VacHunter - Virtual Vintage Vacuum Gallery

VacHunter Gallery - Beaters

Did you ever wonder how people cleaned their carpets before the vacuum cleaner became a popular household item? People of the mid 1800's did not have wall-to-wall carpet like we have today. If they could afford carpet at all, it was laid on the floor as an area rug and tacked into place. A carpet sweeper or broom was not an effective means to clean carpeting because the dirt would fall between the fibers where the bristles could not reach it. When the flooring needed to be cleaned, the carpeting had to be removed from the home, hung over a fence or wash line, and beaten until the dirt particles dislodged and fell from the nap of the carpet. This process was a major undertaking which disrupted the entire household. As a result, it occurred only once or twice a year.

Whips, tree branches, and pieces of lumber were used to beat the dirty carpet into submission. This action would often damage the expensive rugs by ripping or poking holes into them. Finally, the carpet beater arrived on the scene.

This document gives evidence that businesses were set up to do the chore of carpet beating in the 1880's, thus saving the First Unitarian Church from the troublesome task. The cost of taking up, beating, and relaying the carpet was 7 1/2 cents per square yard.

Beaters were designed to be lightweight, easy to hold, and less damaging to the carpeting. Many styles emerged and they were widely used throughout the country. Unfortunately,they were not without their drawbacks. A carpet could still be damaged by an aggresive user and the cloud of dust that arose from the cleaning process could make someone ill. Don't forget about the time and effort that was expended to move furniture, carry the carpet outside, and return it to its original position inside the house. Beating the carpet was, however, better than letting the flooring continue to accumulate dirt and dust. This gallery will provide you with a sampling of interesting carpet beaters from the mid 1800's to the early 1900's that have survived. Be sure to go to the "stretchers" gallery next to see the innovative mechanical devices that made re-laying the carpet easier.