Automatic dustpan: keeping your home clean

Why do I need a central vacuum?

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone invented a automatic dustpan? Most importantly ask yourself this. WHO does all the cleaning around here? Is it ME? or HIM? or HER? – Can we improve or simplify cleaning tasks for all family members and make cleaning a group effort rather then a one person job?

The answer to the last question is – Yes you can.

If this is you… “I’m embarrassed to have family and friends over because the house is always a mess.” Hang in there i’m getting to my point. But first a little fact.

On average the hardest living space to keep clean and most frequently cleaned area of the home is… the kitchen.

THE KITCHEN – cleaning it again.

The full answer to your cleaning problem is coming BUT this solution wins hands down because of how much time and energy you have or want to put into actually doing it. The labor portion of cleaning is significantly reduced. This is why this solution is so great. It spreads the energy and time to clean among the whole family in the household not just one person doing it all the time.

Central Vacuum System

“Seriously man are you daft!? this is what you have made me wait for. A central vacuum cleaner – I already have this?” …yes I know that.

Of course I’m assuming that is whats going on through your head reading this. Hear me out… keep reading, this is a award winning solution that is a quick fix and I’m talking about a central vacuum “system”. I know that this is something you probably already have and probably use weekly but I’m going to suggest that this will change how you use it and the frequency of that usage to daily.

How are you going to do that you might ask?

Let me make a few more points.

• This is not new technology.
• I am not a vacuum salesman.
• I am a electrician for hire to make your life easier. I install things so you don’t have to for a minimal fee likely because your spouse is too lazy, too busy, just fill in the blank that applies.

A central vacuum “System” is part of the answer.

Most important take note of that “ITS NOT THE SIZE THAT MATTERS, ITS HOW YOU USE IT“.

Okay I took that slightly out of context because the size of what you will be using is going to be smaller, easier to handle, more effective and the whole family will have fun playing with it and putting it away. You will be using this more often, just trust me. It even has a dual purpose as a toy for kids that are easily amused. Yes I’m still talking about cleaning. (get your mind out of the gutter!)

Disclaimer Alert

Chances are that if you got this far reading this article you may have came here after finding the answers on to How to do a kitchen layout. Regrettably the kitchen layout article is mostly just there as click bait for the biz and to get you to come here to my wonderful website blog.

The truth is that a kitchen layout needs to be planned with foresight in mind. A important element of that plan should be how your going to keep your kitchen clean – the main focus of this article.

From here on, I’m going to assume you are possibly using your central vacuum system all wrong, If you have one. “It is entirely possible” – (JRE) that maybe your just not using it to its full potential. (not joking – I’m serious).

“People that know me, know that I am a Dad. I work in the electrical trade, I come home tired and dirty. I don’t want to clean – I’m dirty from head to toe from all the work I did that day and just want to take a relaxing shower and unwind. Unfortunately I have messy kids that I come home to (refer to picture at beginning of post). Somehow that is supposed to make me ambitious enough to have the desire to clean?”
“Not really, it makes me anxious.”
Justin Green – Owner of Green Electric & Automation

Why I like using a automatic dustpan with the central vacuum system

This is why I really like central vacuum systems. The problem was I hated getting out the hose and attachments, working all the twists and kinks out and then having to put it all away neatly.

Point number One.

Part of using anything is getting it out and putting it away = time consuming. I just wanted to stuff it somewhere and be super speedy about it and not have to care.

That’s why I suggest sweep plates also know as a vacpan or automatic dustpan. This device is a often overlooked, “super handy” – (my wife) cleaning solution. The kitchen (and basically anywhere there is hard flooring) can be a prime location for a sweep plate inlet.

Point number two.

As a small business owner I spend a good amount of time researching products for my customers. A good product sells itself with very little marketing needed to make a sale. I provide electrical services to my customers by wiring equipment and devices for homes and businesses for a living.

However, for some reason something such as a sweep plate is just one of those extra’s that surprises me. Why? Because for how great I feel they are they haven’t seemed to have caught on with people and I don’t know why. I find many people don’t have a sweep plates installed in their home, yet own a central vacuum system to clean their home.

Sweep plate Inlets – aka the “Vacpan” or automatic dustpan.

Most people will mop a floor down to get rid of the spills and stickies after first sweeping up all the little bits. For argument sake lets say that crumbs and solids amount to half or 50% of the work that needs to be done to clean a messy floor. What if you could greatly eliminate the constant exercise of dragging out the dustpan, broom or vacuum hose for every little crumb? It would be far less hassle and effort. I would also make a 3rd point that because something is easier to do, it is more likely to get done. I’ll go as far to say that it could keep your floors cleaner because your family is more willing to do cleaning that is quick and easy right?

Automatic dustpan – all you need is a broom. The pan is “automatic”.

The old saying of “sweeping it under the rug” kinda applies here. In effect you are really cleaning by sweeping debris into the sweep plate inlet as it all ends up in your central vacuum collection system. Don’t kid yourself, its not a bottomless pit miracle device. At some point you will have to empty the dirt out of your central vacuum system. Its important to clean out the central vac but you do that on a routine biases anyways right?

Installation of the automatic dustpan

Vacpan’s are relatively straight forward to install and retrofit into an existing home layout. The location of where you would place the sweep plate differs in every house. Floor inlets can be flush-mount in cabinet toe kick or wall baseboard. You can Install them in your kitchen, mudroom, basement, etc. or bathroom I won’t judge you. As a basic requirement you will need a central vacuum already installed and access to the central vacuum piping to add the sweep plate to the system.

The main reason to have a automatic dustpan in your home:

Making your busy lifestyle easier. Frequently having guests, kids and pets in your home will surely add to your cleaning frequency requirements. Also if you have other hard flooring throughout your home you can sweep dirt from the entrance way, dinning room, bedroom and any other connecting flooring area to the sweep plate inlet. If you hired me to put in some amazing led lighting, the dirt will be more noticeable in those areas. That in its self is a huge selling point to getting automatic dustpan installed as one plate could potentially clean an entire floor level of your home if your floor layout accommodates it.

The number ONE reason to get a sweep plate installed is the mother of all cleaning job reasons. 

Its because your the only one cleaning and everyone else just makes a mess. I will admit to being told by my wife to cleanup on numerous occasions. Especially if she has been recently working – Nag Nag. Coming home to a messy house sucks. The automatic dustpan inlet makes it so easy to clean up that the whole family will be sucking up dirt in a effort to help keep the house clean.

The benefits to a automatic dustpan:

• you don’t need to plug anything in. No cords, no hose to drag out from the closet and put away. Its “super handy” and fast
• convenience – no kinked or heavy hose to mess with. loss of suction, limited length of hose not reaching an area is not an issue.
• Simple to use – to get suction you flick the inlet on-off foot switch with your foot and close it when your done
• All you need is a cheap broom or swifter to clean. You probably already have one.
• Your not alone doing all the cleaning, its easy enough everyone will pitch in to help
• significantly reduce the amount of mess for you to have to deal with.
• cost is reasonable to install
• less stress about coming home to a mess and getting your home ready for guests or back to clean functionality.
• you will still need to mop the floor to get all the stickies and spills but it makes a big difference in the aesthetics and cleanliness of your home.
• can help with dust allergies
• Positive vibes – You might nag on your family less about cleaning (your actual results and millage may vary)

The take away from this article is that a sweep plate allows your kids, husband, wife, daycare provider, in-law’s to be able to help keep your home clean with minimal effort. When you consider how affordable they are not many people plan to install them in their home when doing renovations – its one of those small details that gets missed in the layout planning stage. I find it odd because when you have one installed you use it all the time. I cant imagine ever wanting to live without it.

Your family will help you clean because cleaning with a sweep plate is fast & easy.

Product Disclaimer: usage & precautions

Vacpan or Automatic dustpan. There is no need for a nearby electrical outlet as it is connected to the central vacuum system and automatically turns on and off with the vacuum system. This occurs when you flip the inlet open to use it or close it to turn it off.
If you use a central vacuum system already, you know about how you can easily clog up the system by sucking in stuff you shouldn’t. Sock’s, clothing, liquids, toy’s, construction materials are all no-no’s for this type of cleaning system.
Check with the manufacturers instructions of your automatic dustpan and central vacuum system for terms of use.

If you would like to get pricing on having a home renovation or a sweep plate installed, give us a call or message us through our contact page.