| Green Cleaning With Vacuum
Cleaners
Green cleaning has become a large part
of the commercial cleaning industry. Green cleaning is not only effective
at producing a cleaner chemical free environment but also can create a more
hospitable work or living environment. Air quality is an important part of
green cleaning making the vacuum cleaner important for dust and allergen
filtration. Dust and particles are heavier than air making them settle on
surfaces and compound over time. Dusting has been an excepted method of
removing dust and particles from an environment but utilizing a vacuum
cleaner is much more thorough and effective. HEPA vacuum cleaners can
remove up to 99.9 percent of particles from the air that measure over 1
micron. Vacuum cleaners actually filter the dust through a filtration
system whereas dusting can propel particles back into to air.
The best type of vacuum cleaner for
cleaning green facilities are HEPA vacuum cleaners. HEPA filter stands for
high efficiency particulate air filter and utilizes tiny glass fibers to
remove particles from the air. As a HEPA filter in a vacuum gets dirty it
becomes more efficient gradually letting only smaller particles escape the
exhaust until the filter becomes totally clogged. It is important to change
HEPA filters on vacuum cleaners regularly to let the vacuum motor work at
maximum efficiency and prevent premature burn out. HEPA filtration
standards are regulated by such agencies as the CDC, OSHA and the EPA and a
vacuum cleaner has to meet their requirements to be fully deemed a tru HEPA
vacuum cleaner. HEPA filters were first developed in World War II for
cleaning of sensitive military areas but have evolved over the years to
become part of everyday life.
Another important part of green vacuum
cleaning is noise level. Green cleaning buildings require that vacuum
cleaner makes a noise below seventy decibels. Its is believed that vacuum
cleaners that are quieter than seventy decibels do not disturb occupants as
much and create a more serene environment. Making a vacuum cleaner perform
with a noise level quieter than seventy decibels can be achieved with
baffling and filtration. The major drawbacks to this method of noise
suppression are the effects of reduction in power and lack of air flow
through the motor system making the vacuum cleaner less powerful. The
solution to this problem is the utilization of HEPA filtration to clean the
air and suppress the vacuum motor noise.
Green cleaning vacuum cleaners come in
many styles and can fit many uses. Upright vacuum cleaners can be fitted
with HEPA filters to fit the green cleaning standards of a building or
facility. Backpack vacuum cleaners are usually fitted with an external
filter to fit these requirements and can either be purchased as HEPA units
can be modified to HEPA clean air standards. The newest addition to HEPA
and green vacuuming is the addition of HEPA wet dry vacuums which can be
useful in the task of construction cleaning of green buildings. These HEPA
wet dry units can pickup wet dry and then be quickly converted into a HEPA
vacuum for on the spot cleaning.
When purchasing a vacuum for green
cleaning, CRI seal of approval is a definite plus. The Carpet And Rug
Institute Seal Of Approval means that vacuums with this certification the
fall below the seventy decibel noise limit and cleans to green cleaning
standards. CRI approved vacuum cleaners vary in price from two hundred
dollars for base units to thousands of dollars for more robust air
purification units.
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