Tested: Bagged vacuums lost suction when bag fills

[sebo_fan]

I am assuming that you machine wash the shake out dust bag regularly? Either way, a pipe cleaner with a piece of cloth on one end pushed through can be achieved as well as near wet wipes. I have used wet wipes before and find them to be great, provided I then push a dry lint cloth through the dry off the channel at the same time.

I realise there is a limitation in terms of a dirty fan vac design of an upright but if the Kirby's main dirt channel leading to the bag that can dismantled completely, i.e the filler tube as on the Kirby Tradition, then that's a start. If the filler tube is completely removable, its easier just to lay it into a bath of hot water and some washing detergent. This loosens all the muck and dog hair oil. Tubes can normally be hung up to dry right through, particularly if it is coiled where water will stay collected.

 

[human]

That's all just too much trouble

Reduced suction is just the vacuum cleaner's way of telling you it's time to replace the bag, which takes all of 30 seconds and then you're back to being productive without getting all covered with filth. In what universe is all that shaking and washing more convenient than just changing the disposable bag?

 

[n0oxy]

bagged verses bagless

This debate will probably continue as long as vacuums exist, personally I don't like bagless models, they are very messy to empty and the filters do clog much faster. If a bagged vacuum uses cloth bags instead of paper, which most do, the only time the performance would drop noticeably is if the bag is very full, and it's always good to change your bag before it gets to that point. Usually around two thirds full is a good reference.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well actually no, there are other variables to take into account with disposable dust bags or bagless - if suction is reduced there's a clog in the system. The first rule of thumb is to check airways which, lets face it average Joe may not do. Collectors are different though - they know what to do in general if there's reduced suction in general.

Respectively there may be a reason for those who prefer shake out bags. I know I did when I had one in my Vax canister vacuum. I didn't mind shaking out the dirt because I stood away from the bin when I did it and promptly threw the bag into the washing machine. The reason for this is purely because Vax don't yet produce synthetic dust bags for their Vax tubs. Why I'm unsure but the paper bags have a tendency to burst open at times if full suction power is applied.

Not all bagless vacuums are messy when emptying dirt. Not all bagged vacuums are clean when taking out the bag either - especially if ones don't have a seal upon removal.

 

[vacerator]

Naturally, and so many gimmicks

like the central vacuum system cloth's you can buy which claim to "clean" the pipes as they are sucked through the system.

 

[Mike81]

My sense of smell isn't the greatest (smoker) and I haven't noticed any "bad" smells. However I have noticed when I vacuumed a lot washing powder (for testing purposes) with my Lux Royal, smell came through it and there was a strong smell of it. Not bad smell by any means. Lux didn't have HEPA converter & HEPA filter installed. HEPA filter for it is optional and VERY expensive costing 61€. I really don't feel need to invest to it.

What it comes to much newer Electrolux vacuums with the HEPA13 filter they seems to keep the smell away very well. I have had UltraOne (bagged) and UltraPerformer (bagless) in the past. Now I have UltraFlex (bagless) and it has the same thing, no smells coming trought it.
All Ultra-series vacuums have A-class filtration, but that doesn't necessarily mean that bad smells can't get trought of those.
If that happens I would highly recomend to try Anti-Odor Pet s-bag EL203 bags. Those might help things.

http://https//www.amazon.com/Genuine-Electrolux-Anti-Odor-s-bag-EL203/dp/B00026730C

 

[vacerator]

I've tried

the E-Lux anti odor S bags. They do work the first couple of times. Then as the bacteria from pet hair grows inside the bag, they emit odor. What I did was spray Lysol disinfectant on the hepa filter before vacuuming.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

I'm bagged all the way
Andy

 

[marks_here]

It doesn't matter to me

Like I've said before i'm bag-saxual

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I've bought cleaners from Ebay.

Sometimes, you can smell a dog, etc.  I take care of that right away.


 Years ago, my late mother would spread moth crystals,  not balls, on the floor, and later, would vacuum them up.  I'm sure it was bad for us, but, I got used to that smell.  I also have 4 cedar closets in the house, so  THAT scent is very familiar as well.


 

 

[n0oxy]

vacuum smells

I put laundry crystals in my bags, works great, freshens the air as I vacuum. I do think cloth bags filter much better than paper bags. I have a couple of canisters that only have paper bags available for them, and the bag compartment definitely gets dustier than the canisters where cloth bags is used.

 

[mark40511]

I don't have much experience

with bagged canisters other than Kenmore canisters and my epic 6500 Lux canister.

The bag chamber in the Kenmore would always be dust, no matter if I used a thick hepa cloth bag or a paper bag....but the bag chamber in my epic6500 lux doesn't get a speck of dust in it, and I've only used paper so far. So I have to wonder if it's the way the bag seals in as opposed to the bag itself. On the Kenmore, I don't think dust leaked from the bags, but from the area where the bag connected to the slot itself. The lux bag is much more sealed at the connection. I've taken a white damp cloth to my lux bag chamber, running it down the nooks and crannies, and it's always spotless, no matter how much crap I've sucked up in the old bag....So I don't know honestly, because the lux bags feel so cheap to me (even though they say 4 ply). If I had a dusty bag chamber I'd definitely be using the cloth bags, but so far I haven't, so I have yet to switch to them.

 

[n0oxy]

kenmore bags

I have a Panasonic mc-cg902 which uses the same bags that many Kenmore vacuums do. It came with a paper bag but I replaced that with a Kenmore Q bag, dust compartment is very clean, but you're right, this depends on a good seal between the bag holder and the bag itself. If it's a loose fit, the dust will bipass the bag.

 

[anthony]

i am reading through this post

chuckling to my self as i remember my mums used and abused Hoover senior in regular use for nigh on 40 years .it lived behind the front door permanently plugged in always ready for a quick clean up after meals Ect its bag so full it would be trailing on the floor the zipper long gone and the bag closed with a couple of safety pins and when it did get emptied the paper bag would be reused until it fell apart .every so often mum would say[ take a look at the hoover it getting a bit slow ] what she meant of course was it was not performing very well .Off it would go into the shed for what can only be described as a decoke new belt new brushes [both kinds ]a new bag and on occasion a new length of flex .The poor old thing lives with me now and has been fully restored and leads a much easier life

 

[sebo_fan]

My gran loved her Junior but not its bottom fill bag. Constant mess every time it came off the bottom fill tube. My parents has the top fill Junior U1104 for best part of 13 odd years. So much cleaner and easier.

 

[rvarley]

Well, I finally bit the bullet and bought a bagless, cordless Dyson V8 so the question of whether or not a well maintained bagless vacuum will smell after a lot of use in a 2 pet household will be objectively answered. None of the solutions I've every tried with the bagged have either lasted long or done much more than masked an unpleasant smell with a cloyingly sweet scent. I must admit to always having pre-judged Dysons without ever having used one. The space age looks annoy and I find the advertisements pedantic. And all that creaky plastic looks cheap and disposable. To be fair, I decided to try one and see for myself. This reminds me of the Mac vs. PC debate. There are haters on both sides and I was firmly in the PC camp. I've since tried all the Apple products and while not a convert, I can say that there are both advantages and disadvantages and can speak from experience. One thing I can say for Mac that I doubt I will be able to say about Dyson - Macs neither feel nor look cheap (and they aren't).

Sorry for the rant. I know this is sort of straying from the topic. When the V8 arrives and I've used it for a while, I'll post a review. My hope is that it is a) A convenient vac for quick cleanups before leaving for work and b) doesn't smell after it's been used for a while.

 

[sebo_fan]

I have also tried the Dyson and I find it impressive. However I have no need for it in my life and would just rely on cheaper to buy cordless dust busters. Either way its a heck of a lot faster and cleaner than using a dust pan and brush in my experience!

 

[rvarley]

@sebo_fan - have used cordless Swiffer stick vac. OK for a $40 dust buster on a stick, but it is meant for hard floors only. Of course this Dyson as expensive to the point of not being the most cost effective solution, but that's not the point. Were practicality and thrift my first priority, a second hand vacuum from Goodwill thrift store would be the way to go.