What Vacuum Cleaners (in your opinion) would Soap Characters have?

VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

Help Support VacuumLand:

hi-loswitch98

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
1,123
I saw in an episode of Coronation Street the other week that Maria had a Hoover Alyx. What other soap characters from any English Soap (or American) would have what vacuum cleaner?

This could turn out interesting!
 
Eastenders; Shirley was using a red bagged argos value upright
In the pub, Kat uses a white electrolux (I think)
They used to have a DC01 years ago
Genie in the house- Dyson Dc15 all floors UK and a yellow bagged cylinder vacuum
My p[rents are aliens- Dyson DC07 allergy in blue and purple, DC04 Destijl and a a vax swift along with a morphy richards upright and hanry stuff in the attic.
Tracy beaker- Tesco upright, bush wet and dry vacuum, and they used to have a DC04 De Stijl years ago.
 
Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances would have had a Hoover Turbopower Hard bag in Red with headlight, air freshner and with the Royal Warrant on it (To show off to the neighbours).


Onslow would have had a beat up old Hoover Junior!

madabouthoovers++5-5-2014-11-06-37.jpg
 
Not a soap, but sitcom

Cam and Mitch from Modern family would have a Miele of some sort, but I see the Dunphy household having a Hoover Windtunnel.

Hyacinth Bucket would have definately had a Hoover, but only one that had the Royal Warrant clearly on display. I can see her in Currys now demanding to know where the warrant is on the Hoover Globe and insisting they find one in stock. Didn't some Electrolux cylinders have the royal warrant at some stage?
She may have had an Electrolux 345 or similar, if it had the warrant.

I don't really watch soaps these days, but I always used to enjoy seeing a vacuum cleaner in a scene and telling anyone who was in the room what model it was, even if I could only see the handle.
Sad, but true.
 
The Vic in Eastenders had an Electrolux 550 for years, then a Dyson DC04. Back in the day, Pauline Fowler had a white Hoover Turbopower boost.

On Corrie, Deirdre and Ken have a white Electrolux Glider with the sales sticker still on it. Anna has an Electrolux Power System. Les and Janice used to have a Hoover Turbopower U2602.

Steve, funny you should say about Onslow and the beat up Junior - they had a U1104 in the first series, then a battered Lux z65. Elizabeth had a Goblin Housemaid softbag. I always imagined Hyacinth would've gone for a U2332 in Wedgewood green.
 
This is what I always imagined Hyacinth using. Would be right up her alley (pic courtesy of Ozhoover).

"For heaven's sake Richard, do mind the skirting boards!!!"

spiraclean++5-6-2014-10-17-12.jpg
 
Hyacinth????

Hoover hell no!!! Far too common.

She would of had that Lux Z65 when she first married Richard and it was passed onto Daisy sometime in the 70s when she upgraded to a 345.

Hoover made in Scotland I think not, T'was a Lux of fine Swedish design, quiet, understated and reliable, just like the Aristocracy! Dont forget the Turbinette was a must!

Naturally the 345 was upgraded to an Electrolux Turbomatic in the 80's.
 
Hyacinth

Onslow actually did have a Hoover Junior, in fact, I believe the handle was sometimes seen. He also had an Electrolux cyclinder of some type.

It was funny how Hyacinth was the only one out of her, Onslow/Daisy and Elizabeth to never have a vacuum shown. Liz had a Goblin I believe.

This is not to put down Dyson in any way, but I think it's funny. There's an episode where Hyacinth is giving a dimensioned drawing to someone and she says something like, "the measurements are in feet and inches, I don't hold well to the metric system and all that EC channel tunnel nonsense." She was referencing the new at the time "chunnel" or channel tunnel.

Anyway, I could totally see the traditional Hyacinth going to a store looking for bags for her vacuum (whatever it may be) and saying, "I have a bagged vacuum of course, I don't hold all that well to all this DC dual cyclonic stuff."

Again, I am not knocking Dyson, I do like them and especially the DC01 that would have been coming out while the series was on, it's just that quote totally popped into my head as something she could say.
 
It would be interesting to see a vintage vac chart listed from most expensive to least expensive. As it is, I will take some guesses ...

Bert Bauer on (THE) GUIDING LIGHT ("the" being dropped in 1975 when the new melodic theme music and sunlight through the leaves footage replaced the lighthouses and organ music of the show's opening and closing credits) would probably have used a HOOVER or a SINGER--being in a working-class family. Her husband, Bill, was a drugstore clerk, and she was a housewife while married to Bill and in her later years worked at Cedars Hospital as a volunteer and as Head of Patient Advocacy. Papa Bauer, Bill's father, was a carpenter. The Bauer family was the most prominent family on the show until the early 1980s when new families were introduced into the storyline. The significance of the family in those years was coined as Bauer Power.

Here is a photo of Papa Bauer--played by Theo Goetz from 1952-1972; and Bertha (Bert) Miller Bauer--played by Charita Bauer from 1952-1984 from a 1950s episode.

Note: Mr. Goetz and Miss Bauer portrayed their characters on radio several years prior to the TV show's debut in 1952. Both left the show due to ill health and died shortly thereafter.

ronni++5-7-2014-21-28-30.jpg
 
Nancy Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS would probably have used a KIRBY or an ELECTROLUX--being in a white-collar family. Her husband, Chris, was a lawyer, and she was a housewife, a secretary in her later years, and a volunteer at Memorial Hospital--also in her senior years. Pa Hughes, Chris's father, was a retired farmer. The Hughes family was the most prominent family on the show until the early 1980s when new writers wrote in younger main characters to attract the younger generation of viewers.

Here is a photo of Nancy Hughes--played by Helen Wagner from 1956-2010 (non-consecutively); and Pa Hughes--played by Santos Ortega from 1956-1976 from a 1960s episode.

Note: Miss Wagner is in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest-running character portrayed by one actor on television until her death in 2010. Mr. Ortega left the show due to ill health and died shortly thereafter. As the World Turns was telecast weekdays on the CBS television network from 1956-2010.

ronni++5-7-2014-21-57-50.jpg
 
Marion on AS THE STOMACH TURNS (a recurring parody of soap operas on The Carol Burnett Show) would likely have used a Lady Kenmore; and Mother Marcus would not have done her own vacuuming; her maid would likely have used a Eureka upright.

Here is a photo of Marion--played by Carol Burnett and Mother Marcus--played by Harvey Korman.

Note: Eileen Fulton, who played a long-time character named Lisa on AS THE WORLD TURNS takes credit for pitching the idea of a soap opera parody to The Carol Burnett Show's producers.

The Carol Burnett Show was broadcast on the CBS television network from 1967 to 1978. Miss Burnett was on the show for its entire run, and Mr. Korman starred on the show from 1967 to 1977.

ronni++5-7-2014-22-13-7.jpg.png
 
@fan-of-fans, Daisy & Onslow had a U1104 Junior stood behind the living room door in the first series, the an Electrolux z65 later on. Liz had a Goblin Housemaid softbag.

Another one - Barbara & Jim Royal had an Electrolux Contour 1450, a Dyson DC01 De Stilj, a later basic Hoover Turbopower hardbag and then a DC25.

Sharon & Tracy had a whole heap of stuff - Lux z1010, Goblin Commander, Turbopower U1100, Contour z1460, Turbomaster Freedom, Electrolux Powersystem and a DC01.

Victor & Margaret had a Turbopower U2336, a U2062, a Henry, a DC01 and a Hoover Compact.
 
Mary Hartman,Mary Hartman--

--the night time soap opera of the 70s had a Hoover Constellation in the corner of the breakfast area.Any remember color or see in use or have pic?
 
As the Stomach Turns

Harvey Korman was doing a takeoff of Molly Goldberg.She was played by the talented actress Gertrude Berg,in the early,& mid 50's.
The show was carried over from radio,& I think it won one of the 1st Emmy Awards.I remember that Molly used a Lux xxx on the show.
 
Modern Family

There is an episode where Claire is at the top of the stairs with some pointlessly enormous bagless thing, you can only see the back and the handle, so I have no idea what it is.

Phil also swings a sale of a house to a gay couple by mentioning that it has hook ups for a European washing machine, clearly they have outstanding taste ;)

Matt
 
Back
Top