The vacuum cleaner is one of the most common household appliances out there, but the many and varied pieces they come with can be a cause for confusion.

Most vacuums come with at least one or two different attachments, and it’s easy to just stuff them in a cupboard and forget about them. Believe it or not, vacuum cleaner attachments are not just there to confuse you, they are actually designed to make cleaning easier.

Here is a quick guide to six of the most common vacuum cleaner attachments.

  • Floor tools. Vacuum cleaner floor tools are designed for cleaning different surfaces and they can help you get a better result on wood or tiled floors. Unlike a regular vacuum cleaner head, which is designed for carpet, hard floor tools generally have bristles and wheels that help them move around more easily on hard floors.
  • Crevice tools. If you need to get down the side of the fridge or in the corner of the living room, the crevice tool will help. This thin pointy attachment is designed to get into the little corners and gaps that you can’t otherwise reach.
  • Upholstery tools. Vacuum cleaner upholstery tools are usually brush attachments that are designed to help you clean chairs and lounges by gently lifting off the dirt and dust. They are particularly good for removing pet hair or for working upholstery cleaners into fabric.
  • Extension rod/wand. This handy tool helps you get into those out of reach places like the corners of the ceiling and behind the lounge. An extension wand is essentially a long narrow tube that extends the length of your vacuum cleaner.
  • Hose adapters. Vacuum cleaner hose adapters are designed to help you attach the tools you need to your vacuum cleaner hoses. They are incredibly handy, especially if you’re trying to use attachments that are not specific to your brand of vacuum cleaner.
  • Blind attachments. Cleaning vertical and roller blinds is a difficult chore but it’s made easier with a blind attachment. This attachment is designed to get in between the blinds and clean multiple blinds at once, on both surfaces.

As well as the usual accessories listed here, there are also some less common ones designed for those niche jobs like cleaning ceiling fans or even vacuuming the dog.

By getting to grips with the different vacuum cleaner attachments, you can get a better cleaning result in far less time.