• What Is House Dust?
• What Do Doctors Recommend For Controlling Dust And Other Allergens?
• What Vacuum Technologies Are Available?
• What Type Of HEPA Vacuum Is Right For Me?
• Vacuum Comparison Chart
• Tips For Vacuuming Your Home
• This Month's Product Specials

Katie Weaver & The National Allergy Newsletter Team
http://www.nationalallergy.com/

What Is House Dust?
I try to vacuum regularly, or at least when I know company is coming over. Whenever I vacuum, I manage to fill the Dyson collection bin full of junk from my carpets and floors, but just what is all that dirt and fuzz? Research shows that about 70-90% of what we remove is gray/brown dust that contains a significant amount of dead skin cells. Somewhere between 5 and 25% of that debris is carpet or smaller fibers that have been loosened by traffic or by the mechanism of the vacuum itself. About 5% of the waste collection is hair. The remaining portion is actually what can be the most dangerous for allergy sufferers containing fur, food particles, insects, mites, sand and mineral dust, pollen and other plant parts, carbon and other pollution particles, and paper and packing materials. Other collected microbes include soil and skin organisms, bacteria and mold spores like penecillium, ascoporium, aspergillus and alternarium. There may even be allergenic animal dander - even if there is no pet in the home.

It may not sound too threatening that only a small percentage of the collected whole is made up of allergens and microbes. But consider that one gram of dust can contain more than a million bacteria, thousands of fungal spores, hundreds of pollen grains (depending on time of year) as well as live house dust mites. In fact, research performed at Dyson's lab shows that carpet might contain up to 1000 dust mites per square meter in more heavily infested environments. Given lower humidity and more frequent cleaning, this level could be lower in the 10's or 100's. These facts are only intended let you know how important it is to do frequent vacuuming with a efficient vacuum that can pull harmful particles from your floors and carpeting, rather than kicking them up.

What Do Doctors Recommend For
Controlling Dust And Other Allergens?
Carpeting is a haven for bacteria and dust mites, but furniture and beds are actually the most concentrated source of dust mites. Because of this, any home allergy-proofing regimen should start with encasing your home's mattresses and pillows. Encasings are the most doctor-recommended, non-drug allergy prevention method. You can prevent exposure to mites and dander on furniture by treating it with any number of home treatments designed to limit airborne allergen exposure. Many doctors recommend such treatments for their allergy and asthma patients.

Another critical step to controlling house dust is vacuuming carpet regularly. There is certainly a fair share of vacuum hype out there, but what our customers truly want to know is what do doctors recommend and what vacuums have we tested and found effective. Dr. Dennis Spangler, Chief Medical Officer for the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic says, "none of them are any good unless it's a HEPA vacuum. Those types of filters significantly eliminate the dust particles in the room." The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology agrees - one of their Indoor Allergen tips includes the following admonition: "People with allergies should use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or a double bag, since using a standard or water-filtered vacuum cleaner stirs dust up into the air."

If you are familiar with "allergy lingo", you probably recognize the acronym "HEPA". It stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air and has become the industry standard for both home air purifiers and vacuum filtration. A true HEPA filter, by definition, must remove 99.97% of particles at least 0.3 microns in size. This is as small or smaller than pollen, pet dander, mold and some smoke and smog particles. Particles that are 10 microns or less are considered respirable and can settle deep into the lungs. Respirable particles make up over 99% of the 7 million particles in every breath you take! All of our vacuums are outfitted with HEPA filtration, and some like the Dyson Uprights and the Electrolux Oxygen Ultra Canister, can remove nearly 100% of the tiny harmful particles by way of various technologies.

What Vacuum Technologies Are Available?
Upright vs. Canister. Efficient HEPA vacuums are available in a variety of styles and price ranges and come with any number of features. One of the first questions to ask yourself is whether you prefer a canister or an upright. One of our vacuum representatives told me recently that canisters are much more popular in the northeast and Europe than in other regions, while demand for uprights is much higher in the south and southwest. True to statistics, I purchased an upright for my Georgia home. The advantages to an upright are its strength on carpeted surfaces and the ability to adjust the cleaning head to different carpet heights. I also like the relative simplicity of vacuuming with an upright - no extra cords, nozzles or tubes unless I want to use them. The advantage of some newer uprights is their ability to act like a canister with a detachable hose, variety of attachments and long power cord.

I find that my new upright is a little less agile in and around our living room furniture. In addition to their reduced maneuverability and limited ability to reach into small places, uprights can also be louder and heavier than canister models. Knowing weight can be a deterrent for some people, Dyson's new DC14 models have been designed with a lower center of gravity and a more ergonomic handle for easier control. Size and storage can also be an issue for those of you who live in smaller living spaces - you may want the lightweight, compact design that canisters can offer.

Bagged vs. Bagless. Bagless cleaners have become increasingly popular since their introduction in the early 1990s. Dyson has had a great amount of success dispelling the prevailing view that a bagless machine is not recommended for an allergy sufferer. In fact, we even warned against bagless vacuums because many of them are not well sealed and particles are not settled well in the collection chamber so when the user tries to empty them, they are greeted with an allergenic dust cloud. This was an obvious concern of mine, as well as many of my co-workers who tested the Dyson. However, I found that if done carefully, emptying the Dyson created no more dust exposure than emptying a typical bagged vacuum. However, I would still advise that a highly sensitive individual wear a high-efficiency mask when emptying a bagless machine or have someone else do it for you. My favorite part of going bagless is the obvious savings in not having to purchase replacement bags. And in the case of Dyson units, even the HEPA filters are lifetime and don't need replacing (nor do their belts or other parts for that matter).

Over the years, we have supported a core of bagged vacuum cleaners with HEPA final filters. All of our Electrolux Models use bags that also include an easy-empty feature which protects the user from exposure to any of the bag's contents. If you are hesitant to part with your current vacuum but want more protection from allergens, using high-efficiency replacement bags is an important allergy-reduction option. Our Filtrete by 3M are available for a variety of vacuum models.

Power and Filtration. Most domestic vacuums measure power in wattage. Most canisters operate at about 1100 watts and most uprights pull about 1400 watts. Wattage is an indicator of the power with which the motor spins. Some manufacturers also use figures such Air Wattage and Water Lift that measure the suction power of the machine.

It is important to remember that the inclusion of a HEPA filter is not indicative of more suction power, it only means the vacuum is equipped to remove smaller, allergenic particles. Some vacuums add additional filters to maximize particle removal. For instance, the Nilfisk has a permanent cloth filter to catch larger particles that might otherwise clog the HEPA filter. Whatever extra filtration a HEPA vacuum may use, it is important to know whether the vacuumƒs filtration system is well-sealed. A vacuum can claim to have HEPA filtration, but may leak allergenic particles from joints and covers.

Some think that a water-based filtration system will improve the efficiency of a vacuum cleaner. The AAAAI cautions against water-filtration machines and research by Nilfisk America casts doubt on their safety for allergy sufferers. A study published by the American Lung Association's Respiratory Journal stated: "The sharp increase in airborne cat allergen associated with small particles when the water-filtering vacuum system was used was shown to be due to the formation of fine droplets by the machine. úIn contrast, the HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner effectively contained the allergen." There is also the issue of possible mold growth to consider with a water-based vacuum.

Handheld Models. Nothing beats the convenience of a cordless, handheld vacuum for kitchen crevices, quick car cleanup and spills. However, even small handheld vacuums can exhaust dirty air, which is why I recommend the DirtTamer Deluxe or DirtTamer Ultima by FilterStream. Each comes with extra-strong suction power, as well as attachments for various applications. These HEPA filtered hand vacs do the trick on small jobs without compromising the air you breathe.

What Type Of HEPA Vacuum Is Right For Me?
As you can see, we highly recommend HEPA filtration. Beyond that, the type of vacuum you choose largely depends on your living space, budget and desire for various features like telescoping wands, headlights, extra attachments, etc. Below is an abbreviated chart showing some of our available home vacuums and some helpful information about each of them.

Tips For Vacuuming Your Home

• Vacuum high-traffic areas more frequently so dirt cannot sink too deeply into carpeting.
• Make three passes of the vacuum over areas with light soiling, but five to seven passes are necessary for heavily soiled areas.
• Turn off any turbo brushes or beater-bars when vacuuming delicate rugs.
• Prolonged use of older-model "beater bars" will reduce carpet longevity.
• Full bags mean less suction, so be sure to replace vacuum bags often.
• If not vacuumed once a week, treat furniture with a dust-mite treatment product to reduce airborne allergens.
• Dust can accumulate along the edge of carpeting, so be sure to use an attachment to get down in the crevices and don't forget to run the attachment along the baseboard.

I hope this month's newsletter has helped you learn more about vacuum cleaners and their role in keeping a clean, allergen-free home. The world of HEPA vacuums is an ever-expanding industry with hundreds of choices and lots of claims. We stand by our selection of HEPA vacuums and have tested them all for efficacy. Remember that we want you to be satisfied - if after 60 days you are not happy with any product purchased from us, for any reason, we'll be happy to take it back.



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This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor first about your specific condition, treatment options and other health concerns you may have.

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