HEPA Vacuum

No home should be without a good quality HEPA vacuum cleaner! Unfortunately, most people don’t consider their vacuum cleaners as a source of air pollution so they aren’t that concerned about purchasing a quality vacuum. Yet, after vacuuming, the air is more contaminated than before vacuuming if the one used is not a high quality HEPA vacuum. With an abatement-rated HEPA vacuum, there is no escape of fine dust into the air from the vacuum filter or any hose or nozzle juncture and the air is cleaner after you vacuum instead of more contaminated.

Particles in the air can be the major cause of many allergic and respiratory reactions as they present exposure to toxic chemicals that ride on dust such as phthalates, flame-retardants, pesticides, and biocides, and can be a vehicle for the spread of airborne disease. Using a HEPA vacuum cleaner does not spread/broadcast and increase particulate levels in the air as occurs with most vacuum cleaners. Why would you want to take the time to vacuum your home if it is dirtier after you finish cleaning? A good HEPA vacuum can reduce allergic reactions and improve the health of those in the home by taking a load off the immune system. A HEPA vacuum cleaner is a must in your arsenal of tools to keep your “healthy” house in tip-top shape.

Nilfisk

Most vacuum cleaners exhaust the very dust that was just collected back into the air, making the area more contaminated than before! Even true HEPA vacuum cleaners do this if they are not specifically designed to contain all particulates at all junctures and seals where hoses and nozzles connect. Your vacuum should be abatement-level and made of materials that won’t continually outgas. Abatement level means that it could be used to clean up mold, asbestos or lead without any particulate escape back into the environment. The vacuum should also have been tested and proven to contain cat and animal danders.

Nilfisk HEPA vacuums are lightweight but built to last several generations with commercial level durability. They are used to clean the NASA cleanrooms, spaceships and shuttle, and are used in mold, lead, and asbestos abatements. Nilfisk participated in a study on the ability of vacuums to remove cat dander and the Nilfisk successfully removed the dander, outperforming the other vacuum cleaner. Using the Nilfisk on a regular basis in the home provides an effective environmental control to relieve allergy, asthma, and other respiratory ailments as well as reduce exposures from chemicals that ride on dust. Nilfisk vacuums have proven to be invaluable to our clients with allergies, asthma, reactive airway disease, and chemical sensitivities.

Three Branches has chosen two Nilfisk HEPA vacuums that meet these criteria and that the chemically sensitive have been using for years: The Nilfisk GM 80 and the Nilfisk Family Vac.

Our criterion for any material or product is always based on the canary principle, which gives us a benchmark for safe materials. If the canary (the chemically sensitive) can tolerate or use the product or material without harm or reaction, then everyone else does fine, but if the canary gets sick or dies, then further evaluation is necessary and everyone is potentially vulnerable. See “Canaries in the Mine.”

Cleaning with a Nilfisk is a pleasure! You may find yourself pulling out the vacuum cleaner a lot more than you ever have. It will not only take care of your day to day cleaning needs, but can be put to use as a major facilitator in the cleanup of your air quality. For systematic cleaning there is no better support system than your Nilfisk. The following are cleaning procedures that enable you to utilize the Nilfisk’s versatility – from a basic clean to an abatement level cleanup:

“Using Your HEPA Vacuum”

“A Basic Deep Clean”

“A Heavy Duty Clean-Up Job”