The vacuum cleaner, a common household appliance for cleaning dirt and dust from floors and other surfaces, has a long and interesting history. The concept of a machine to clean floors dates back to the 19th century, and the evolution of the vacuum cleaner since then has been remarkable.

Vacuum cleaners use an electric motor that spins a fan, sucks in the air - and any small particles trapped in it - and pushes it out the other side, into a bag or box, to create negative pressure.