Vacuum FIltration Poll

[amtraksebo1997]

I'm just making this to ask what your guys' stances on filtration on vacuum cleaners are, both old and new. Is having your vacuums be good at locking in fine dust, allergens, airborne pathogens, and other microscopic things? This is my first poll, so sorry if it's not the greatest compared to others.

 

[centralsweeper63]

I am not concerned in the least, dust gets kicked up by the nozzle anyway. Also, I used to have asthma, though with hundred of dust clouds being generated in my life with cleaning filters and emptying bins it has gone away. I mean big dust clouds, the size of multiple cars.

 

[cheesewonton]

I live in the high desert with two dogs, two cats and an energetic 11 yo boy. All of them conspire to bring the outdoors indoors. Considering how much dust a power nozzle or floor nozzle kicks up I think frequency of vacuuming is probably more important than getting one's panties in a bunch over filtration. I am more concerned about keeping the innards of the vacuum clean to be honest. Anything that might come out the exhaust is small potatoes compared to what the nozzle stirs up, or what the family brings in five minutes after I put the vacuum away. Many of the vacuums I use predate the adoption of HEPA filtration in vacuums, like old metal body Eurekas and 1970s/80s Kenmores. I find a way to incorporate a good quality synthetic HEPA dust bag and do what I can to improve the pre-motor filtration and that is enough. I use those dome shaped pleated HEPA pre motor filters where they will fit. Otherwise I try to make some sort of extra pre-motor filter using Electrolux EF-1 bulk filter media I buy from Europe.

 

[royalfan103]

Filtration for me is one of the reasons why I LOVE Bagged vacuums. Combined with their superior airflow and suction power.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

I suppose you're right. Vacuuming frequently to keep dust from accumulating in the first place, and cleaning your vacuum frequently is also important. Me personally, though, I probably don't vacuum as much as I should (and yes that's coming from a collector of all people). Partly because I'm procrastinating, partly because I'm not in the same house all the time, and partly because I'm busy. When I do vacuum, it's usually once every two weeks. I would do it every week, but again, I'm not in the same house every week. My parents don't really do it either, as they leave it to me since I'm the vacuum kid. When my family shared a house with another, I found myself having to do it every 3 days (much to the annoyance of everyone else in that house), otherwise the carpets would go back to the way they were. We also had backyard ducks, their hay and stuff would get tracked into the house, so that played a part in it too.

So yeah, it's a good idea to vacuum on a regular, frequent basis, but that's only so feasible. As for maintenance, I'd much prefer to have a vacuum that I don't really need to worry about constantly cleaning out. For the longest time, I'd just use whatever bags that I could find at my local grocery stores, those mainly being Filtrete branded paper bags, and as a result, the insides of my Hoover Windtunnels, Dirt Devil Featherlite, and others would be pretty dusty. That's why I pretty much only use HEPA bags in my machines nowadays. They let very little of the dust they pick up escape, and keep the inside/other filters almost spotless. And for bagless, if you were to hold me at gunpoint and tell me what kind I would recommend, I'd say to get one with a pleated HEPA pre-motor filter. Something like an F1 Bagless Dirt Devil, Eureka Whirlwind Litespeed, and other machines. Speaking from experience with my Breeze Bagless, the HEPA filter does almost all of the filtering before the motor, so that the air is already clean before it's exhausted out. No cyclones, no twin chambers, no weird filter components, just a HEPA filter. Basically, just do most of your filtering before the motor so that you don't really need to worry about motor damage or seals going bad.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Filtration for me is one of the reasons why I LOVE Bagged vacuums. Combined with their superior airflow and suction power.

Same.

 

[centralsweeper63]

If it has a bag it is fine for me.

 

[cheesewonton]

I prefer bagged vacuums and only use vintage machines that can use a HEPA dust bag. I do the best I can for filtration after the bag but don't get all wrapped up in whether the filter is H-13 vs True HEPA or even if the thing has an exhaust filter. I figure a synthetic bag is 90% of the battle and better than most bagless machines, except I have to say a couple of my Japanese bagless canisters run awfully darn clean. The place the removable dust compartment sits in stays clean as does that last pre-motor filter.

 

[centralsweeper63]

In my experience, 80s-00s Japanese capsule machine filter extremely well.

 

[SeboU1]

I must have high filtration, I have bad allergies and I’m severely allergic to dust mites. I don’t go crazy about the filtration, as long as it’s a good brand of vacuum, it has good filtration. My allergist recommended using a vacuum with a hepa filter. I really can’t tell the difference between hospital grade and hepa. My vacuuming frequency is usually twice per week, but if I can see anything on the carpet or floors, vacuuming must be done. I do run my Filter Queen Defender consistently, but I have not seen any improvement in my allergies, the filter gets full of dust. I usually try and vacuum all dust off furniture and other items, to prevent dust going into the air.

 

[vacerator]

We have allergies so yes, it's important. That's why we have a central vac system. Bags and hepa filters work, but built in is next level. Especially if installed in a garage.

 

[dysonman1]

I have three big dogs. They go out to the backyard and come back in 8 to 10 times a day. The Australian Shepherd sheds like no tomorrow. I will happily use a 1951 Kenmore Commander with just a cloth bag and a cloth motor filter. Dust never hurt me. And I never see anything come out of the machines. Whether it be a 1937 Electrolux or a 1951 Eureka Roto Matic, or 1952 GE swivel top. Even my 1958 Compact just uses a disposable bag and a cloth bag. Really grateful filtration is wonderful when you have several hours to thoroughly clean your house. But my house doesn't stay clean that long with the three dogs. And I have a complete central vacuum that I just never use except for sucking the lint out of the dryer. Between the humans and the canines, we create more dust in the house in the air, then will ever come out the back end of a vacuum. For my situation, filtration ranks about a two out of 10. Ability to remove dog hair from wool carpets ranks 10 out of 10. Everyone has things they value differently in this life.