Vacuums & House Cleaning

We have been talking about your carpet as an air filter and the need for emptying the filters regularly. Frequent vacuuming with a high quality vacuum is the most important step in removing the allergens and pollutants trapped in your carpet and restoring the effectiveness of your carpet as a filter. But what constitutes a high quality vacuum and how should we vacuum our homes?

Filters: As we said last week, many of the particles that give us the most grief are in the respirable 1-10 micron range. Most standard vacuums only filter to about 8 microns, so while they pull the allergens out of the carpet they can broadcast it back into the air. Ever wonder why you cough more after vacuuming? Look for vacuums with high efficiency filtration or better. Note: just because it has HEPA filter does not mean it is a HEPA vacuum. If the whole system is not well sealed, a lot of unfiltered air will leak out.      

Brush Action: Effective vacuuming of residential carpet requires the right combination of brush and suction. Too little brush action means debris is not loosened from the pile. Too little suction results in loosened debris flying into the air. Warning: excessive brush action with too stiff a brush roller or one set on too low a setting can permanently damage carpet fibers. This is particularly important on some of the new soft feel carpets.

Guide to finding a good vacuum: The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) tests vacuums for several qualities: among them, total emissions from the vacuum, including its exhaust and brush roller, as well as the for potential damage to the carpet. The CRI website lists many approved vacuums in all kinds of price range. This is a good place to start your search.

A few other tips: make sure your vacuum is working properly such as the brush roller turning freely and that any hoses are not clogged. Also, change filters as recommended and empty your vacuum bag or canister when it is between half and two thirds full.

Next time: hints on the process of vacuuming.

Author: Bruce Vance