The Greening of the Home Vacuum Cleaner

Green Vacuum Cleaners

When most people think about implementing a Green cleaning program in their homes, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the chemicals used. The emphasis is on replacing conventional cleaning chemicals with those that are certified as environmentally preferable. 

However, we should look at using environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals as just one component in a Green cleaning system. One cleaning tool that is key to Green Cleaning in the home is the vacuum cleaner. We want to use vacuum cleaners that are designed to reduce cleaning’s impact on the user, those living in the home, and the environment. 

An Unhealthy Scenario

Recently, I witnessed a housekeeper using a vacuum cleaner in a hotel guest room. The machine was an upright vacuum cleaner with a cloth bag attached, a model that has changed little in more than 60 years. As she vacuumed, you could smell the dust and contaminants being released from the bag. By the time she had finished, the carpets looked good, but a great deal of the dust and debris formerly embedded in the carpet fibers was now floating around the air for everyone, including this housekeeper, to breathe.

The machine was also loud. There was no way a normal conversation could be maintained while it was operating. In addition, as she pushed and pulled the machine over the carpet, I could see the effort it required of her arms, shoulders, and back; it could be compared to shoveling snow or sand.

Altogether, this was an unhealthy scenario. That vacuum cleaner negatively affected the health of the user and the indoor environment, and it also left me with a poor housekeeping impression of this hotel. We do not want such a situation in our homes.

 To turn this scenario around, for a vacuum cleaner to be “Green” it must have: an advanced air-filtration system, reduced noise levels, and it must be ergonomically designed.

Air Filtration

Many Green vacuum cleaners now have HEPA exhaust filters. These filters can remove 99.97 percent of particulates as small as 0.3 microns. To get an idea of how impressive this is and the size of a micron, the period at the end of this sentence is about five hundred microns. Airborne dust, which you might be able to see if sunlight is passing through a room, is about 20 to 30 microns in size—the smallest the human eye can decipher.

With HEPA filters, many of the known asthma triggers from pollen grains to dust mite fecal pellets are trapped and prevented from becoming airborne. However, the use of HEPA filters is now just one component of a high air-filtration system found on more advanced vacuum cleaners. Environmentally preferable machines will have additional filters and multistage motors, which also help trap contaminants. And some have a new type of “fleet” filter bag made of microfiber. This bag also helps trap dust, keeping it in the machine and not in the air.  

Noise Levels

In the past couple of years, there have been several studies evaluating the noise of cleaning tools. What is quite surprising is just how noisy vacuums can be. In many of the studies, vacuum cleaners were found to be the most, or one of the most, noisy cleaning items. In hospitals, studies indicate vacuum cleaners reached decibel levels of 75 or more—the equivalent of someone yelling.

Noise not only disturbs vacuum cleaner users and others in the home, but it also affects how we think, act, and work. The same studies found that when we hear someone vacuuming for extended periods of time in our homes or in an office, we are more prone to make mistakes. The noise starts to affect our attitude and behavior.

Green vacuum cleaners have reduced noise levels…about the sound level of a window air conditioner several feet away. Some canister vacuum cleaners are even quitter. Just remember, a Green vacuum cleaner is a quiet vacuum cleaner.

Ergonomics

Finally, a Green vacuum cleaner is ergonomic. This means it is designed to work with the user—and not the other way around. A Green ergonomic vacuum cleaner should have a contoured handle that fits into the user’s hand. The handle should also be lightweight and adjustable. We all come in all shapes and sizes, and no handle fits all. In addition, the machine should be lightweight. Many upright vacuum cleaners use two motors: one to turn the brush roller and the other to provide the suction. Some newer, Green machines use one motor making the machine lighter.

Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in Green cleaning and sustainability, and CEO of Sustainability Dashboard Tools LLC, for measuring and monitoring sustainability with the goal of protecting natural resources and reducing facility operating costs.  He is considered the “father of Green Cleaning,” is on the Board of the Green Sports Alliance, and has been inducted into the International Green Industry Hall of Fame (IGIHOF).  He can be reached at steveashkin@ashkingroup.com