Are Vacuum Cleaners Bad for Your Health?
Jan 6, 2012 -- You vacuum your house religiously to get rid of all the dust, dirt, and bacteria and make sure your indoor air is up to snuff.
But new research suggests that some vacuum cleaners may actually be making things worse, not better.
Certain vacuum cleaners spit fine dust and bacteria back into the air, where they can spread infections and trigger allergies.
Australian researchers tested 21 vacuum cleaners from 11 manufacturers, including two commercial models. The vacuums were six months to 22 years old, and ranged from less than $100 to almost $800. Brands included Dyson, Electrolux, Hoover, iRobot, and Sanyo. The researchers measured 62 different air emissions.
All released some bacteria, dust, and allergens back into the air. Newer and more expensive vacuum cleaners generally caused less indoor air pollution than older, cheaper models, the study showed.
Vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters released only slightly lower levels of dust and bacteria than vacuums that did not use these special filters. HEPA filters are supposed to remove 99.9% of the pollen, animal dander, and even bacteria from the air.
The new findings appear in Environmental Science & Technology.
“Both vacuum cleaning and the act of vacuuming can release and re-suspend dust and allergens, leading to increased exposure,” write study researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.
But don’t go throwing your trusty vacuum cleaner out so quickly, says Viviana Temino, MD. She is an assistant professor of allergy and immunology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
“For a vacuum to do more harm than good, it has to be a really old vacuum cleaner that has never been cleaned,” she says. “In general, most vacuums do take up more dust, dirt, and allergens than they release."
HEPA filters are still the way to go, she says: “They remove more particles than they release back.”
There are other things you can do to keep your indoor air clean. “If you or someone in your home does have indoor allergies, get rid of your carpet,” she says. “If you have throw rugs, wash them once a week in really hot water. This will kill off dust mites and other allergens.”
But new research suggests that some vacuum cleaners may actually be making things worse, not better.
Certain vacuum cleaners spit fine dust and bacteria back into the air, where they can spread infections and trigger allergies.
Australian researchers tested 21 vacuum cleaners from 11 manufacturers, including two commercial models. The vacuums were six months to 22 years old, and ranged from less than $100 to almost $800. Brands included Dyson, Electrolux, Hoover, iRobot, and Sanyo. The researchers measured 62 different air emissions.
All released some bacteria, dust, and allergens back into the air. Newer and more expensive vacuum cleaners generally caused less indoor air pollution than older, cheaper models, the study showed.
Vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters released only slightly lower levels of dust and bacteria than vacuums that did not use these special filters. HEPA filters are supposed to remove 99.9% of the pollen, animal dander, and even bacteria from the air.
The new findings appear in Environmental Science & Technology.
“Both vacuum cleaning and the act of vacuuming can release and re-suspend dust and allergens, leading to increased exposure,” write study researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.
Indoor Air Cleaning Tips From the Pros
But don’t go throwing your trusty vacuum cleaner out so quickly, says Viviana Temino, MD. She is an assistant professor of allergy and immunology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
“For a vacuum to do more harm than good, it has to be a really old vacuum cleaner that has never been cleaned,” she says. “In general, most vacuums do take up more dust, dirt, and allergens than they release."
HEPA filters are still the way to go, she says: “They remove more particles than they release back.”
There are other things you can do to keep your indoor air clean. “If you or someone in your home does have indoor allergies, get rid of your carpet,” she says. “If you have throw rugs, wash them once a week in really hot water. This will kill off dust mites and other allergens.”