Why You Shouldn't Leave Your Vacuum On Its Charging Station 24/7

It's not an unreasonable question to ask if cordless vacuums are worth the hype and cost. We say, if you maintain them properly, they're a terrific convenience. With a cordless model, you can sweep the device over your whole house, then return it to its charging station. Or should you? Instead of recharging it after every use or leaving it on its charging station constantly, we recommend discharging the battery completely after vacuuming. Why? Well, while you won't damage the unit by leaving it on the charger, you may be shortening its battery life.

You might want to think of your cordless vacuum a bit like how you consider your cell phone — you should use the unit until the battery drains. You wouldn't plug your phone back into a wall outlet after using it for a few hours when it's only dropped down to an 80% charge, right? No, hopefully you're letting that phone get down to 2% or draining it completely before you recharge. It's true that up-to-date appliances are less likely to overcharge unlike in the past, but it's still a strain on the device to constantly keep it fully juiced without allowing it to discharge completely.

Some manufacturers suggest sometimes keeping your cordless vacuum unplugged between uses. For instance, on Dyson's website, they say that letting the battery run down once a month can help it last longer. They also suggest that, if you have multiple batteries, you could switch them out so you're never left with a dead vacuum when cleaning again. However, the good news is that if you forget and leave your vacuum charging, it will be okay. In fact, some manufacturers like the Shark brand actually recommend plugging in your cordless vacuum after every use, though consumers have various experiences. Some have complained that, if they don't use the machine frequently but still leave it charging, the battery can get damaged or lose power more rapidly. 

Because of this, our recommendation is to allow your vacuum to expend all its juice every once in a while to give it a chance to reset before you plug it back in. This is especially true if you have an older model. Further, keep the household appliance in a cool spot so that it doesn't overheat. Finally, to get the most use out of it, you should be cleaning your vacuum too, not just using it to clean.