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Glossary
Home terms, explained
Short, plain definitions of the words you'll see on product pages and spec sheets. Each one links to a guide when there's more to know.
A
- Activated carbon
- A filter material that absorbs odors and some gases. Read the guide →
B
- Battery platform
- A family of tools that share the same rechargeable batteries. Read the guide →
C
- C-wire
- The common wire that supplies steady power to many smart thermostats; compatibility depends on the thermostat and HVAC system. Read the guide →
- CADR
- Clean Air Delivery Rate: how quickly an air purifier cleans a room. Read the guide →
- Care symbol
- A pictogram on a garment label that describes a permitted or prohibited washing, bleaching, drying, ironing or professional-care method. Read the guide →
- Chloramine
- A toxic gas formed when bleach is mixed with ammonia. Read the guide →
D
- Diagonal depth
- The distance from a sofa's top back corner to the front of the seat, used to check doorway fit. Read the guide →
- Drill/driver
- A cordless drill with a clutch for drilling holes and driving screws. Read the guide →
- Dust cup
- A removable container that collects dry debris in a bagless vacuum cleaner. Read the guide →
H
- HEPA
- A filter standard capturing at least 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns. Read the guide →
- High-touch surface
- A frequently handled surface such as a door handle or light switch that may need routine cleaning. Read the guide →
- Hybrid mattress
- A mattress with a coil core and foam or latex comfort layers. Read the guide →
I
- Impact driver
- A tool that adds rotational blows to drive long screws and bolts. Read the guide →
L
- Lidar
- Laser navigation that lets a robot vacuum map rooms accurately. Read the guide →
M
- Memory foam
- Foam that contours slowly to the body for pressure relief. Read the guide →
P
- Percale
- A crisp, matte, breathable sheet weave. Read the guide →
- Pints per day
- A dehumidifier capacity measure describing moisture removal under specified test conditions. Read the guide →
- Pocket depth
- How deep a mattress a fitted sheet will fit. Read the guide →
R
- Rug pad
- A layer under a rug that prevents slipping and protects floors. Read the guide →
- Runner
- A long, narrow rug for hallways and kitchens. Read the guide →
S
- Sateen
- A smooth, silky sheet weave with a slight sheen. Read the guide →
- Seat depth
- The distance from the front of a sofa seat to the back cushion. Read the guide →
- Self-emptying dock
- A base that empties a robot vacuum's bin into a sealed bag. Read the guide →
- Sheen
- The amount of light reflected by a paint finish, from low reflection to a glossy surface. Read the guide →
- Sleep trial
- A period, often 100 nights or more, during which you can return a mattress. Read the guide →
T
- Thread count
- The number of threads per square inch in a fabric. Read the guide →