Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Howdy all,

Per a New York Times story,  Halo ( http://www.gethalo.com ), the upright vacuum with the bug and germ killing UV light, as of last week has committed to a 20 million dollar advertising push over the next year in behalf of the new UV-ST model.  This is a little less than half of what Hoover shells out in the same time window.  The Halo UV-ST -- a fan-in-dirt- stream upright -- is priced at $499. 

The interesting part of the effort is that this may well be merely word play. Phil Smith who is president of BooneOakley, the firm devising the add campaign, states that, "Any vacuum, by Dyson, Hoover, Bissell, can't kill germs while it vacuums.  We're not going after any maker or model.  We don't see any competition."  An ambitious approach but to the best of my knowledge, though UV technology is used for disinfecting water and for sterilization, Halo has not put forth bona fide test results as to how well its product actually works in regard to rug cleaning or disinfecting.

Here's the link to the story but please note that you may have to apply for a free subscription to view it -- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/business/media/26adco.html    Interested consumers may also call 866-638-4256 and request an owners manual.

Best,

Venson

Consumer Reports October 2008 ratings for the halo UVX [w/o attachments] were decent.  Good for carpets and pet hair.  Excellent for barefloors and emissions.  Retail price shows $370 which is no longer the price.  COSTCO as well as other retailers price the top of the line halo [UV-ST with the attachments on board] for $179 which includes free shipping and 3 paper bags.  Probably a decent buy at the price. 

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11299638&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|103|4716&N=4000044%204294905087&Mo=0&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

The down side with any halo purchase is the prospect of future service/parts support.  Vacuum buyers/users: Roll the dice and take your chances.  Collectors:  Here's your chance to own a small piece [very tiny] of vacuum history.

Next on the Ken Garcia's agenda: Sell the halo UV-C rights to a competitor and fade into oblivion.  If there are any takers.  And surprisingly, even in this bad retail market, there may be a few.

Carmine D.

According to the latest studies reported by Good Housekeeping in its October 2008 magazine,  despite heroic housekeeping efforts made by many asthma and allergy sufferers to get rid of dust mites, those microscopic bugs that inhabit beds and bedding, nothing helps.

Now they can relax, say researchers who reviewed 54 studies involving 3000 asthma patients, and found that no special treatments, covering beds with mite-proof casings, vacuuming with special machines, or frequent washing in scalding water, eliminated enough of the bugs to make a difference.  Even when people reduced dust mites alot (and that was the case in only some of the studies reviewed), asthma symptoms didn't improve.

Study leader, Dr. Peter Gotzsche, advises: "Just keep your house clean."

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Thanks Carmine ,Venson, and the non fearmongers,We have been saying this for a long time now, Lets see how the industry puts a new spin on indoor air pollution, my vote would be for the more dust blowby the better,our new technology has been proven by independent testing labs,that when you drown the dust mites in dirt and  airborne particulates that the MITES become all happy and live by themselves in an obscure place in the home,thus reducing the threat to humans and animals..

Heres a  very enlightening approach, clean your house once in a while.............

MOLE

Well said MOLE. Well said.

Venson

" A Clean Home is a Healthy Home." 

I used it in 1949 before BISSELL.

Carmine D.

THE  ''HALO'' IS AT 139.95 ON EBAY,OFFERED BY THE DEAL MONGER...............HOW LOW WILL THEY GOOOOOOOOOOO..........

MOLE

By the Holiday season: $99.

Carmine D.