HEPA Vacuum Information

The right vacuum cleaner can help allergy and asthma sufferers avoid dust.

When you suffer from allergies or allergy-induced asthma, the war against indoor dust never ends. To make matters worse, traditional vacuum cleaners can spew dust into the air. This creates a cleaning conundrum. If you never vacuum, dust builds on the carpet. When you do vacuum, you risk coughing and wheezing. A HEPA vacuum cleaner might take the Catch-22 out of cleaning.

Features

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters collect 99.7 percent of all particles at 0.3 microns--a fraction of the width of one human hair--according to the University of Illinois Extension. A HEPA vacuum comes installed with one of these filters, with the most effective ones positioned at the exhaust and motor, according to the according to the University of Illinois Extension.

Function

A HEPA vacuum cleaner uses suction to remove dust and dirt from carpets, furniture, walls and other surfaces. Unlike regular vacuum cleaners, HEPA vacuums contain HEPA filters to trap dust and particles before they circulate out of the exhaust, according to the University of Illinois Extension. HEPA vacuums also clean dust and chips from lead-contaminated paint, according to the Michigan Department of Public Health.

Identification

Some vacuum cleaners list "HEPA-type" or "HEPA-like" filters, which fall short of HEPA standards and cannot filter smaller particles, according to the University of Illinois Extension.

Significance

HEPA vacuums can improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. Asthma afflicts 20.5 million people in the United States, according to the University of Rochester. Another 35 million Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis, most likely inflamed by allergies, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center "Allergies Health Guide." Indoor allergens likely aggravate both conditions, since Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the EPA's online material on indoor environmental asthma triggers.

Considerations

Even some HEPA vacuum cleaners allow particles to leak out because parts of the machine lack a seal, while others might not have filters on their exhaust or motor, according to University of Illinois Extension.

Warning

For those allergic to cats, a HEPA vacuum might not offer relief, according to the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. In fact, any kind of vacuum cleaner--HEPA or otherwise--might actually aggravate cat allergies by blowing particles into the air, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: "Healthy Indoor Air"
• Michigan Department of Public Health: "HEPA Vacuum for Lead Dust Removal"
• University of Rochester Medical Center: "Asthma Triggers"
• University of Maryland Medical Center: "Allergies Health Guide": "Statistics"
• Environmental Protection Agency: "Indoor Environmental Asthma Triggers"

Resources

• "Allergy Consumer Review": HEPA Vacuum Cleaner Buying Guide