Best Way to Choose and Use a Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuuming is important, but it can only help as part of a planned mite-reduction programme. If you decide to retain carpets and soft furnishings, as well as curtains or drapes and unprotected mattresses, you will have to vacuum daily in order to keep the mites in check. Even with this effort, vacuuming alone is not enough to reduce allergic symptoms. Other measures, especially the use of anti-mite barrier covers for bedding, are also necessary.

Many families prefer to remove all carpeting and to use furniture that mites cannot colonize, such as wood, leather or vinyl. These measures, combined with regular vacuuming, can make a real difference.

There are two main types of vacuum cleaning equipment available: freestanding or portable appliances and central vacuum systems. Some freestanding cleaners use bags to collect the dust, while others are bagless and deposit the dust in a canister that needs to be emptied on a regular basis.

Vacuum cleaners stir up some dust when in use, and you may wish to wear a dust mask if you develop allergic symptoms (such as sneezing or chest tightness) when vacuuming.

Choosing and using a vacuum cleaner

• Never vacuum just before bedtime – any dust disturbed will be breathed in as you sleep.
• Check independent reports to make sure that the cleaner is able to collect large quantities of dust and retain it without blowing any of it back into the room.
• The dust must be collected in a receptacle that can be emptied without causing problems for the allergy sufferer.
• Make sure the machine is easy to move around and lift.
• Check with independent consumer groups and organizations or an allergy association if they recommend particular brands.
• Remember to add in the cost of replacement filters.

• Make sure that the machine is powerful enough to clean surface dirt from upholstery. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the suction, and the more dirt it can collect. However, it is difficult to remove mites effectively from fabric even with powerful cleaners.
• Useful features include: automatic floor selection (adjusts for different heights of carpet and flooring types) or interchangeable heads, variable suction power for different materials (for curtains or rugs), and a turbo head (good for cut-pile carpets).