What is your bag preference?

[rivstg1]

So, I picked up a Kirby G5 ( my fav due to the color) and it came with a 10 pack of paper bags for that machine specifically. I"m considering using them...or donating them to my friend in the vacuum store. I really only use Hepa bags ( except for one....temporarily) as I only used water (Rainbow) for allergy preferences from decades ago. I 'opened up' to bagged machines with HEPA only when I learned that technology had come a long way with filtration. So, I'm wondering what the rest of you do when vacuuming with your bagged machines. Use paper exclusively ( it's cheap), cloth Hepa ( better but more expensive, or a mixture depending on your machine. I"d imagine many of you with many vacuums....who rotate using them, might use the paper due to the cost of bagging all of them.

Tell me what you use!

Kurious Kelton

 

[tolivac]

The spun woven cloth HEPA style bags-they filter better-resist clogging better-you can pack them more full then with paper bags.Like one cloth bag can equal 2 or even more paper bags that their pores have clogged.

 

[blackheart]

Bags

I use hepa bags in any vac that can take them. They always seem to provide somewhat of a improvement to the machine's airflow, and as Rex stated they retain power better as they fill. The only real downsides are the increased cost and the longer decomposition time (I think)

 

[fan-of-fans]

I had never used HEPA cloth bags before, I always used paper bags, some with the allergen layer inside. But my Kenmore Progressive upright came with a new HEPA cloth bag and it seems to filter very well and no odors yet. When I replace it I'll order online as they are very expensive. I might switch to HEPA bags in my Kenmore canister as well. I use allergen bags in that but they don't filter as good.

In my Eureka Boss I use the Arm & Hammer paper bags, no smell and filters good with the outer bag.

In my vintage Hoovers, I use vintage green bags. I don't use those much, so can't say how the filtration is. There's no HEPA option with J unless I modify a bag to fit the collar.

 

[josh1998]

For my Kirby I use the generic paper bags. We have 2 dogs that shed so the bags get full pretty quick. The hepa bags are too expensive. I'm not like a cheapskate or anything, it's just that owning a house is more expensive than I realized it was going to be. I used whatever bags I could find in my eureka canister but right now I'm using the genuine eureka H bags. I found like 8 packs of them at a flea market for $5. The packs weren't opened but the bags are vintage. The paper is really thick and they have the black cursive E stamped on them as well as saying "genuine eureka".

 

[broomvac]

Synthetic HEPA all the way.

All of my bagged vacuums except for my F and G Sanitaire use genuine synthetic HEPA bags. The only reason I don’t use them with my Sanitaire is they don’t exist in that type.

With synthetic HEPA bags, you will notice a marked improvement in the following:
- Filtration (obviously)
- Life (it takes noticeably more dust to reduce the airflow)
- Strength (highly unlikely to tear or burst)

 

[blackheart]

F+G

They do make Hepa F+G bags, or you could use an overmold tube to convert to ST style bags

http://https//www.amazon.com/VACUUM-AMERICA-CLEAN-VAC-14/dp/B077P1B44L

 

[lesinutah]

Bags

I posted a link to sanitare St bag converts f&g.  No dirty bottom of bag.


I use Kirby hepa bags on Kirby's.  I use riccar brand hepa bags for supralite 4.  The riccar bags hold alot of debri.  I use it for almost a month vacuuming once or twice a week and we have a golden lab indoor dog.  I opened the last bag you could make a fur blanket.  The Kirby hold quite a bit too.  


We have g4 that uses micron magic paper bags.  I'm not a fan reduction in power is noticeable.


 



http://https//rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/273001172039

 

[rivstg1]

Thank you blackheart

I've been looking for hepa f&g!

If hep bags are costly to ya, an idea of getting more life from them would be to empty them carefully by hand and turn them inside out, use compressed air and blow them out, them turn them back outside in

 

[sptyks]

Rivstg1:


 


Emptying and reusing HEPA bags is not recommended. When a HEPA bag is full, its pores are mostly clogged as well reducing airflow significantly. So, when you re-install a used HEPA bag you are reducing the performance of your vacuum by quite a bit.


 


 

 

[rivstg1]

Sptyks

Ok, how about when it's not full but you turn it inside out and blow it out? How is that different from just using it when it's only 1/8 full? Blowing it out/clean as can be can only help it as compared to not and just using it till full. Advantage of doing that( especially of you have many machines that will almost never fill up or will take years to b/c you rotate there use) is that you wouldn't have to buy so may bags AND you limit accumulation smells in the bag. No?

 

[compactc9guy]

Re using any bag reduce air flow the bag is clog donnnnnmt do it sont turn it inside out you are using a clog bag and that is verrry bad.......ok

 

[rivstg1]

How is reusing it different than using a bag that's not new? Ie, using same bag for 3-6 months? It's clogged, according to what you are inferring , after you use it, even after only one time of use? Mehta am I missing here?

 

[bnsd60m9200]

i think hepa is way over rated

hepa is a RATING of filtration , not a style of filtration. what most people dont realize, hepa was designed for hospitals, cleanrooms etc. and is WAY beyond what is necessary for home cleaning even people who blame vacuum bags leaking dust on allergies. the market has brainwashed people into thinking hepa is the only viable way to filter all particulates out. in reality this is impossible, as the next day, more dirt and dust in the carpet you just vacuumed.

i use original brand vintage bags in all my machines when possible. genuine light blue or green old hoover bags filter well in my experience and dont leak dust. lux c bags filter amazingly well. sears bags filter ok, but i use merv 13 a/c filter on pre and exhuast air filters on my canisters no matter the brand anyways. the only bags i use that arent "original" is compact, because envirocare seems to be the only supplier of them, and vintage ones ive never seen.

old paper bags for vacuums from the 60s and 70s seem to filter much better the 80s or 90s original bags. thankfully those are still for the most part, plentiful reguardless of brand. generic brand bags unless they have a high micron filter rating i would avoid. generic brand vintage bags, on the other hand, in personal experience, are quite crappy and leak dust badly.

this is all provided of course, you empty the bag properly when full and dont let it burst.

 

[human]

I just use the cheap paper ones. I haven't noticed my vacuum cleaners belching dust and I'm no germophobe, so they work just fine for my needs.

 

[compactc9guy]

Never neeeeeever re use bag period dont care how full it is its pores are clog your DAMAGING your vacuum so neeever re use bags

 

[texaskirbyguy]

bags on my Kirbys...

I use the yellow paper bags on the Tradition since the HEPA ones will not fit it. I do not wish to modify it either. They seem to work okay, too.

I use the white HEPA bags in the 505 ('stealth' conversion) and Omega ('stealth' conversion and HII conversion options).

I converted my Mom's D50 to take the HEPA bags also in both 'stealth' and HII conversions. She is a clean freak and hated the dust buildup around the base of the old dump bag.

Yes, the HEPA bags are more expensive but online they can be had at reasonable cost. Buy a big pack since they will last. It also take me 2+ years to fill one of those big bags, so the cost per year is less than that of one lousy lunch. I do not have pets or kids, so my house stays pretty clean.

For those who have pets and or kids, a bag will fill in no time. Regular paper should be fine then unless someone has certain allergies.

If anyone is going through the dirty job of trying to clean & reuse a disposable bag, they might as well get a bagless vac and enjoy the mess less the bag expense... ;o)

 

[sptyks]

I agree with texaskirbyguy. If you are so cheap that you are going through all the trouble to turn a bag inside out, blow it out with compressed air which is a messy job and then re-install it, you might as well just get yourself a cheap bagless plasticrap  vacuum. Then you only have to empty the dirt bin and you're ready to go.


 


I own several Kirby's and a Royal metal upright and I use brand new HEPA bags in all of them. Nothing but the best for all my machines. At least I know that my machines are running at full performance and that their exhaust air is as clean as it can be.


 


 


 

 

[kloveland]

I'm not a big Hepa person either

I prefer to use the paper bags that actually go with my machines. I use mostly pre 1988 vacuums anyway. And when they start to smell I just throw them away and put a new clean bag in. And vintage bags are easily found at estate sales and thrift stores at least for me anyway.