Forum - Are Bagless Healthy?

tiger21

Ultimate Member

I love YaBB 1G -
SP1!

Posts: 638

Are Bagless Healthy?
03/05/05 at 7:02pm

In the last two days I have been approached by customers wanting see what cleaners were out there that were bagged and HEPA sytems. The reason I found was that several Allergists in the area were recommending to patients to not get bagless. One lady was pregnant with her first child and wanted something that was good at keeping dust out of her face.
Apparently someone saw the blacklight test of Oreck.Has anyone else been approached like this?

Back to top

IP Logged

Carmine_Difazio

Ultimate Member

I love YaBB 1G -
SP1!

Posts: 5559

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #1 - 03/06/05 at 4:05am

Tiger:

From friends I have in the vacuum business who relate their business and professional experiences to me, I would answer that they have the same stories to tell me as you. The customers buying bagless vacuums for home use and subsequently having problems with the vacuums come in for advice and repairs.

THe normal result is usually a repair at the minimum and a trade of the bagless for a better bagged vacuum. In the case of persons with allergies, SEBO and Miele are the vacuums sold after the bagless are traded in. None of the bagless are exempt from the problems. Even the dysons which are relatively new by US standards are beginning to show up for repairs and trades, as you have reported here. Some of these repairs are even referred by Dyson USA to my friends in the business through dyson faxes. These have been a source of new customers for these vacuum stores who carry the dysons (and one of the reasons for carrying the brand).

Carmine D.

Back to top

IP Logged

dualcyclone

Ultimate Member

I love YaBB 1G -
SP1!

Posts: 1240

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #2 - 03/07/05 at 1:00pm

Most bagless vacuums are not 'healthy' to empty. Let's face it, even the Dyson isn't perfect. The Air-Way is about the best (with the Air-Way allergy seals and allergy bags) there is as far as clean emptying and no dust after the bag. Miele is OK but the bags do leak some dust and are not the easiest to install. That's exactly how I got a White Pearl model - it was FILTHY inside and I talked the woman into a different machine (an Air-Way) for her allergies.

Regarding Carmine's post, foresight has proven for me, once again, to be a great thing. I stocked up on Dyson repair parts - over $3000 in Dyson parts are sitting in my service room - waiting. I have tons of brush rollers, hoses, soleplates, etc. Many people refer to Dysons as 'robot' vacuums (due to their unique look). I figure, I'm probably the only person in the entire city with repair parts and technical know-how to fix the 'robots' and I can make a small fortune doing so. I plan on retiring on from the profit just on brush rollers.

Back to top

IP Logged

cococlean

Newbie

I must be
vacuum-cleaner
obsessed -- this is
fun!

Posts: 15

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #3 - 03/08/05 at 11:49am

I'll give you my two cents from a consumer perspective. Keep in mind that I have severe asthma, so having a health vac was number one on my list.

I did have a Fantom for a while, but emptying it was a pain. I've also had an Oreck, a couple of Hoover Windtunnels, and some other ones. On all of them, I found that changing bags was a pain, and invariably got me too close to the dust inside the vacuum.

I now have a Miele Champagne, and I couldn't be happier. It's a cannister, but works fine on my Berber and vinyl floors. One of the things I like best is that the bag is incredibly easy to replace, and I don't get dust in my face.

Sue

Back to top

IP Logged

Elcleanofreako Ex Member	Re: Are Bagless Healthy? Reply #4 - 03/08/05 at 11:51pm Are Miele and Sebo improving their bags (noted intensive clean + at a local vac shop)? Also, doesn't the Dyson (unlike most bagless) have a true HEPA filter?
Back to top	IP Logged

tiger21 Ultimate Member I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 638	Re: Are Bagless Healthy? Reply #5 - 03/09/05 at 12:14am Most bagless promote HEPA filters but it is when you empty the dirt container that gets you in the face with dirt and germs. Dust also leaks after awhile due to seal leakage.
Back to top	IP Logged

Mike_W.

Moderator

HERE TO HELP!

Posts: 1318

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #6 - 03/09/05 at 2:42am

Bagless vacuum cleaners can create flying dust when emptying the container. All bagless! It does not matter if the dirt empties from the bottom or the top of the container. You still stir up dust. It only takes a single second and a little particle to create a reaction from a sensitive individual.

Emptying the bagless is not going to be a problem for everyone, except people who have a reaction to what is in the container. For those who have a problem w/ the debris, they should choose a bagged cleaner or have someone in the household empty it for them.

As for the ORECK infommercial, I said this before, it is an exaggeration. Remember, he is trying to make his vacuum cleaner look better. He did not take any precautions when emptying the bagless container.

If you have allergies to what the vacuum cleaner picks up, it is better to find a good bagged cleaner w/ very good filtration.

Back to top

IP Logged

Mike_W.

Moderator

HERE TO HELP!

Posts: 1318

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #7 - 03/10/05 at 2:23am

The topic is "Are bagless Healthy"?

As for leakage, yes all bagless and bagged cleaners have the possibility of leaking. This holds true of "clean air" designs also. Pressure pulls air in, but after it goes through the motor, it is pushed out. There are areas where the air can leak. There are some vacuum cleaners that have a completely sealed system to stop any dust from getting out. A HEPA final filter is great for keeping the dust in, but it must also be maintained or else.

Back to top

IP Logged

Elcleanofreako

Ex Member

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #8 - 03/12/05 at 6:42pm

Lots of places I live have huge dumpsters out in open. seems that if you take dyson bin to one, make sure wind is to back, hold breath, dump /shake bin, close it up, and stand back, that would keep dust away.

but those things with pleated filter? How the heck you clean them without gagging?

oh yeah... our office cleaning outfit uses old metal royals with cloth bag. Man, their vacuuming the rug had me sneezing bad. That can't be good!

Back to top

IP Logged

Carmine_Difazio

Ultimate Member

I love YaBB 1G -
SP1!

Posts: 5559

Re: Are Bagless Healthy?
Reply #9 - 03/13/05 at 4:58am

The best combination (efficient, healthy, and sanitary) of both dirt containment and filtration for home vacuum use is a high quality filter paper bag inside a leak proof closed container (cloth and/or plastic). The ROYALS have evolved to this arrangement for home and even commercial use. Most other vacuum brands have also evolved to this combination of a quality paper filter bag inside a leakproof container.

Except of course the wet/dry shop vacuums which are bagless and the home held hand and stick cleaners which are typically bagless.

Anything else is unhealthy, unsightly, and unsanitary for home use not to mention a dirty nuisance. These findings are consistently confirmed and reported by Consumers Union and the American Rug Institute.

Carmine D.

Back to top

« Last Edit: 03/13/05 at 1:37pm by Carmine_Difazio »

IP Logged