cloth or paper bags

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n0oxy

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Hey everyone. so, what is everyone's preference for your bagged vacuums, paper or synthetic bags? I would think the synthetic cloth bags would always be better than paper. For one thing, they would not rip as easily, the pores shouldn't clog as much and they provide much better airflow. My Panasonic mc-cg902 came wiith a paper bag, I replaced that with the Kenmore q bag which is synthetic, and there is definitely a difference. I also use the Perfect c bags in my Aerus classic instead of the paper bags provided by Aerus, again, much better performance. Apparently you can choose what kinds of bags to use with your backpack vacuum as well, some can be reused, I think I would rather have the kind that you use once and then throw them out.
 
There is really no good reason to use paper bags anymore.

They clog up fast, don't expand well and are bad for the environment. These days, it really isn't all that more expensive to buy HEPA bags online, especially in bulk. They really DO improve airflow and filtration. You can also MAKE HEPA bags for almost every vintage vacuum (except the shake out bag models.) Just look at the bag compartment when you use paper bags. There is a layer of dust on the bag chamber. I see this all the time. Some of that dust is getting into the motor. The motor is better protected and not only that, the air FEELS cleaner. Use HEPA bags in ALL your machines, and you will notice a difference within a few weeks. It happened to me at least. I used to be in the same boat, thinking that the cloth bags were overrated and too expensive. It wasn't until I switched that I realized the difference they make.
 
In my personal experience with my kirbys, the mid line paper bag always seemed to be very stiff and ridged when the machine was turned on, however when I put a tol hepa bag in it breaths better and the bag is a lot less ridged this would make me think the hepa bags work better and put less stress on the motor,so I'm all for hepa.
 
The "hype" should really be on Hepa FILTERS, not BAG

Hepa filters on their own are useless unless the rest of the system is completely sealed. I agree with you in that instance. However, it is a simple fact that Hepa bags are much more efficient than paper bags in regards to motor protection, filtration and performance. I have a Kenmore upright like yours and used the genuine paper bags. After a couple of uses, I would always find THICK dust in the bag compartment. I tried the better kind and got the same result. Use a paper bag in a vacuum over a few weeks and eventually, there will be a coating of dust outside the bag. There isn't ANY dust whatsoever inside any of my vacuum's bag compartments that use Hepa BAGS. Just the same with my Electroluxes. There isn't more dust outside the bag, so there isn't more dust inside the motor. Cloth stretches better and is more breathable than paper as well. Any talk of a Hepa bag reducing airflow is complete nonsense to me. If that was actually true, I wouldn't still be using them in ALL my machines. I want them to always be as efficient as possible.
 
Cloth bags all the way.. With some machines, cloth (synthetic (hepa material) bags is the only option offered. They definitey allow the vacuum to breathe easier, providing stronger airflow and better overall performance it seems. They also retain the dust like no other. I used to use cheap paper bags in one of my Hoovers. The dust bag door on the inside would always be filthy, covered in dust. When I switched to hepa cloth bags and opened the dust bag door to take a peek it was TOTALLY CLEAN!!! Once I switched to cloth, I never looked back, they're worth it.
 
FantomFan

Cloth HEPA bags are NOT better for the environment! It's the other way around, paper bags are better for the environment. Those HEPA Cloth bags are made from polypropylene, which is a form of plastic. I would think that some of the plastic content used to make the bags may be recycled plastic, but still, think of that, the next time you throw out a HEPA Cloth bag, you literally just threw plastic in the garbage.

I do agree with you though on the filtration benefits the HEPA Cloth bags offer though, & especially the fact the motor is protected a LOT more than using paper micro-filtration bags. And since the filtration is so good & you can easily adapt a HEPA Cloth bag to fit older machines, that also means it can make your old Eureka or Hoover canister with no HEPA Filter on the exhaust suitable for allergy sufferers.

Rob
 
HEPA Cloth bags all the way!

I don't like paper bags. We had a Vax 6140 pet's vacuum which used paper bags and whenever you change the bag, you really do realise how much the suction deteriorates after a couple of vacuumings.

My Auntie has a Numatic Henry with HEPA-Flo bags and they are fantastic. No matter how full the bag gets there's still suction. The bag doesn't need to be changed for months because it never loses it's suction fully. If the bag is really full, it would only lose suction if it was so packed full that it's a matter of dirt starting to collect in the end of the narrow hose. It would lose suction because the suction can't penetrate the dirt and dust.

The reason why I used the word 'narrow' is because the bag has a large surface area and it's porous and very effective for it's intended purpose of being used in a vacuum cleaner. The hose is narrow and is non-porous.
 
Cloth all the way. They are far more durable, most of them to the point you'll have a hard time actually damaging them even deliberately. Most are electrostatic which helps with airflow, they are essentially one large filter, like just superior in every way and they cost around about the same. SEBO and nuamtic bags are made from 100% recycled fibres as well, even though you can make that type of cloth from renewable sources anyway.
 
Nar - You say some HEPA Cloth bags can be shaken out & re-used?!?! Ok, which brand & model of vacuum bags are we talking about here? I tried to do that once a while back, but I found that the dust gets separated from the dirt inside the bag, & the dust tends to get trapped in the layers of the material. No matter how much you shake the dirt out, you're NOT getting that fine dust out of the bag layers.

David - Not necessarily. It all depends what type of dirt your vacuum picks up to begin with. For example, a household with a dog & cat with lots of pet hair could easily use a paper micro-filtration bag & use it till it's packed to the brim with dirt, since human & pet hair doesn't clog the pores of the bag & it's just bulky. In that instance, you wouldn't get any longer life by using a HEPA Cloth bag. My ex-boyfriend, Craig, has a Kenmore Whispertone canister I sold him....he has a black lab & lots of pet hair, & he uses the yellow Kenmore 5055 bags in it, & he does just fine.

Rob
 
"Nar - You say some HEPA Cloth bags can be shaken out & re-used?!?! Ok, which brand & model of vacuum bags are we talking about here?"

SEBO of course. The top fill ones are easy enough to turn inside out if you have patience. Even the D series bags can be turned inside out easily enough, brushed clean if you don't want to WASH and allow the bag to dry.

I've done the shaking out, turning inside and brush clean once and the bag filled again with very little wastage. It can be reused once but after that you're looking at a very clogged bag unless of course you do the wash and dry option - but even then I find the bag isn't as good as a fresh one.

Actually pet hair can impact filtration layers - just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. I used to find that the layers on my Hoover paper bags would show signs of pet hair oil seeping through the layers as well as black dots which I can only assume is dirt within pet hair.
 
You are a true Scot Nar :-)
It's a messy business emptying a bag, you talk about emptying a dyson be being messy it's not as messy as emptying a bag that's not meant to be reusable. The Sebo bags are quite cheap to buy so I'd rather just dispose of them when full.
 
Oh of course there is that option, Sebo4Me but in the case of the D2 vac and countless other SEBO vacs brand new before they hit the UK market properly, sometimes when you have to get by on ONE bag it helps to know by experimenting before the dust bags are actually available to buy.

Lets not forget our vintage fans of classic Hoover uprights have had options to reuse the paper dust bag. The re-use formula is not a new fad.
 
reusing bags

Personally I would not reuse bags, the whole idea of bags is to avoid contact with the dirt you clean up. I think the backpack vacuums I am getting this week have a reusable bag option, but I would just assume relace it when it's full. I actually just replaced the bag in my vacumaid garage vac pro, the bag wasn't full but the exhaust was definitely starting to have a dusty smell to it. Replacing the bag solved that completely. That's the best thing about bagged vacuums, when you replace the bag, you reset your main filter.
 
Um well you don’t reset the main filter if you have a clean air vac that has another filter on board unless that filter is constantly replaced. The main filter still has to cope with whatever has been lined down the hose or dust channel. Main filters that can be replaced give the vacuum the best chance of being purged rather than washed and reused in my experience.
 
Reusing a DISPOSABLE bag brings back memories of my years at the Oreck store. Once in awhile, someone would bring one in for a tune-up, and before they left, I would give the machine a once over. I always knew what the case was when I opened the outer bag and found it and the disposable(paper) bag filthy. My response was, "that'll be an extra $20. to wash the outer bag, because more than likely, I was the one that was going to have to do it! We didn't have a washer so the bags had to be hand washed. YUCK! [this post was last edited: 1/20/2016-19:55]
 

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