What to Look For in a New Carpet Vacuum: Soil and Dust Containment

Looking for a New Vacuum? Look for the Best.

~Carpet and Rug Institute vacuum testing program identifies the best for soil containment, indoor air quality

I was rushing through the grocery store recently, trying to get everything I needed for a last-minute dinner party, when a woman stopped me and said, “I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who walks around talking to herself.” Admittedly, I had been muttering, but I didn’t think anyone but me was listening.

One thing I have never done is talk to my vacuum cleaner, however I couldn’t help but identify with this post from Nancy Kibbee, editor at NaturalInteriors.com, who doubts her vacuum’s ability to remove and contain soil from her home – particularly since she cites the benefits of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval testing and certification program for vacuum cleaners. The article is titled, “A Message for My Vacuum Cleaner,” and it begins: 

“You have served me well for a very long time, but there has to be something that holds dust better.”

“…I am coming to terms with reality: My vacuum cleaner is no longer the top of the line. It has seen me through every tough job, and it operates with admirable suction power. But too much of what it sucks up comes back out of its filter and it’s polluting my indoor air.

It is probably time to look for high-filtration technology, although the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) – which has a certification program for vacuum cleaners – says these costlier options are not always necessary.

For more guidance, CRI, a manufacturers’ trade organization, uses an independent laboratory to test vacuum cleaners on multiple points of performance.  CRI’s website also offers a wealth of information on how to choose the vacuum cleaner that is best suited for your carpet or flooring. For example, engaging the vacuum’s beater bar – the high speed on my vacuum cleaner – is not recommended for the wool carpet in my home.

As for dust containment, the best-performing vacuums are not always the most expensive, says Bethany Richmond, CRI communications manager. 

“That’s good news in these tight-budget times,” she says.

CRI will not give a Seal of Approval to a residential vacuum cleaner that releases more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter of air. There is a list of brand names and models ontheir website, which have achieved CRI’s Gold, Silver of Bronze Seal ofApproval.”

Thanks, Nancy, for helping spread the word about Seal of Approval vacuum cleaners.

How do you all feel about your vacuums?

~Bethany