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Health & Wellness: A Good Vacuum Cleaner, Filter Can Help Improve the Air in Your Home

Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog

By Natasha Anderson

The right vacuum cleaner plays a role in reducing the allergens and irritants that plague so many of us. According to Phillip Koch, with Saniway Vacuum Cleaner Company in West Asheville, using a bagged vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter captures particles that would otherwise escape and re-enter the air you breathe. An independent test done by IBR Laboratories, an accredited filtration and testing laboratory, found that on average, the leading bagless vacuum emitted 808,515 particles per minute while the leading bagged vacuum emitted 3,051 per minute. In addition to dust, dust mites, pollen and mold spores, vacuums also need to filter toxic chemicals and pathogens.

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“Spills of dangerous substances do happen,” says Koch. “Though I implore you to refer to EPA.gov when dealing with the removal of toxic substances, there are times when things go unnoticed and having a vacuum cleaner with better filtration ability is essential to good health.”

Some viruses may be transmitted by vacuuming without adequate filtration. The hantavirus (HPS), often carried by mice, is a common example. When vacuuming, feces containing the virus can become aerosolized and infect anyone who breathes them, if not filtered correctly.

Maintaining your vacuum also affects its ability to improve your air quality. For those with a HEPA bagged machine, Koch recommends changing the filter every 16 bags which, for most, is every 3-4 years. Saniway offers maintenance and repair services on all makes and models of vacuums with free diagnosis.

“In an effort to reduce waste in our landfills we try to keep repairs affordable so more people will continue to fix their vacuum rather than replace it,” says Koch. “Also, when vacuums are traded in for new, we recycle as many parts as we can to fix others.”

Saniway Vacuum Cleaner Co. is at 505 Haywood Road, Asheville. For more, visit SaniwayVac.com, call 828.254.0734 or email SaniwayVac@gmail.com.

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