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Bagless vs Bagged, which vacuum puts your health in danger? |
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Written by Kristina Brown
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Monday, 25 August 2008 01:30 |
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Have you ever been in this circumstance? Fifteen minutes till a special dinner you set for you and your guests and all that is left is vacuuming the kitchen floor. Looking down at your vacuum cleaner you then realize that both the bag is full and the filter needs replacing. Panicking as you see the noodle and flour spills on the floor caused by cooking your elegant dinner; a simple ten minutes vacuuming job became a cause of panic and anxiety. Consequently you swear off bagged vacuums and decide to begin investigating bagless vacuum cleaners as soon as the dinner ends. Although bagless vacuums might be the solution to this problem it has many tradeoffs.
by KristinaBrown
Have you ever been in this circumstance? Fifteen minutes till a special dinner you set for you and your guests and all that is left is vacuuming the kitchen floor. Looking down at your vacuum cleaner you then realize that both the bag is full and the filter needs replacing. Panicking as you see the noodle and flour spills on the floor caused by cooking your elegant dinner; a simple ten minutes vacuuming job became a cause of panic and anxiety. Consequently you swear off bagged vacuums and decide to begin investigating bagless vacuum cleaners as soon as the dinner ends. Although bagless vacuums might be the solution to this problem it has many tradeoffs.
A tremendous amount of people question the differences between being the owner of a bagless vacuum cleaner and being the owner of a bagged vacuum cleaner. One of the principle and distinct advantages to owning a bagless vacuum cleaner is never being in a situation similar to the one mentioned above. A bagless vacuum cleaner uses a simple dirt bin that fills up and must be dumped when full, directly translating to no bag changes, and no fretting your current stock on vacuum bags. It is impossible for the situation mentioned above to occur if you own a bagless vacuum cleaner because there simply are no bags to run out of.
Another advantage found in certain bagless vacuum cleaners such as the Dyson is no need for filter changes. The filters are actually washable and only need to be washed every 6 months or so. You let the filter dry out for about 12 hours and you are ready to vacuum again. Washing filters instead of replacing them every 6 months saves you time and money. Not all bagless vacuum brands have this feature so watch out for brands that require frequent filter changes because filters can be a disadvantage for many bagless vacuums.
Cyclonic technology is a feature some vacuums such as the Dyson, which allows the vacuum cleaner to provide the same amount of suction despite of the amount of filth filling the bin. So even of the vacuum dirt bin is entirely filled with dirt the vacuum will never lose suction. Again this feature is not found in all bagless vacuum cleaners, but should be heavily considered in you search for a better vacuum. A bagless vacuum that does not have the cyclonic technology will fill up with dirt and quickly lose suction, causing you anger and frustration.
Although there are many advantages to owning a bagless vacuum cleaner there are also some drawbacks. One of the biggest downsides of owning a bagless vacuum cleaner is emptying the dirt bin. When emptying the dirt bin the dirt does not neatly fill the trashcan instead it scatters everywhere leaving a mess all over the floor. Dirt scatters to the point where manufactures suggest going outside to empty the bin. For those with asthma and allergies emptying the dirt bin can become an agonizing chore as the dirt can easily trigger allergy and asthma problems. Asthma and allergy suffers should heavily consider purchasing a bagged machine as a bagged machine encloses allergy triggering filth within the machine, allowing you a healthier house.
An additional downfall of a bagless machine is the dirt within the machine is always visible; the tank holding the dirt will NEVER look clean. Your vacuum will reveal all the dirt within it and the dirt will not go away until you dump and wash the dirt bin. As mentioned above dumping the bin is not a 'fun' experience and washing the bin is an even more un-pleasurable and arduous experience. One must wash out all the dirt and debris that is clinging to the vacuum dirt bin by hand in order to make their machine look 'clean'.
Another disadvantage of some bagless vacuum cleaners is the filtration system. This does not apply to all bagless vacuums but some vacuums contain horrendous filtration systems. Many machines rapidly fill and congest with dirt the minute the machine is switched on. Dirt should be filtered through the filter medium, which in a bagless vacuum cleaner is located in the same place the dirt and debris is located making the filter highly inefficient and unhealthy. The filter is supposed to contain and stop dirty air from spreading within your house, but with this type of setup the contaminated air spreads throughout your house, which should be a serious concern for allergy suffers. Another problem with some bagless filters is the amount of maintenance and money that is required to upkeep the filter. Numerous bagless vacuums require that you change the filter every 6 months, this totals to an amount of roughly $80 a year. A total which is very high for a vacuum cleaner which is supposed to prevent you from spending money on 'extras.' The filters for many bagless vacuum cleaners are both costly and ineffective. For this reason it is vital to look for either a bagged vacuum cleaner or a bagless vacuum cleaner with a lifetime washable filter (an example being the Dyson vacuum cleaner).
Bagless vacuum cleaners help prevent extra spending on bags and save time taking trips to a store for bags. However bagless vacuum cleaners are not the best for people with allergies or asthma because dirt and dust can easily be re-emitted back into your household. Bagless vacuum cleaner bins always look dirty and can only look clean if washed after every vacuuming. Some bagless vacuum cleaners also require filter changes every 6-months for a filter that does not even perform properly. Bagless vacuum cleaners have advantages and disadvantages, but when purchasing you must decide whether a bagless unit is the best for your situation.
About the Author:
Don't put your health in danger by purchasing a bagless vacuum cleaner not knowing the truth. Learn more about the differences between bagged and bagless vacuums and which vacuum brands such as Dyson Vacuum Cleaners are best for your lifestyle. |
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