Hoover for elderly MiL

[Wotsitsarecheesy]

Can anyone recommend a hoover that might be good for a frail, very underweight woman in her late 70s who is unsteady on her feet?

I realise the best answer is for someone else to do it for her, but MiL is fiercely independent and likes to do everything possibile for herself. If we say we will do something for her, she will try and do it herself before we get there, on principle.

She is just home with a fractured hip and her hoover (henry type) is very old and too difficult to manage. She is going to get a cleaner for a few weeks, but absolutely intends to get back to doing everything for herself as soon as she is able (ie able to walk without her frame).

I am tying to set her up with new 'tools' to do the jobs she will absolutley want to do for herself, but I don't know what to suggest for hoovers. My traditional dyson will be too heavy and I don't really have experience of other hoovers. I think I need something lightweight, but maybe still freestanding in case she gets tired and needs to stop.

The best solution would of course be to persuade her to keep the cleaner, but I'm not sure her independence and her frugality will let her. And she'll still want one in the house for emergencies. No urgency for this as I hope we can stop her doing things for a few weeks yet, but any recommendations are appreciated.

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MNHQ

Can you get her a robot vacuum?

Perhaps look into a wireless on. Maybe a dyson etc? Have a browse around curry’s etc for the lightest model. Less trip hazards and she can just set it down when she needs a rest

My shark is pretty light and manoeuvres well. If she's living in a house having an upstairs hoover and a downstairs hoover makes a big difference in terms of safety and practicality

Vtech sweeper thing...

Mum had a Bosch Athlet and then bought a second one that could live upstairs. Rechargeable so no wire to trip over, the downside is that it only has a tiny dust canister. I would suggest a visit to a shop for some in person testing, if she has any arthritis in her hands it might rule out some that she can't switch on or empty.

Trying them out is definitely the way to go. And yes to two. I love not having to lug mine upstairs.

My mum is very unstable too. I bought her a cordless for upstairs and another for downstairs. She used them for a few months but her mobility got a little worse and she had to stop.

The cordless models prevent a trip hazard and are lighter than say a Henry. However, I have only ever seen one (Gtech) with a bag. I have found the bagless ones needs emptying at least every other use or even every time. That’s awkward for someone unstable. They also need washing out and drying which is a pain too. One of the hoovers is an Asda own brand the other a Philips. There is no difference between the two. I also asked a friend about her Shark. She said she has the same issues with emptying every time and washing out.

The answer for my mum was me and more recently a carer. The carer won’t use the cordless and has brought a corded Hoover of her own.

Hope that helps

www.argos.co.uk/product/2659136

These are easy to manage. They aren't that strong suction wise but probably enough.

They also need washing out and drying which is a pain too.

Do they?

Or are you talking about the filters?

Yes to cordless, yes to two.

I like my Dyson because the bits fit together well - eg stick plus carpet brush, but for the stairs you can take the stick out and put the carpet brush straight into the machine. Much easier to manage.

Our Shark is heavy. It's amazing but not light.

Can you go to somewhere like Curry's and try them out for 'lightness'? Hoovers can be so heavy.

I'd probably avoid a Shark or Dyson if you're going to go for a cordless as they are quite heavy at the bit you hold as that is where the motor and battery is. We used to have a GTech Air ram which would probably be better as the weight was at the base, it self propelled so you steered more than pushed and it could just be left stood up (handy if she needs a break halfway through etc), whereas the Dyson and Shark need put back in a holder or folded to stay up themselves.

I'm not sure what the new Gtechs are like because it has been awhile since I have had one but I would go and look at them in a shop if you can.

Oo that Bush one that @Mum6457 linked to looks brilliant actually. I can't imagine she will need anything heavy duty so even if it isn't the most powerful does it matter? And at the price getting two is a lot more affordable.

What about a vileda electric brush? My dad loves his and sufficient for quick clean

@tnetenba it's lightweight. The end is a push fit thing, so can fall off if you don't push it in hard enough. But generally it's easy to use. Plug in and go.

My parents love their Dyson cordless, very light, easy to manoeuvre and get up and down the stairs.

I have a rechargeable GTech. It's one of the lower level (cheaper) models. No bag needed. Turns on by a foot operated button. Very light and easy.

@MereDintofPandiculation. Can’t find a photo to show but yes, obviously not the entire hoover but the plastic casing that houses a fabric type liner. These parts separate out. The plastic is ok to wash. The fabric part less so as it takes longer to dry and gets smelly if it’s put back damp. And yes to the PP who mentioned that the clips can be insecure. On both the ones my mum had you have to be really careful that they are housed properly otherwise they spring apart.

Thank you for all these suggestions. I should have said she is in a bungalow, so luckily stairs aren't an issue. She does have arthritis in her hands, so thank you to those of you who have mentioned this. I would LOVE for her to get a robot vacuum. Her house is perfect for it - floors clear, minimal furniture, no clutter. But she panics at technology, and the frugality comes into play too. I particularly like the look of both the Bush and the Gtech, so thank you to @Mum6457 and @tnetenba. I am new to this so I just hadn't thought about the arthritis or about the weight distribution. A trip to a shop may well be the way to go, but I'm not sure how long that will be before its feasible. I suspect she will be wanting to Hoover before a trip to Currys is an option. I will look at all these properly tomorrow. Need sleep now!

The Dyson vacuum is quite lightweight. My mil also has one and she loves it!

Actually all the taking apart is a pain especially as you need to do it frequently. I don’t know if anyone dares empty them
inside. I do it outside due to the issue of the catches not being very secure and liable to pop out and risk spilling the contents. The Phillips converts to a handheld so I can just take that section out and I can also remove a section of the asda one to make it less unwieldy. I’ve still dropped parts in the bin and got dust blown in my face. I’d say they are useful for emergency clean ups for those who are unstable with someone else emptying and rinsing as required.

Would a robot vacuum be a trip hazard? I don’t have one so I’m clued in on how they work.

I’m NOT clued in I should say!

DH's Gran has the Gtech, she loves it so much she bought one for her best friend

My late DM loved her gTech, so much so, she convinced DSis to get one, too. Very suitable for your DM, I'd say.