There are six kinds of vacuum cleaners, and each one is appropriate for different uses. You don't have to rush out and buy all six, but you may find that a combination of two or three is suitable for your living situation.

Handheld. These little vacuum cleaners are great to pick up emergency spills, and to do a quick touch up before someone comes over for dinner. Keep one in your closet so it is handy and keep another in a garage where you can vacuum the car frequently.

Upright. These are considered the classic or traditional model of vacuum cleaner and they are good for most standard floors. Things start to get tricky though, when you need to move around, vacuum the stairs, or go upstairs and downstairs. Still, if you have only one or two floors in your house this is an excellent option for you.

Canister. These vacuum cleaners are smaller, lower to the ground, and usually have good portability. They haven't always been called canister models but most of them use canisters instead of bags now. If you have two or more floors in your house, or a lot of stairs, you will probably find this model of vacuum cleaner to be much more appropriate for you.

Industrial. This is a wet/dry vacuum cleaner often used with industrial applications. For example, you may want to keep one in your workshop, garage, or laundry room, for serious spills. They are very powerful and can handle both dry and liquid messes.

Central. This is a tiny convenient system that is built into your home. The motor and dirt collecting mechanism are centrally located in the utility closet and all you have to do is plug the hose into the wall and you get convenient suction wherever you need it in the house. This is the best option if you have a lot of stairs, since there is no vacuum cleaner to carry around.

AutoVac. This is a new type of vacuum cleaner, still in its infancy. Most of them look like a little flying saucer and they are no bigger than a dinner plate. They run on tiny wheels and have a computerized memory that lets them vacuum automatically while you are away. They may not clean the floor in a specific pattern, like you might if you were doing it, but they cover the entire floor surface and go around furniture, and can even be trained to stop at the edge of a set of stairs or a doorway into a room you don't want vacuumed.