When you hear the term “green cleaning,” you probably don’t think about your vacuum cleaner.
By now we’re all aware of the dangers of toxins in cleaning products and how they affect our family through direct contact or by breathing their fumes. But you probably don’t give much thought to how vacuuming your home affects your health.
As it turns out, you should care. The EPA says indoor air pollution is one of America’s most serious environmental health issues. And the American College of Allergists also reports that 50% of all illnesses are caused, or aggravated by, toxic indoor air.
The dust, dirt, mites, and other allergens in our homes could actually be making us sick. And we spend so much time indoors, especially during the colder months, the constant exposure can add up to long term health problems.
Improving Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality
A well ventilated home can remove the build up of harmful chemicals in the air. But keeping the windows open certain times of the year can be a challenge to allergy sufferers. You can also keep your indoor air clean by changing air and furnace filters regularly, limiting sources of air contamination, and using an air purifier.
Vacuuming is one of the best ways to eliminate dirt and allergens from the home. But an inefficient vacuum cleaner actually makes the problem worse.
Barry McDonald of VACUFLO of St Louis explains that installing a central vacuum system dramatically improves the air quality of your home. Specifically, the VACUFLO unit is a powerful system that has been proven to reduce allergy sufferering by more than 60%.
A central vacuum system, sometimes called a built-in vacuum, is the modern alternative to traditional, portable vacuum cleaners. It consists of four basic parts:
- Power Unit – Usually installed in a garage, basement or storage space. The power unit also serves as the collection point for dirt and debris vacuumed in the house.
- PVC tubing – Installed inside walls and/or under floors. The PVC tubing connects the power unit to the inlet valves.
- Inlet valves – Strategically located throughout the home. When you vacuum your home, you attach the vacuum hose to the inlet valve in the area you wish to clean. Three inlet valves can easily cover an entire 2,200 square foot home and garage.
- Vacuum hoses and attachments – The lightweight hose, usually 30 or 35 feet long, connects to an inlet valve. Various attachments for different cleaning needs, such as bare floors, carpets, draperies, car interiors, etc, attach to the hose.
How is a Central Vacuum System Cleaner?
The VACUFLO system is powerful enough to remove 100% of vacuumed dirt, dust, and even microscopic particles like pollen, mold spores and dust mites. In fact, the motor is about 10 times stronger than that of an upright cleaner. Because the dirt collection unit, motor, and filters are located in a garage or attic, there is no recirculation of particles back into the living area.
With a regular vacuum cleaner, the dirt and dust are circulated through the filter on the vacuum, circulating it around the room you’re trying to clean. This endless cycle of dust and dirt is particularly irritating to allergy suffers.
How is a Central Vacuum System Greener?
Barry says the VACUFLO system features turbine-powered power heads. Turbines are powered by the airflow of your central vacuum system, so they require no additional electricity to operate. With no filters or bags, you create less waste to throw away or manage–without a loss of suction. The system also offers a sound-dampening design that reduces noise pollution. “You’ll also find it just plain easier to use. There’s no heavy unit to lift and carry up the stairs, and the central vacuum attachments are lighter and more versatile,” he says.
Barry believes a central vacuum system adds instant homeowner value because it’s more durable than a traditional upright vacuum cleaner, saving homeowners money and the hassle of replacing inexpensive vacuums. “Unlike uprights, which are often discarded after only a few years, VACUFLO Central Vacuum Systems keep up worry-free cleaning for decades. We offer a limited lifetime warranty to ensure it,” he says.
Originally posted 2010-01-18 11:26:02.
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