Time to bring Old-fashioned Notions about Cleaning up to Date
Not that long ago, most women still worked at home as full-time homemakers. Cleaning was hard work. Today's fast-paced reality is very different. Most people are not willing to work that hard on housework. We have other priorities and demands on our time. Sure, we still want a clean home, but without such time-consuming drudgery.
Our Expectations for Air Quality are Higher than they Used to be
It's not just the dirt you see that needs to be eliminated. Old-fashioned vacuums sucked up the dirt, but stirred it up as well. Those airborne particles interfered with breathing or settled elsewhere. Also, the cloth or paper bags got saturated with dust, so equipment wouldn't function efficiently.
Widespread concerns about allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems have made people more sensitive to the purity of the air we breathe. Dust and mold threaten the health of family members. So getting the irritating particles out of the air is important.
Technology to the Rescue - The HEPA Standard
Pollen, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold and dust are too small to look like dirt, but they're the major challenge to any vacuum cleaner. One that most fail. HEPA is an official standard established by OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration). HEPA certified means a filter removes 99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns or larger in size. That's about one-hundredth the size captured by most vacuum cleaners. (HEPA stands for "High Efficiency Particulate Air")
A conventional vacuum cleaner only removes particulates down to about 35 microns. Particles below 10 microns are invisible to the human eye. The most common airborne particle size is 2.4 microns. How big is a particulate 0.3 microns in size?
Consider these size comparisons:
- Human hair: 60 - 80 microns
- Pollen: 10 - 40 microns
- Bacteria: 0.3 - 50 microns
What are HEPA Air Filters? -
The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that almost 90% of the people spend their time indoors. This means that indoor air quality is much more important than outdoor air quality for most people.
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are recommended by allergists and medical professionals for the removal of all dust particles in the size range of droplet nuclei from the air. The HEPA filter, a mechanical filter, was developed by the Atomic Energy Commission of U.S.A. during World War II to prevent radioactive particles from escaping from plants and laboratories. Those ..
- Mold: 4+ microns
- Dust mite waste: 10 - 24 microns
Even if asthma and allergies aren't major problems for you, who'd want to breathe that stuff?
A HEPA Filter is Not Enough
Many vacuum cleaners claim to be HEPA certified because they use HEPA filters. However, unless the whole vacuum is sealed, the collected particulates can easily be released back into the room. The first vacuum cleaner (not just the filter) to be HEPA certified is the Miele. It has redefined how much "clean" vacuuming can deliver.
Miele isn't a brand that's well known in the US. But in Europe it has represented the best of German precision engineering and innovation for 100 years. Their engineers continuously rethink how people live, work and clean their homes, as they pursue their mandate, "Forever Better." The Miele http://tinyurl.com/6urc3 is the Porsche of vacuum cleaners - the finest standard for quality and clean.
Bringing Together Tradition and Technology
Tradition coupled with excellence permitted Miele to elevate the vacuuming experience. Griggs Vacuums http://www.griggsvacuums.com supports those priorities as well. We're a third-generation, family-owned, customer-oriented operation. Although we're no longer only "down the road," we act like we are. The Internet allows us to serve a global marketplace, but we still operate with the same priorities and customer-pleasing policies as we've done for 22 years.
This article is one of a series on redefining "clean." Read them all on our website.
Why Air Purifiers Are All The RageAir Purifiers
Air Purifiers are all the rage now, everybody has them and everybody sells them. There are Ionic Air Purifiers, regular filter Purifiers and HEPA filter purifiers.
the Journal of the American Medical Association now suggests that the air pollution existing today in the US raises the risk of lung disease to a point where more than half of the US population is breathing unhealthy amounts of air pollution.
More than 50 million Americans seem to be suffering from allergies and more than 20 million battle asthma.
There is such a thing as Sick Building Syndrome, a worldwide phenome ..
About The Author
Dwight Griggs, Griggs Vacuums We want to be your vacuum store. A full line of vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, parts and supplies Shipped anywhere in the USA. Subscribe to our Newsletter http://www.griggsvacuums.com 800-840-5080
griggsvacuums@aol.com
Dwight GriggsRe-Define What "Clean" Means for You and Your Home
