Choosing a new vacuum cleaner can confuse even the most savvy shopper. Which accessories are most useful? Add to this the fact that vacuum cleaners can vary in price from under $75 to well over $1500 and it’s easy to see why the selection can be so difficult. One of the many decisions to be made before purchasing involves the filtering system and knowing more about HEPA will make you a smarter consumer. The term “HEPA” is an abbreviation for “High Efficiency Particulate Air.” These filters were originally developed during the Manhattan Project in the 1940’s to prevent the spread of airborne radioactive contaminants.HEPA filters may be beneficial to asthma and allergy sufferers because the HEPA filter traps the fine particles which can aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms. For a HEPA filter in a vacuum cleaner to be effective, the vacuum cleaner must be designed so that all the air drawn into the machine is expelled through the filter, with none of the air leaking past it.This is often referred to as "Sealed HEPA" or sometimes the more ambiguous "True HEPA."

Vacuum cleaners simply labeled HEPA have a HEPA filter, but not all air necessarily passes through it.Vacuum cleaner filters marketed as "HEPA-like" will typically use a filter of a similar construction to HEPA, but without the filtering efficiency.“True” HEPA filters must be individually tested and certified to meet the 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 micron performance level. Each filter is subjected to sophisticated testing, after which the individual filters are assigned a serial number and the test results are recorded on the filter itself. If you are looking at a vacuum without this information on the filter, it is not a true HEPA vacuum.Though high-efficiency filters like HEPA might be best for those who are particularly sensitive to dust and allergens, results from a leading consumer testing company show that many vacuums without HEPA filters do an excellent job of keeping the dirt inside the machine. For healthy people who may not be as sensitive, these HEPA-free machines may suffice.

John Bower, author of The Healthy House, agrees, pointing out that larger particles such as pollen can be removed by even a medium efficiency filter like those found on most vacuums. hello kitty vacuum cleaner toy"HEPA filters can make a difference for people with asthma and allergies, but in a lot of cases, HEPA filters are overkill," Bower says.db ratings vacuum cleanersDyson vacuum cleaners created quite a sensation when they were originally introduced. vacuum cleaner sales perth waIn fact, Dyson’s marketing campaign was largely responsible for the creation of the bagless vacuum category and it spawned many imitators. It is interesting to note that Dyson vacuums (and some other bagless units) do utilize HEPA filters.

However, allergy sufferers may want to consider the sometimes dusty and messy chore of emptying the dirt cup and cleaning the filters. Some consumers prefer not to see the soil and simply change the bag.Dyson machines have also been accused of causing excessive fuzzing and pilling of various carpet styles. This problem has led several carpet manufacturers to void the warranty if such a vacuum is used, due to the aggressive nature of the brushes on Dyson vacuum cleaners. This includes both synthetic and wool carpet products, though loop pile wool yarns are most susceptible to this type of damage.One of the greatest benefits of applying a protective treatment to new and existing carpets is that it makes the fibers more soil resistant, creating a more effective vacuuming process. In addition, our Service Centers are always on call to help you with every question concerning the care of your carpet.The professionals of the Fiber-Seal Fabric Care System are trained to deal with all types of stains and soils, even the most difficult.

With the latest in carpet and fabric protection technology and the most effective spot removal products and procedures, your local Fiber-Seal Service Center is ready and willing to help.Your local Fiber-Seal Service Center is ready to help and just a few clicks away...  find out which one is closest to you by clicking here..Always use fabric experts to clean and protect your upholstered furnishings.This vacuum cleaner guide will review the pros and the cons of bagless vacuums and vacuums that use a bag so you can determine which would be the best for you. Great Vacs started selling vacuums on the internet in 1998 and since then we have sold over 10,000 high end bagless and bagged vacuums on the internet alone. Because of our volume we get on average 100 emails a day. Most of which are asking what is the best kind of vacuum and asking for general vacuum knowledge. This is an email we get asked a lot: which is better bagless or bagged vacuums? First lets talk about the history of bagless vacuums.

Most people think that bagless vacuums are a new thing but bagless vacuums were around before the bag was even created. For example the Kirby vacuum even used bagless features until the 1980s. So why did they quit making bagless vacuums? They were really messy. You had to take the bag unit off and dump the dirt in your garbage and it was really messy. Plus over time your filtration in your bag would get clogged with dirt so you had to wash your cloth bag in the washing machine. So then someone came out with this great idea of just making a disposable bag that you just throw away and you can avoid all of the mess. So what are the benefits of the bagless vacuum? There are several actually. The main reason is you don't have to buy vacuum bags and that can be a money savings (in theory). Then as your dirt chamber starts to get full you just remove it and dump it in the garbage. Another benefit is as your dirt chamber gets full your vacuum does not lose suction (in theory). So what are the benefits of a vacuum that uses bags?

Well the main reason is that there is no mess when you go to empty your dirt. You just pull off the old bag and throw it away and then put on a new bag. Another big benefit that I have seen is filtration is typically better. For example most bagless vacuums just have HEPA (or similar) filtration and a lot of bagged vacuums have a great filtering bags plus a HEPA filter (or similar filtration). With Filtration the more higher or tighter or better the filtration the more power it takes to push the air through. So with a lot of bagged vacuums you can pick the filtration you would like based on your needs. For example with the Kirby vacuum they make the HEPA disposable bags (filters down to 1/10 of 1 micron) and the Micron Magic bags (filters down to 1/3 of 1 micron but still is awesome filtration). So if you have really bad allergies you go with the HEPA bags but if you don't but still want great filtration you go with the Micron Magic Filtration and your vacuum has a little extra power.

So what are the cons of the bagless vacuum? Do you remember their were a couple of pros for bagless vacuums that I ended with (in theory)? The first was you can save money by having a bagless vacuum and not having to buy bags? The truth of it is that most bagless vacuums have cheap NON WASHABLE Filters that have to be replaced. They usually have to be replaced once a year or so and most HEPA filters cost about 30 dollars on average. In other words by the time you replace the HEPA filters it actually cost more that if you had bags that you had to buy. So the way around that is to buy a vacuum with a WASHABLE filters. So when it comes time to replace the filter you just wash it, let it dry, and put it back. The other one I mentioned was that on a bagless vacuum you wont lose suction as your dirt chamber fills up. The reality of it is as your filter gets clogged with dirt you lose suction. Depending on the vacuum and filter sometimes this can be worse than with a bag filling up and losing suction.

The third and main con to using a bagless vacuum is they are still messy when you dump them. Well you will have to continue to pay for your disposable bags. Also as your bags get full you will lose suction. There are several high end vacuums that have found a way around this. The main way to do this is to change your bag before it gets all the way full. For example on the Kirby vacuum they have a very large bag and there is a line half way up the bag. The line is marked and says to change the bag when it reaches that point. IN MY HUMBLE OPIONON - So now that you have all of this info you are probably still wondering which is best so let me share my thoughts with you. To be honest, I am not a big fan of the bagless vacuum. Especially ones that you can buy at your local big box super store. I have seen a lot of these come in with more dirt on the outside of the vacuum than the inside of the vacuum. For more information on why that is check out my article Picking the right Vacuum article.

However I do have a bagless vacuum that is very popular and we sell tons of that are a great vacuum. That is the Rainbow Vacuum. It uses water to filter with (no bags or filters to replace, you just dump out your dirty water when you are done). With some of the Newer Models (the Eseries and the E2) they also have HEPA filters as well. The filters are available in Washable and Non Washable on the E series. So I feel like if you are going to buy a bagless vacuum make sure it is a high end vacuum and has a filtration system that won't need replacing every year. I would stay away from cheap bagless vacuums that don't do what they are supposed to do. If you have bad Asthma or allergies I would suggest going with a bagged vacuum that has a good bag and a filter. Over time I think you will be very pleased with their performance. So I could have any vacuum made in my home and which one do I use? I use a Kirby vacuum with Micron Magic Filtration (we don't have allergies of course). Free Advice - If you are still confused as to the right model or vacuum for your family (everyones needs differ) then please feel free to fell out the form below and tell us about your situation (like how much carpet, hardwood, allergies, pets, kids) and we would be glad to help you get a vacuum that would be perfect for you.

Which vacuum cleaner is the best?   We get asked that question all the time.    The fact is it depends on YOUR needs and YOUR situation.    At GreatVacs we are experts at vacuum cleaners and carry all the best brands.    We have rebuild over 50,000 vacuum cleaners (all models) and we know vacuums.    A FREE service that we offer is tell us about your situation and we would love to suggest something that you will LOVE.    Put our expertise to work for you and get a vacuum or air purifier that is perfect for your needs. Do you prefer Uprights or Canisters? Tell us about your home or space you are cleaning? Do you have Allergies? From a scale of 1 to 10 how bad are they? If you had to choose one of the following vacuums which one would you choose? A lightweight vacuum that will not deep your clean your carpet all of the way but clean the top 1/2 of the carpet but very light and easy to use. A heavier vacuum but powerful. It cleans the top of the carpet and also is a deep cleaner that cleans all of the dirt out of all of your carpet (deep cleaner).