Northwest Healthy Home Vacuum Articles

• » Tips on Buying a Vacuum Cleaner
• » The Truth About HEPA
• » The Quality Sewing & Vacuum Difference
• » Disposable Vacuum Cleaner Bags
• » Bag vs. Bagless Vacuums
• » Never Change a Vacuum Belt Again
• » Central Vacuums: Versatile, Quiet, Clean, Odorless & Dustless
• » Why does the Riccar Superlite out clean its closest competitor?

Tips on Buying a Vacuum Cleaner

Courtesy of the Vacuum Dealers Trade Association

The purchase of a new vacuum cleaner is an important decision. The right vacuum and its proper use can double or triple your carpet’s life expectancy, saving you thousands of dollars. Most people presume a vacuum is doing its job if it picks up the visible lint and surface litter. However, you can’t see the bottom of your carpet to know if your vacuum is removing the sand and grit responsible for carpet damage.

There are three basic types of dirt to remove from a carpet:

• visible lint and surface litter
• dust not visible to the naked eye laying just below the surface
• heavy dirt and sand laying at the bottom of your carpet fiber

The overall appearance of your carpet depends on a good vacuum cleaner. If the vacuum cleaner you purchase has enough air flow and suction to lift the carpet nap to the brushes, the vacuum will brush the nap and help it to stand up properly. The result will be newer looking and easier-to-clean carpeting.

This is how carpet nap should look if your vacuum is helping it to stand up properly.

If your vacuum is performing poorly, the carpet nap will remain matted and packed down from foot traffic. Sand and grit cannot be pulled from flattened carpet fibers. Dark colored traffic trails begin to appear. As the sand and dirt build up, it acts like sandpaper, slowly wearing and cutting the carpet fibers as you walk across it. Carpet nap after the pile has begun to mat down. Sand and heavy dirt cannot get through the flattened fibers.

Carpet nap after the pile has begun to mat down. Sand and heavy dirt cannot get through the flattened fibers.

So, how do you make a good decision on a new vacuum?

1. Study the various makes and models. Find out how they perform with the type of carpet you have, the type of pad and how it was installed (stretched or glued).
2. Talk to an expert. At Quality Sewing & Vacuum our friendly staff has the training and experience to give you professional advice and great service. He or she can answer your questions, analyze your cleaning needs and aid you in your buying decision.

The Truth About HEPA

by Shane Banks, Quality Sewing and Vacuum Ballard

Today we are more concerned than ever about indoor air quality and the steps we can take to make our homes healthier. Vacuum cleaner manufacturers have responded with HEPA filtration systems to clean up our indoor air quality. But what is HEPA and does it really help?

The EPA reports that indoor air pollution can be 2 to 5 times worse than outdoor air pollution. There are three ways to improve indoor air quality: Eliminate the source of pollutant, introduce fresh air into the home and use a filtration system to remove particles. In many homes the vacuum is a major source of pollutants.

Originally designed for scientific clean rooms, HEPA is a material that offers a filtration performance of 99.997% efficiency at .03 microns (a human hair is 40 microns in width, a dust mite is 5 microns in size). However, HEPA is not regulated by any government or scientific committee. It’s easy for any vacuum brand to label a vacuum as HEPA. Just because a vacuum cleaner contains some HEPA filtering media doesn’t mean it offers HEPA filtration performance.

If the air is not forced through the HEPA material it will go around, which it does in most cases. In order for the air to be forced through your HEPA filter, your vacuum must be a sealed system. This forces the air to go through your HEPA filter before going back into your environment.

How can you tell if your vacuum is a sealed system and your HEPA is working? Look for dust on the outside of your vacuum. If you have dust, the air is not going through the HEPA filter and the quality of your air is being jeopardized.

Manufacturers like Miele and Riccar build products that meets the stringent demands of HEPA. It’s no secret what it takes to build the proper filtering vacuum: use quality materials, superior design and construct a SEALED system casing the bag system which forces every bit of dust, dust mites, pollens, allergens and mold spores into the HEPA to be trapped. When seeking to create a healthier home for your family, the easiest product to start with is your vacuum. To select the right vacuum for you and your home visit with a floor care specialist at any Quality Sewing & Vacuum location.

The Quality Sewing & Vacuum Difference

by Paul LaPonte, Owner Quality Sewing & Vacuum

We are Floor Care Professionals - For 25 years Quality Sewing and Vacuum has been the leader in floor care in Western Washington and has been offering the finest quality vacuums. A quality vacuum will last longer, clean better and improve indoor air quality. We have the best prices, largest selection and extremely knowledgeable, helpful staff. Our goal is to give great service whether you’re purchasing a pack of bags, belts or a new vacuum! Ever been confused about what vacuum suits your specific needs in your household? We have the answer for almost every situation and we sell a large variety of vacuums and floor care products to meet your needs. With 25 years of vacuum sales and repair experience we have an unparalleled expertise in floor care.

Excellent Brands - We choose our brands for quality, performance and durability. We carry a full line of vacuum accessories. Unlike other vacuum retailers, we also service what we sell. This means we avoid selling products that we know do not perform well or have a troublesome service record.

Large Selection - We carry a large selection of vacuum cleaner brands including: Miele, Riccar, Royal, Hoover, Dirt Devil, Eureka, Electrolux, Fuller Brush and more.

Free Assembly - Why hassle with assembly? We do it for you and recycle the packing materials so you don’t have to deal with them at home.

Low Price Guarantee - Every Quality Sewing purchase includes our worry-free guarantee: We promise to offer the most value for the lowest possible price on everything we sell. We offer the best values in the industry. If you find a better value elsewhere, please give us the opportunity to earn your business.

We Take Trade-Ins - Not sure what to do with your old vacuum? We will take your present vacuum in on trade and whenever possible refurbish and recycle back into the marketplace or donate it to a local charity organization.

Disposable Vacuum Cleaner Bags: New Technology for a Century Old Product

Courtesy of the Tacony Vacuum Corporation

Vacuum bags have two very important jobs: trap all the dirt your vacuum picks up, including microscopic dust particles and allow air to pass through the bag without obstruction. This is challenging since the more dense the filter paper, the more likely the bag will restrict airflow. Restricted airflow reduces cleaning performance and can cause the motor to run at higher temperatures or overheat.

In recent years many major brands have developed new cleaner bag technology. Using an electrostatically charged liner, the bag can trap the finest dust and allergens without using dense layers of air restricting filter paper.

For top performance change your bags often. Change disposable bags when they are 1/2 full and never try to empty and reuse them. Emptying and reusing a disposable bag cuts cleaning efficiency by 50 percent or more. The quality of the vacuum bag effects the efficiency of your vacuum cleaner. In the long run, bargain-priced bags sold in discount stores or supermarkets may cost you more due to vacuum repairs and devaluation of carpet. If your vacuum is not cleaning efficiently, it allows the sand and grit to build up at the back of your carpets causing excessive wear.

Keep a supply of vacuum bags on hand and you’ll be more likely to change the bag when it’s full. At Quality Sewing & Vacuum, we stock bags for almost every make and model of vacuum and will help you choose the right bag for your machine.

Bag vs. Bagless Vacuums

by Paul LaPonte, Owner Quality Sewing & Vacuum

Over the past several years, bagless vacuums have become more popular in the U.S. compared with traditional bagged vacuums. The next time you are shopping for a new vacuum, consider these pros and cons as described by the industry professionals.

Bagless vacuum systems use a “cyclonic” technology that separates larger dirt and debris from the main air stream and drops these particles into a cup. This cup can then be removed and the dirt dumped into a waste can. The problem with “cyclonic” technology is that only the larger particles of dirt and debris are removed, and the fine dirt exhausts out of the vacuum -- back into the room. To overcome this problem, all bagless machines require filters to capture smaller particles. While it’s true you’ll save money not purchasing bags, you will have to pay yearly for replacement filters. Bagless vacuum manufacturers recommend changing filters 1-2 times per year. New filters cost $20 to $60 per filter.

In addition to this expense, bagless owners complain about having to dump the dirt cup (releasing dirt particles back into the air), unclog the cyclonic filter cup, wash the inside filters on some models, and wash the dirt cup itself from time to time.

Demonstrations on bagless machines show that they do an impressive visual job of picking up dirt, and the idea of not buying bags is appealing. That’s why sales of bagless machines are rising. On the other hand, a year’s supply of vacuum bags (12 bags) costs about $20. Bags are simple to remove and throw away. With traditional bagged vacuums, there’s no need to wash filters or dirt cups. Many industry experts predict that owners will soon see the realities, difficulties and costs of bagless systems and revert to using bagged vacuums in the future.

Another disadvantage of bagless models is the rapid degradation of performance as the filter clogs with dirt. In a bagged vacuum, the bag itself is the primary dirt trap, and once the bag is filled it is tossed away and the suction of the vacuum is restored. Despite the advertising claims of some bagless brands to never lose suction, all bagless vacuums do in fact lose suction with use.

At Quality Sewing and Vacuum we recommend bagged vacuums for higher filtration and cleaning performance. Both Miele and Riccar models have been certified by independent testing laboratories to generate significantly lower dust and allergen emissions. They are designed to last 20 years and won’t make a mess every time you empty out the dirt.

Never Change a Vacuum Belt Again

by Jim Lumbard, Quality Sewing & Vacuum Everett

Traditional vacuums use a flat rubber belt which stretches from the motor shaft to the brush roll. Friction on the belt drives the brush roll to agitate the carpet. Because it is a rubber belt, it stretches over time, even without use, and needs to be regularly replaced. Most manufacturers and vacuum experts recommend changing the belt every three to six months, regardless of actual use. Of course, you should also replace the belt if you notice any decrease of performance of your vacuum.

Many of our newer vacuums have replaced this traditional system with new lifetime belt technology. The belts are made of Kevlar and are designed to ride at the same pressure on the brush roll at all times. They are not stretched, instead they are precisely fitted to the distance between the motor shaft and brush roll. This guarantees maximum performance at all times with no need to replace the belt. At Quality Sewing & Vacuum we offer many vacuums that have these lifetime belts.

The second key piece of this technology is an automatic shut off system built into the vacuum. If anything impedes the brush roll it causes the motor to shut off, allowing you to clear the obstruction, reset the vacuum, and continue with your chores without damage to your belt or vacuum. A traditional belt is designed to break when the brush roller is obstructed to spare the motor.

Central Vacuums: Versatile, Quiet, Clean, Odorless & Dustless

by Eddie Schultz, Quality Sewing & Vacuum Issaquah

Since 1985 Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers have been providing quality Central Vacuum Systems around the Puget Sound. Central vacuum systems are one of the cleanest vacuuming solutions on the market today.

A central vacuum system (when properly installed) takes 100% of the dirt/air/gunk outside the living space. That’s right, it all goes to the high suction canister living in your garage or the utility room. This is all done via vacuum tubing professionally installed in the walls of the home. This can be done with no problem in both new construction and existing homes.

Quality Sewing & Vacuum Centers offer the quietest, and most powerful canisters available. Our goal has been to supply the most innovative and complete line of central vacuum systems and accessories available in the market today. Our Modern Day and Riccar Brand Central Vacuums offer the best choices in the industry. Whether it’s a complete system you need installed or just a simple update to your existing system, we have the products and the experience to fit any need. Stop by a store today for a complete demonstration.

Why does the Riccar Superlite out clean its closest competitor?

by Jim Lumbard, Quality Sewing & Vacuum Everett

Independent testing has proven that Riccar Superlite vacuums out clean their closest competitors by 40%, but they don’t explain why.

Riccar has designed their Superlite uprights for superior agitation and air flow. Agitation is achieved by beating the carpet with the brush roll bristles. This beating causes the carpet fibers to release the dirt trapped between them so the airflow can transport the dirt into the bag. Riccar brush rolls are stiffer than their competitors and offer superior agitation.

Airflow is achieved by spinning a fan with a motor. Like other lightweight vacuums, Riccar uses a lightweight, high speed motor to achieve good air flow. That is where the similarities stop. Riccar uses motors that are substantially larger and more powerful.

In addition, Riccar uses a wide rigid air tube to transport dirt into the filter bag. Since the tube itself is larger and the inside surface is smooth, Riccar Superlites offer much higher airflow and are far less likely to clog than any other brand of lightweight vacuum.

Take a look at the comparison between Riccar and their closest competitor. Notice Riccar’s wider path for airflow. This allows more dirt to be collected and keeps materials from blocking the air passage creating clogs which stop all airflow and cleaning.

Other features which separate Riccar from its competition are larger wheels for easier maneuverability and a quick change belt system which requires no tools for easy belt changes. Ask about the lifetime belt available on the RSL5. Riccar vacuums are manufactured with pride in St. James, Missouri.