Vacuum Cleaner Attachments

• Beater bar tool: On canister vacuums, this tool is used for vacuuming carpets with deep piles, such as wall-to-wall carpeting. It’s often called a power brush. Upright vacuums have a built-in beater bar and don’t need this attachment.
   
  
• Floor brush tool: This tool—found on uprights that let you suspend the main unit’s beater bar, and on all canister vacuums—is used to vacuum all uncarpeted floor surfaces, including wood, stone, and tile. It’s generally about a foot wide and just an inch or so deep, with short, soft bristles around its perimeter that help stop scratching (some models include small rubber wheels as well).
   
  
• Dust brush tool: A small, circular attachment with a ring of soft bristles. The dust brush is used for cleaning items that can be easily scratched or marred, such as bookcases, wooden chairs, and leather furniture.
   
  
• Crevice tool: The long and narrow crevice tool is ideal for accessing tough-to-reach spots, such as the gaps between kitchen appliances.
   
  
• Upholstery tool: Like a rectangular version of the dust brush tool, the upholstery tool has edges lined with soft bristles that help collect dust and remove dirt from upholstery, drapes, and other fabrics.
   
  
• Rug tool: A cross between the beater bar and the floor tool, the rug tool is ideal for cleaning fragile rugs that the regular beater bar tool might damage.
   
  
• Universal brush tool: Like the crevice tool, but with soft bristles attached to one side of its long head. It’s best used in hard-to-reach spots where dust collects, such as in bookcases and entertainment centers. It’s sometimes called the “all-purpose” brush tool.