If you are allergic, you should choose a vacuum that employs multi-layered dust bags, offers HEPA filtration, and is built with a sealed casing material.
Regular Vacuuming helps drive the allergens out by sucking them through the air. While the proper vacuum can provide great comfort with allergens, the incorrect vacuum might introduce more allergens into your home’s air, exacerbating symptoms of allergies.
Most conventional vacuums cannot catch the microscopic particles that cause allergic responses. Leaks in the casing of the vacuum cleaner also allow allergens to escape.
Read below to learn more about what to look for in an anti-allergy vacuum.
What is an Anti-Allergy Vacuum?
Anti-allergy vacuum cleaners drive air through specially made material tightly compacted and organized to trap and retain 99.97% of particles, including dust, pollen, and animal hair.
These vacuum cleaners can filter particles of diameter up to 0.3 microns.
The thickness of human hair is around 300 times larger than 0.3 microns to give you some idea of how minute an allergen can’t escape through an anti-allergy vacuum cleaner’s filter.
Here’s my best choice for anti allergy vacuum cleaner which I bought for my grandmother.
How does it work?
When you vacuum using an anti-allergy vacuum cleaner, air enters the vacuum’s powerhead, directly collecting dirt and particles into the dust cup or trash container. Then, the same air continues escaping from the device through the exit vent, often found at the rear or base of the vacuum.
If you do not have an anti-allergy vacuum, fine dust and allergens like pollen, germs, and hair flow first out of your home into the vacuum and then back into the air without enough filtration.
Mind that particles as big as 50 microns may escape from vacuums without HEPA filtration and return to the air in your house.
Even after running the full cleaning schedule, your ambient air will be as full of irritants and allergens as it was before vacuuming.
The Importance of an Anti-Allergy Vacuum Cleaner
Usually, numerous allergens can flourish in our home environment, and they can build up and become more prevalent than in outdoor settings. They can be the reason for various allergies and other respiratory ailments.
An example of this kind of allergy is dust allergy. This is caused because dust is not just dust, but dead skin cells, organic fibers from clothes, some soil, dirt, or pollen from the outdoors, as well as the dust mite, are all parts of the mixture that make up dust.
How do Anti-Allergy Vacuum Cleaners Help?
The most frequent allergy triggers are pollen, animal hair, hairballs, and dust mites found on carpets, mattresses, and couches.
In order to prevent these irritants from causing allergies to linger in the home, allergy patients must exercise extreme caution, keep their houses clean, and seal off any impure air.
Conventional cleaning and dusting techniques leave these allergens behind, putting you at risk for allergies and other health issues.
Using a vacuum cleaner to remove allergens is a quick and simple solution.
However, not every vacuum cleaner has the ability to lessen the allergens in a space. An anti-allergy vacuum cleaner is a specially-designed vacuum made of a specific material. It uses a HEPA filter that collects the allergens from the environment and prevents them from getting released back into the room again.
In short, anti-allergy vacuum cleaners are the solution to minimize allergies successfully.
What should You Look for in a Vacuum Cleaner for Allergies?
If you have allergies, having the correct vacuum cleaner is essential. When you clean using the right vacuum, a reliable vacuum cleaner lowers discomfort and prevents sneezing.
A vacuum cleaner must fulfill a few criteria to be designated as allergy-friendly.
We’ll go through those characteristics so you understand what to look for when buying a vacuum cleaner.
Check what filters the vacuum cleaner has
An anti-allergy filter must have a HEPA filter. A HEPA filter is an exhaust filter that renders your vacuum’s re-emission clean and free of microscopic allergens.
This filter traps all particulate matter, allergens, pollens, and dust particles, preventing them from being released back into the air.
If you or some of your family members have allergies, you should use a vacuum with a specific anti-allergy filter or a HEPA 13, HEPA 14, or HEPA 15 filter. These filters prevent 99.95% and 99.995% of all dust particles.
For optimal performance, you should change filter every six months.
The suction brushes can remove allergens from rugs and carpets
It’s very important to consider what attachments your vacuum cleaner comes with. The numerous vacuum cleaner attachments are not what may immediately come to buyers’ minds when purchasing a vacuum, but they are still highly significant.
With the appropriate tools, such as suction brushes, you can clean your carpets, furnishings, and all of the nooks and corners more effectively. These areas become covered in dust and filth, and without a suction brush, it’s almost impossible for the vacuum to pull out the dust from those.
And if you own a furry pet, a turbo brush is a must-have in your vacuum cleaner’s attachment inventory. This attachment’s bristles rotate quickly and easily, taking pet hair along.
Look into the dust emission of the vacuum cleaner
When you vacuum, the air that the vacuum uses initially for suction gradually fills the room again when the cleaning is done, and trash is collected. This is called re-emission.
When buying a vacuum cleaner for someone with allergies, it’s crucial to consider dust emissions.
You do not want to buy a vacuum that releases all the allergens it captures during suction back into the room, so while purchasing a vacuum, check whether the re-emission contains any dust. If yes, the vacuum is not the right fit for you.
Emptying the Vacuum Cleaner Should Be Easy and Hygienic
Though having a vacuum cleaner without a bag is easy, you need a different setup if you have allergies. We still advise getting a vacuum with a bag if you have allergies.
Usually, you dump the dust bin over the garbage can when it’s full. It has two drawbacks; first, emptying the container is messy. Second, for those who have allergies, this can trigger allergies.
Vacuum Cleaner Should Be Allergy-Friendly Certified
Always check, while purchasing, whether the vacuum is allergy-friendly certified or not. Authorities such as ‘Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’ (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) certify vacuums based on re-emission quality and its effect on allergy-affected people.
Vacuums that have been certified reduce exposure to harmful chemicals and improve air quality and home environments.
The benefits of certified asthma and allergy-friendly products extend beyond those with these conditions.
What type of vacuum is best for allergies?
When choosing a vacuum for allergies, the most important thing to consider is a high-quality HEPA filter.
HEPA filters are specifically designed to capture small particles such as dust mites, pollen, pet hair, and other allergens that can trigger allergic reactions.
Vacuums with HEPA filters have been proven to significantly reduce allergens in the air and on surfaces, making them an ideal choice for allergy sufferers.
Aside from a powerful HEPA filter, other features to consider when selecting a handheld vacuum for allergies include:
- Adjustable suction power.
- Sealed systems that trap allergens and keep them from escaping back into the air.
- An onboard filtration system with multiple filters.
Can vacuum cleaners cause allergies?
Vacuum cleaners are not the primary cause of allergies, but they can contribute to them. Vacuums stir up dust and other allergens in carpets and furniture, which circulate in the air. For those with allergies or asthma, this can be a problem.
To reduce potential reactions from vacuuming, choosing a vacuum with good filtration and using an allergen-reducing bag is important. Regularly cleaning the filter on your vacuum can also help reduce allergens in the air.
Additionally, vacuuming regularly will help keep dust and other particles from accumulating and causing more issues for those with allergies or asthma.
Are bagless vacuum better for allergies?
Generally, bagless vacuums can be better for allergies because they don’t contain any dust or allergens that the suction of a traditional bagged vacuum cleaner could stir up.
Bagless vacuums often contain a sealed-off chamber that captures dust and dirt particles, preventing them from being released back into the air. This can help to reduce the number of allergens that could be inhaled when vacuuming.
Additionally, bagless vacuums are easier to clean since all you have to do is empty the chamber and any collected debris.
On the other hand, a traditional vacuum cleaner would require you to replace the bag every time it gets full of dust.
What are the best vacuum cleaners for asthmatics?
When buying a vacuum cleaner for an asthmatic, it is important to look for a few key features. These include HEPA filtration, sealed construction, and powerful suction.
HEPA filtration captures up to 99.97% of particles from the air that passes through it, including dust, pet dander, mold, and even certain bacteria.
A sealed construction ensures that all the dust and debris is contained within the vacuum cleaner’s dust bin or bag so it doesn’t recirculate back into the air. And powerful suction helps to ensure thorough cleaning of carpets and upholstery.
When shopping for a vacuum cleaner, look for certified asthma and allergy-friendly models by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. And be sure to look for Energy Star-rated vacuums; these use less Energy than traditional models and can help lower your electric bill.
Some of the best vacuum cleaners for asthmatics include Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum, and iRobot Roomba 980 Robot Vacuum. These models offer powerful suction, excellent filtration systems, and Energy Star ratings.
Final Thoughts
It takes a lot of cleaning and precautions for people with allergies to keep allergies and respiratory difficulties at bay. While maintaining cleanliness is not enough, as allergens can suspend in the air as minute particles and disturb your health, using the correct equipment can guarantee that allergens in your house are adequately eliminated.
To keep allergens out of your home, use a HEPA or anti-allergy filter vacuum cleaner. Make sure the said vacuum cleaner is allergy-friendly certified.
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