Allergens (spores, pollen, dust mite droppings, and so forth) range in size from about 10 microns in diameter down to a micron, or perhaps a half micron, depending on what study you peruse.
Standard vacuum cleaner paper bags filter out particles down to about 10 microns in diameter. Dumpable cloth bags do not even get down to the 10 micron level.
Most fine dust in office space resides in the carpet - this would be why carpet is called a "dust sink".
So - vacuuming with a standard paper bag (or, worse, a cloth bag) pulls lots of fine dust, and allergens, out of the carpet, and pumps it into the air. Fine particles can remain airborne for eight hours. If the janitor vacuums in the wee hours of the morning, the office staff is still breathing in airborne allergens around coffee break time. So much for indoor air quality. And we're in a particularly dust area - we provide janitorial service in Phoenix AZ.
A HEPA filter will catch particles down to 1/3 of a micron in diameter, thus grabbing virtually all allergens. Given that a HEPA filter, for many popular commercial vacuums, costs less than a decent lunch, and lasts for several months under normal use, you'd think that most janitorial firms would use, and spec, HEPA filters as a matter of course.
I get a look at a lot of my competitors equipment, sitting in janitor closets in buildings where I'm quoting service. I could count the HEPA filters I've seen on the fingers of two hands. And I've a normal number of fingers.
Go figure.
A bit about us:
My firm, CBN Building Maintenance, provides commercial cleaning services in Phoenix AZ and the wider metro area. We've been in business since 1974; hold the BBB's A-plus rating; and have long been in the forefront of the industry in environmentally sensitive cleaning for health, safety and security. Our program can generally improve Indoor Air Quality, in the size range of most allergens, by a factor of 50%, as reflected in our ongoing IAQ sampling.
Hi,
I am a stay at home mom, not a professional business, simply trying to keep a clean home amongst other things. Obviously, house cleaning requires much time and work! I am learning, it is the manner and types of tools used when conducting the cleaning process that saves time. I am grateful to have found your very informative, 'value added' website as well as the articles to assist me in understanding how I can be more efficient when cleaning my home. I learn something from each article. Thank you for writing each one of them!
I am also interested in purchasing a new vacuum for our home. Thanks to your input, I am quite confident I will be making the purchase of one of the Proteam vacuums. Why not use a well built, long lasting, commercial vacuum, that for the money will provide value, results and last as long, perhaps longer, than my previous vacuum? Glad I came across your website as I was 'thinking out of the box' regarding my purchase of a new vacuum.
I am, again, very appreciative of your recommendation, articles and time.
Sincerely,
A Mom in Michigan
Posted by: M. Colman | 10/31/2010 at 09:41 PM
Glad I could help. In passing, if you're a bit short, they have a model that might fit you a bit better than the full-sized one. Regardless, for that kind of investment, try on a demo and use it for a bit. Thanks, Bob
Posted by: Bob | 11/01/2010 at 08:42 AM
Thank you soooooooooooooooooo much for the post, This was just the thing
I needed to see!!!
Posted by: one day cruise | 10/14/2012 at 06:42 PM