In 1901, Hubert Cecil Booth introduced the first vacuum cleaner, a massive horse-drawn machine that cleaned carpets through suction hoses.

Booth’s vacuum cleaner used suction instead of compressed air, effectively removing dust rather than displacing it.

Booth’s first large-scale vacuum cleaner, nicknamed ‘Puffing Billy,’ was so massive it had to be transported on horse-drawn carriages.

Booth’s machine gained popularity after cleaning Westminster Abbey for King Edward VII’s coronation in 1902.

Booth’s British Vacuum Cleaner Company offered cleaning services, sending uniformed staff with large machines to homes and offices.

Booth introduced electric-powered vacuum cleaners, but they remained too bulky for home use.

In 1908, James Murray Spangler invented the first compact, portable vacuum cleaner for home use.

William Hoover acquired Spangler’s patent and mass-produced home vacuum cleaners, making them a household essential.

By 1912, Hoover’s salesmen offered door-to-door demonstrations and free 10-day trials, making vacuums widely popular.

By the 1930s, public buildings used centralized vacuum systems with pipes running through walls and floors.

By the 1950s, vacuum cleaners became lighter, portable, and affordable, making them common in middle-class homes.

Today’s compact and powerful vacuum cleaners owe their existence to the pioneering inventions of Booth and Hoover.