Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

I can't stand the smells anymore. Carbon filters don't work. Neither do the treated bags. I'm really curious about a few models of bagless power nozzle canisters:

1. LG Kompressor

2. Hoover Windtunnel Bagless. (The silver canister rebadged for Hoover. aka LG Cyking)

3. Hoover Platinum Windtunnel Bagless.

4. Some of the Electrolux bagless canisters.

One thing I've got to have on a canister is a long hose. I just realized the other day that the hand tools to my Miele Capricorn are immaculate. I suppose I never use them because the hose is so short! Any thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

hooverman wrote:
Not quite. Not all vacuums are the same in this regard - if paper dust bags have an open seal with rubberised corners on the perimeter of the hole, this works well to keep any powder in, like Shake N Vac or soda powder, and of course, the design of the vacuum in question, if the dust channel is made to keep dust in rather than leaking. Ive used single bags and 2 ply and find that the better quality Genuine bags on a lot of uprights and canisters seal the powder in without it leaking. In any regard though, baking powder isn't flammable so it is never going to ignite the motor if it ever comes into contact with it.

I have never used Baking powder in a vacuum or on the carpet, but have used Baking Soda.

Baking soda is not flamable, but it is corrosive.  So if it gets into the motor parts it can corrode bearings, brushes etc.

Just wrote:
Baking powder and baking soda powder are one in the same. The only time it will corrode bearings is if there's any moisture present since baking powder is a salt.

There have been other ways I've experimented instead of using baking powder - crushed up BBQ brickets of pure charcoal act in the same way as Miele's Active Air Clean or HEPA filter. So, even if you add baking powder to a vacuum's dust bag alone in the hope that smells will be minimised, it can help a fair bit - adding charcoal however gives a stronger defence.

Lucky1 wrote:

What am I really saying? Nothing at all. I've submitted a question to the forum and I'm getting good responses, well except for one.

If you read my message <carefully> , you'd see that I was inquiring about bagless canisters. The Dyson dc07 is an upright.

Ok, moving forward.

I tried borax in a new bag last week. so far so good. The mechanics of carbon for odor control was explained to me by a good friend of mine who's background is in organic chemistry. According to him, the reason why carbon baking soda and borax have limited effectiveness is because they neutralize the odors by reacting to the offending odor molecules. Upon this reaction with the odor molecules, the carbon molecules become neutralized as well. I do know that ozone molecules also work in this manner in those electronic ozone machine/air purifiers. Maybe someday we'll have a vacuum cleaner with an ozone generator built in.

Ozone is a pollutant, even those that are designed to eliminate odors in the home come with a caution.  If you have asthma or other breathing problems O3 is not for you.

Ozone as an unstable oxygen will turn to Peroxide when it comes in contact with moisture, including the moist tissue of your lungs.  Now I am sure someone will come up with a pro of breathing pure untreated car exhaust, but I wouldn't want that in my house either.

Y not go 4 a Hoover WindTunnel + Cyclonic U5780-9xx? That'll outclean any Diesoon or Oweck any day Better yet stick 2 bagged vacs like a Compact/TriStar (preferably w/PN 4 best results) there R plenty of them on eBay

There isn't a bagless vacuum made I would ever recommend, even to someone I disliked, because it would become yet another reason to dislike me. To me you might as well just buy an old fashioned shake out bag upright. They are simpler and less trouble overall than any bagless vacuum. I share your low opinion of the Miele. I know this makes me a Philistine to many vacuum enthusiasts but while the quality of their canisters is superb, the hose is just plain miserable, too short as you say, simultaneously too stiff yet easy to kink, no repair parts so if the hose starts to act up you have to buy a whole new hose and Miele attachments are worse than those on old Hoover uprights. If you want a really good canister with a long hose, buy a Kenmore Elite 21814. They have an 8 foot long hose. If you always use the genuine Kenmore Style Q synthetic HEPA dust bag you never have dirt in the bag chamber. Their bags are superb and seal perfectly to the lid where aftermarket copies of the Q bag have thin mounting cards and always leak dust. Use the Kenmore CF-1 pre motor filter with the genuine Q bag and you have filtration equal to anything Miele ever made. The Kenmore 81614 or BC4027 are another great canister with different power nozzles and a 7 foot long hose. Can't really say enough good things about Kenmore canister vacuums. The prices are reasonable, filter and bag prices are humane and they have perhaps the best hand brush in their Pet Powermate, compared to the crappy air driven hand brush Miele sells as an accessory. You can repair anything on them so they are not throw away vacuums. Even the hose can be repaired, every part is available. The Elite series are about the most powerful vacuums sold in the US with huge airflow. If you want a good upright at a reasonable price the Hover Hushtone commercial uprights are a great value. Hover synthetic HEPA bags use a really good material and the inside of the vacuum will stay clean using them. If you have the money a Windsor commercial upright is my preferred choice. They are custodian proof and will last a lifetime in most households. Don't buy the Sebo version with the automatic height adjuster. Too slow to adjust and adds complication. Stick with simple models with manual height adjustment. Again, use their synthetic HEPA dust bags. With these you won't have to deal with dust when emptying the vacuum.

Wrt Bagless vacuums, beware of Miele CX1 models.  They have an internal, hidden HEPA filter that requires major disassembly by an experienced vacuum tech to clean (an entire internal housing must be replaced to change the filter).  As for bag smells, Sebo offers bag deodorizers that work reasonably well.