HEPA Vacuum Cleaners Are Small Particle Removing Rockstars

Emptying a vacuum cleaner canister or taking a look inside the bag is... gross. There’s no getting around it! It’s filled with all of the dirt, dust, hair, and who knows what else that was just hanging around your home and living alongside you. Do you ever wonder, though, what gets left behind? 

The truth is, not all vacuum cleaners are created equal. Some leave behind particles or, even worse, circulate them into the air you’re breathing in. That’s not exactly the results we’re looking for when we’re taking on a deep-cleaning day.

When it comes to handling indoor mold problems, in particular, or preventing them from starting in the first place, this machine is a must. The only downside is that it can’t operate itself, so we still have to keep vacuuming on that long list of chores!

What's Special About HEPA Vacuum Cleaners?

The magic and usefulness of HEPA vacuum cleaners boil down to the technology behind their filters. Vacuums utilize airflow to suck up particles and transfer them into the canister or bag attached. Once here, that air gets pulled out of that storage area, transferred through a filter, and pushed back out of the machine. This filter helps ensure that all of the particles the vacuum just removed aren’t just released back into the air and directly inhaled by you, the vacuum-er. 

The filtration portion of the machine is what sets HEPA vacuums apart. While other machines will filter out a majority of smaller particles, they don’t have the capability to stop some of those ultra-fine and invisible specks that exist in your home. The word "HEPA" actually stands for "high-efficiency particulate air" and refers to the filter itself.

Other vacuum cleaner filters aren’t designed to remove particles that small at such a high rate, meaning that while they might stop some things as small as 0.3 microns, it might only happen 30 percent of the time. That means that 70% of the time, those particles will pass right through the vacuum and back into your air or onto another surface. That not only leads to a failed vacuuming job (there are contaminants still all over the home) but can also cause you or anyone in the home to develop adverse health reactions. When those tiny specks are mold spores, mold fragments, bacteria, or other symptom-inducing particulates, this is a serious cause for concern. 

Why Size Matters 

Most of the particles we're talking about removing, you can’t see. The average human eye can only view particles around 40 microns in size or larger. To help put it into perspective, remember that a strand of hair is around 70 microns. It's not quite squint-worthy, but it's close! A single micron is one-millionth of a meter. A better visual may be to picture 1,000 microns lined up in a row—that equals exactly one millimeter (the super small lines on rulers).

If that indoor air is filled with particulate matter, or if these particles are hanging out on surfaces like the floor and curtains, there’s ample opportunity for them to begin affecting your health as they make their way inside of your body. The immune system will tag them as foreign invaders and wage a war to remove them and keep the body healthy. 

Mold spores are an example of these foreign invading particles. They’re small enough to make their way inside of your lungs, and sometimes even into your bloodstream. Depending on the person exposed, this can cause a long list of symptoms. Some individuals, like those with compromised immune systems, pre-existing conditions, allergy sensitivities, and developing immune systems, are particularly prone to developing adverse reactions ranging from mildly irritating to more severe. ⁴’⁵’⁶

Removing the particles from the environment by using technology like HEPA vacuum cleaners reduces this exposure and creates a healthy indoor environment that won’t trigger health reactions. It also just leads to a healthier, cleaner, and safer indoor space. 

HEPA Vacuum Cleaners and Mold 

There are quite a few reasons why HEPA vacuum cleaners are rockstar cleaning tools, but mold removal is at the top of the list. If you’re dealing with mold or looking to get rid of any random spores that might have made their way inside of your home, HEPA vacuum cleaners will be one of your best friends. 

Mold reproduces by creating microscopic spores that it releases into the air, similar to a dandelion puff releasing its seeds. The key distinction between mold and a dandelion puff is the size of the spores the colonized mold produces. Most mold spores are between 1 and 20 microns in size. That means that these tiny seed-like particles are floating all over and are invisible to the naked eye. Considering there are over 100,000 species of mold identified so far, it’s safe to say these spores are everywhere. ⁷’⁸

This exposure can cause a long list of adverse health reactions, particularly for those with compromised or developing immune systems, as mentioned earlier. Everyone, though, can fall victim to the effects of mold exposure and develop symptoms, so it’s best for everyone to focus on removing them. 

These spores will also stick to any surface they come in contact with, which is where a HEPA vacuum comes into play. 

When you have a mold problem, removing the contamination will be your top priority, whether you’re tackling removal one step at a time when you’re able or are in the cleaning process after remediation. A huge portion of this cleaning and removal process includes continually vacuuming surfaces to remove mold spores. With spores ranging from 1–20 microns, that’s well within the limit of particle sizes that a HEPA vacuum cleaner can efficiently filter out. 

Removing these spores helps decrease the chance that they’ll find other habitable areas to begin colonizing, and reduces the amount of exposure you and your family experience. 

On the other hand, if you’re just looking to prevent mold from growing in your home, getting a vacuum cleaner that can remove any stray spores that managed to make their way inside your home is a must! That way, they can’t stumble across a wet or slightly damp area and start to grow.¹⁰ All it takes is 24-28 hours for a mold spore to make your home its new dream home.

Picking a HEPA Vacuum Cleaner

Like most things in the world, there is a lot of false advertising out there regarding HEPA vacuum cleaners. One of the main culprits for misinformation is whether or not the filter is HEPA quality. Remember, a HEPA filter should filter out particles as small as 0.3 microns 99.7% of the time. Not 65% of the time! Some companies will falsely label their vacuums as HEPA systems when, in actuality, they’re not. 

When choosing your new machine, make sure to check the serial number and test results for the HEPA filter being used. Some brands will promote their vacuums as having HEPA filters when, in actuality, they don’t. It’s an additional pain, but we want to make sure you’re using the right technology. 

The vacuum structure itself should also be a factor. You could have the best HEPA filter in the world, but if the vacuum body is improperly designed or the suction system operates poorly, you’re not getting the amount of cleaning power you’re looking for. This can lead to air either not being pushed through the filter and escaping elsewhere (with those harmful particles) or not having enough energy to pull the particles from the carpet and into the machine. The model you go with should have a sealed system, proper suction capabilities, and the filter should fit firmly in place. 

After checking into these two important aspects, the rest is up to you! I personally recommend Nilifisk, particularly the Euroclean, as their technology is top of the line and I’ve experienced phenomenal success with their HEPA vacuum cleaners throughout my career. 

Using A HEPA Vacuum Cleaner

Use is almost as important as choosing the right vacuum cleaner. You can buy the most expensive machine on the market, but if you’re not using it correctly or it’s improperly maintained, harmful particles like mold spores can get left behind and will continue to exist in the home. Plus, all of that cleaning would have been for nothing!

To get the most out of your machine, make sure to keep up with its maintenance. Every machine is different, so read through the manufacturer’s instructions for a detailed list of what your vacuum needs for optimum performance as well as timelines for when parts like the filter need to be replaced. While those HEPA filters often last for a while, they’re going to get full of harmful particles and need to be changed with a clean one.

The cleaner the better, especially if you or anyone else in the home is prone to developing symptoms from exposure. If you or anyone else in the space is more sensitive to particulate matter, using an air filter while vacuuming can help make sure that any particles kicked up while cleaning are removed from the air while you’re cleaning the surfaces. That way, your cleaning packs a double whammy for removing particles from the home. 

HEPA is Betta

At the end of the day, whether you’re looking for a cleaner house, removing contaminants like mold spores, or just creating a safer space, HEPA vacuums are a valuable tool to have in your arsenal. A dirty house doesn’t always look like those haunted house movies with dust and cobwebs everywhere. Sometimes, a dirty house is filled with invisible particles all over the surfaces of the indoor space.