Best Vacuum for Allergy Sufferers

This year's pollen is worse than ever, triggering not only the usual sneezing epidemic but bringing with it a round of stinging burning watery eyes.   This year's worse case scenario is also agreed upon by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who have just recently released a similar report.

So what can you do? Contrary to your instinct, locking ourselves up in our homes for the rest of the season won't really make that much of a difference. Pollen, carried through the air, can still filter in through open windows, doorways, and vents.  And pollen, being as stick as it is, can be tracked through your house on your pets or family members. Now that we've mentioned pets too, let's go ahead and consider for a moment that this is yet another source for allergies - among others, including your carpet and AC.

So really, what CAN you do?  Unfortunately there's no magic wand that makes it go away - but good-ole fashioned cleaning will do the trick.  In addition to dusting, you can also be vacuuming and using air purifying filters.

But the main thing is vacuuming.  According to therapist Shane McGlaun, "If you suffer from allergies and asthma, vacuuming does more than make your home look better. It can be as important as taking medications to control your condition. Vacuuming is an essential part of limiting exposure to asthma and allergy triggers, such as pet dander, dust mites, pollen and other allergens."

Your carpet/flooring takes up a good 1/4 of your entire home, if not more.  This makes vacuuming all the more important, an issue surpassed only by the importance of what KIND of vacuum you're using.  Just any old vacuum won't do the trick.  You should ideally be getting a vacuum designed for allergies sufferers.

What Kind of Vacuum Should I Get?

There are a lot of different types of vacuums designed for allergy suffers, but the main feature you want to make sure each has is a HEPA filter. HEPA is an acronym for "high efficiency particulate air". Basically HEPA is a type of filter that can trap a large amount of very small particles that other vacuum cleaners would simply recirculate back into the air of your home.

HEPA Filters have high density mats made of randomly arranged fibers.  These mats are used as air filters to remove particles such as dust, pollen, mold and bacteria. Here are some good HEPA filters to consider: