Euro Appliances: Allergies be gone!

Did you know that according to the Allergy Foundation of South Africa, a third of South Africans will suffer from some kind of allergic disease, and 40% of these allergy sufferers are children? It’s time to say goodbye to allergies for good!

Many allergens thrive in the home environment, where they can accumulate and become far more concentrated than outdoors. Dust is a prime example – it is composed of a variety of materials, including dead skin cells, clothing fibres, soil, dirt, pollen, and dust mites. However, regular vacuuming with a hypoallergenic vacuum cleaner, such as those from Miele for example, will greatly reduce the amount of potential allergens in the home environment.

The second and third most common allergic conditions are asthma and allergic rhinitis respectively. Allergic rhinitis occurs in 20% – 30% of the population, and as many as 40% may also have asthma.

Jon Molyneaux from leading vacuum and appliance manufacturer, Miele, explains: “A hypoallergenic vacuum cleaner  is a vacuum cleaner with filters designed to retain the vast majority of particles within the vacuum system. If successful, this retention helps to reduce the amount of harmful allergens in the home – thereby minimise allergic reactions for its occupants.”

Miele manufactures a variety of vacuum cleaners, including the Miele C3, the Blizzard bagless, the Triflex cordless handstick, the Boost CX1, and the Scout RX3 robovac – all of which have specialised features designed to deal with the removal of allergens. Jon provides the following things to consider when investing in an allergy-reducing vacuum cleaner:

Air filtration

Opting for a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is one of the most important aspects for allergy sufferers. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, and these filters are exceptionally effective at capturing particles as small as 0.3 microns. Says Jon: “HEPA filters are exceptionally important features, as they prevent dust and allergens from being exhausted back into the household. Miele’s Allergy vacuum cleaners not only remove pollen, dust mites and other allergens from all floors, but is HEPA 13 filter also cleans the air. More than 99,999% of all particles are filtered from the surrounding air while vacuuming, even fine dust. After vacuuming with Miele’s HEPA filter, the room air is even cleaner than it was before, allowing people with allergies to finally breathe with ease.”

Miele’s HEPA filters are also equipped with a Timestrip – this innovative filter replacement reminder is attached directly to the filter. When the bar is completely red, it indicates that the filter is saturated and must be replaced. The Timestrip helps you to keep a check on your filter and ensure that it is functioning at its best.

Bag or bagless

Miele offers vacuum cleaners with bags and those that are bagless. Jon notes that although bagless vacuum cleaners have the added bonus of not requiring an ongoing expense of purchasing bags, for allergy sufferers, he believes that vacuum cleaners with bags are a much better option: “Bags have their advantages, especially for allergy sufferers, because they contain the dust and dirt very well so that the user does not have to come into contact with it.”

If you are opting for a vacuum cleaner that uses bags, it is essential to consider how the bags are designed, notes Jon: “Thanks to the finely graduated filter layers, the Miele HyClean dustbag for example, remain permeable to air even as it becomes fuller. The appliance will indicate when the dustbag is full or the exhaust filter is saturated. After replacing the filter, you can enjoy the same level of suction power, cleaning performance and hygiene, as you did when you first used it.”

He says that the original Miele dustbags are made of a special fleece material, which traps a particularly high amount of dust. The dust diffusers direct the vacuumed dust evenly into the bag so that the volume of the bag is fully utilised: “This means that by using genuine Original Miele dustbags, you will reduce your need for dustbags by a quarter.”

When the vacuum cleaner is opened, the Original Miele HyClean dustbag closes automatically and locks in the vacuumed dust for good. Furthermore, the secure protective netting prevents the bag from tearing, even when sharp objects such as glass fragments are vacuumed up.

Getting attached

The vacuum cleaner’s attachments are an integral part of the successful elimination of dust in your home. “As every flat and every house is furnished differently and individual living situations are very diverse, Miele offers a large selection of vacuum cleaner accessories, that allow you to vacuum various surfaces – from floors, to shelves, spaces above cabinets, the tops of picture frames, windowsills, baseboards, upholstery, drapery, rugs and even mattresses.

“Now you can choose the proper floorheads and brushes that suit your home’s specific floor coverings, as well as other specialised accessories for its diverse surfaces. There are even attachments designed to let you access difficult-to-reach areas without cumbersome stooping or climbing. For all pet lovers, for instance, Miele’s turbobrush is ideal – it reliably removes hair and lint from carpets and upholstered furniture, which will help relieve allergy symptoms,” says Jon.

Vacuuming tips

“For allergy sufferers, your home should be thoroughly vacuumed at least twice a week. It is also important to ensure that you don’t only vacuum the floors, but also focus on vacuuming unseen areas that accumulate dust, which can become airborne and inhaled,” explains Jon. He notes that you should start by vacuuming your home from the highest levels and work your way down.

In order to minimise allergens in your home environment, Jon notes that it requires diligent, regular and thorough vacuuming of all floors and surfaces throughout. It is estimated that dust can accumulate at a rate of 6mg per square metre per day. As such, Jon advises that if you are an allergy sufferer, you should adhere to the following vacuuming schedule:

• Vacuum carpets and rugs weekly
• Vacuum high-traffic areas and bedrooms bi-weekly
• Vacuum upholstered furniture, mattress and drapes every second day
• Vacuum even more frequently should you have pets

Jon says that this can be a lot of extra work, but offer a solution: “If you just don’t have the time to vacuum as often as required, then you may want to consider investing in the Scout RX3 robovac, which will keep your floors clean for you, even when you are not home.”

Find out more by visiting Miele www.miele.co.za  and shop the latest appliances from leading brands at Euro Appliances.