TIPS & TRICKS

HOW IS YOUR VACUUM AFFECTING YOUR AIR QUALITY?
Have you ever vacuumed on a sunny day and noticed particles floating in the air of the room you just cleaned? Some vacuums remove dirt from your floors but then blow that same dirt right back in to your air. These vacuums will affect your homes air quality in a bad way.

A-1 Vacuum has tested the emissions on over 50 models of vacuum cleaners using our particle scanner. The particle scanner measures the amount of fine particles per cubic square feet in the air. We have found that the worst vacuums for air quality are bagless vacuums, many of the bagless models expelled up to 20 times the amount of fine particles that were already in the room's air. Bagged vacuums tested much better, even the cheapest bagged vacuum was able to contain dirt better than the bagless models.

Bagged vacuums can differ greatly in our testing due to the different types of vacuum bags & filters. Paper bags are great for trapping large particles but many fine particles can pass through the pores of the bag, for better containment of fine particles, we recommend a Hepa bag. The best vacuums we tested were completely sealed bagged vacuums that forced all out going air through a Hepa Filter. (A Hepa Filter is an air filter composed of a mat of dense fibers arranged in folds, designed according to federal standards to trap at least 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns in diameter.) These vacuums actually improved the air quality in the room.

Be careful when purchasing a vacuum with a Hepa filter. If the vacuum is not a sealed system, the out going air may not be passing through the Hepa filter before entering your room's air. Only sealed vacuums force all the air through the Hepa filter.

If you would like your vacuum tested using our particle scanner, stop by our Highlands or LaGrange locations. The test is free and only takes a few minutes.


KEEP YOUR FLOORS IN TOP SHAPE BY FOLLOWING THESE TIPS & TRICKS!

• Cleaning floors not only makes them look better, but also can prolong the life of the floor by preventing damage. Even carpet can be ruined by improper or irregular cleaning. Dirt does not need to be seen to be present & problematic. A dirty floor can harbor unwanted germs, allergens or pests.
• Carpets need to be vacuumed once a week, and more often in areas of heavy traffic. Frequent vacuuming prolongs the life of your carpet by preventing a buildup of gritty particles that can cut carpet fibers. Every few weeks, take a little extra time and use your crevice tool for cleaning around baseboards, radiators and other hard-to-reach places.
• To vacuum wall-to-wall carpeting, divide the floor into quadrants and vacuum an entire quadrant before moving on to the next.
• Pay special attention to the areas where people sit and move their feet. Vacuum these areas of heavy traffic with a crisscross pattern of overlapping strokes.
• If your vacuum is not picking up, check the belt. Too many people toss them in the trash when all it needs is a $3.99 belt. Most belts are made of rubber, so over time they stretch or break. When this happens, the vacuum will not clean properly. A rubber belt should be changed every six months to a year.
• Most vacuums now days are 12 amps, but that doesn’t mean they clean the same. Amps only tell you how much electricity you are using, not how well the vacuum cleans. The amount of suction is determined by the size and number of suction fans in the motor . So a 12 amp vacuum with a single, small fan will have nowhere near the power of a 12 amp vacuum with two large fans.
• If you own a bagless vacuum, do not put a wet filter back in the machine. This will hurt the motor, but even worse, it can cause mold to grow. A warm, damp, dirty place is the perfect combination to grow mold. Then when you turn the vacuum on it blows the mold around your house. Make sure those filters are dry!
• Always vacuum before using a carpet shampooer. Most of the carpet shampooers I repair are clogged with pet hair and dirt that should have been removed with a vacuum before the shampooer was used. If you vacuum before shampooing, and the shampooer still gets clogged, have your vacuum serviced.