Home Clean Guide publishes buying guides and roundups for home cleaning equipment and supplies sold in the United States. This page explains how those recommendations are put together, what our ratings are based on, and what we do not claim.
What we do
Our recommendations come from research and structured comparison. For each category we build a specification sheet covering the figures that actually matter for that product type, then score every model against the same criteria. Our sources are manufacturer documentation, certification and standards bodies including AHAM, the EPA, Energy Star, UL, and the CPSC, published measurements from independent laboratories where they exist, and owner feedback read at volume to surface durability and service problems that never appear on a spec sheet.
What we do not do
We do not operate a laboratory, and we do not claim to have used every product we write about. Where a figure comes from a manufacturer, we say so. Where a measurement comes from a certifying body, we name that body. If a claim cannot be traced back to a source, it does not appear on this site. We would rather describe a product qualitatively than publish a number we cannot stand behind.
The HCG Score
Products we rate receive an HCG Score out of 10, calculated from five weighted criteria applied identically to every product inside a category:
- Cleaning performance, 30 percent. How well the product does the job it was bought for, judged against the surfaces and conditions common in American homes, including carpet and pet hair.
- Build quality and durability, 20 percent. Materials, serviceability, availability of replacement parts, and warranty terms, weighed alongside reported failure patterns.
- Ease of use and maintenance, 20 percent. Weight and handling, how the product is emptied, rinsed, and stored, and how quickly routine maintenance becomes a chore people skip.
- Running cost, 15 percent. Filters, bags, pads, solution, and energy use projected over several years, not just the purchase price.
- Value for the price, 15 percent. What the product delivers relative to what else is available at the same price.
Scores are comparable within a category and not across categories. A robot vacuum scoring 8.5 is not being called better than an air purifier scoring 8.0. When we revise criteria for a category, we rescore every product in it rather than leaving old and new scores side by side.
Who a product is not for
Every roundup names the household a product suits and the household that should skip it. A guide that finds nothing wrong with anything is advertising, not review. If a product is a poor fit for apartments, for deep pile carpet, or for homes without outdoor water access, we say so in the entry rather than in a footnote.
Prices and availability
We do not write prices into article text, because they change constantly and a stale number is worse than none. We describe products by price tier and update the tier when a product moves between them. Availability at any given retailer is outside our control.
Updates and corrections
Articles carry a publication date and, where they have been revised, an update date. We revise a guide when a product is discontinued, when a manufacturer changes a specification, or when a reader shows us something is wrong. Corrections are made in the article itself rather than quietly removed. Write to [email protected] with anything that looks incorrect.
Regulated claims
Some claims in this category are regulated in the United States and we treat them carefully. Disinfectant, antibacterial, and sanitizing claims fall under EPA regulation, so we repeat them only for products carrying an EPA registration number, and we cite that number. We do not present air purifiers, cleaners, or any other product as a treatment for allergies, asthma, viruses, or any medical condition.
Editorial independence
Home Clean Guide earns commission through affiliate links. Commission rates play no part in which products we recommend or how they are ranked. Manufacturers do not review articles before publication and cannot pay for placement, a score, or a favorable mention. See our Editorial Policy and Affiliate Disclaimer for the full picture.