum cleaner may seem cost-prohibitive, Gulbronson believes that a vacuum cleaner such as a Miele – which offers a 10-year warranty and hospital-grade (HEPA) sealed system so there is no way for the dirt to escape – is a smart investment for any home.
“If someone buys a new home or spends thousands of dollars on new carpet and uses a $200 vacuum cleaner to maintain that, it doesn’t seem like a very wise choice if they could get a vacuum that costs more, but will do a better job of cleaning the carpet while making sure that the carpet lasts longer,” he said.
Sand and other small particles that get embedded in carpet and certain vacuum cleaners will wear down and damage carpet, he said. Vacuum cleaners may work well on one carpet, but not another carpet, so it’s best to match the carpet to the application. As with any machine, regular maintenance and replacing filters and parts will keep it running effectively.
“When you vacuum the house, you want to clean it. You don’t just want to move the dirt around, so if you have a good vacuum cleaner not only is it going to pick up the dirt, but it’s also going to keep the dirt within the vacuum.”
Gulbronson also said that it’s good practice to use a high-quality vacuum cleaner in a home, even if an outside company does cleaning services.
“You really don’t want a vacuum cleaner brought into your home that’s been used in a lot of other homes, because you don’t know what that brush bar could have on it – dirt, pet hair, allergens or whatever,” he said.
In addition to selling new vacuum cleaners, a technician is on hand to provide full service and repair on existing vacuums and the shop sells parts such as belts, filters and more.
“Since we repair just about every brand of vacuum on the market, we can better guide a customer on the merits and shortcomings on any particular model when they are purchasing a new vacuum,” he said.
In addition, Maumee Sweeper Center carries used vacuum cleaners and has a variety of air purification systems to provide clean indoor air.
“One of the big advantages of buying a machine from us is that we go over all of the features and benefits of the machine. We show customers where the filters are, we show them how to maintain them and how to operate it and the tools available, so when the customer leaves the store, they are very familiar with it,” Gulbronson said. “If someone comes in here, they can test five or six cleaners, they can feel the weight and they can see the benefits and hear the way it sounds. We want them to buy the right vacuum cleaner for their situation. We pretty much have a vacuum cleaner for everybody.”
Maumee Sweeper Center is located at 247 Golden Gate Plaza. During the current health crisis employees are on hand, but customers are asked to call the store to purchase vacuums, parts, cleaning supplies or more. Staff will also deliver new vacuums as well.
For information, please call Maumee Sweeper Center at (419) 893-3346.
