What is a must for dust?
July 1st 2005

When it comes to daily floor care and dust control, professional vacuum cleaners are perhaps the most efficient solution for a wide range of applications, from schools and hospitals to offices and retail outlets. However, with so many different models to choose from, how do you go about selecting the best machine for your particular cleaning needs and budget? Karen James, sales and marketing director of cleaning equipment manufacturer, Nilfisk-Advance, offers this helpful guide. Effective airflow – When it comes to vacuum cleaners most people judge the efficiency of a machine by its suction power. And most people probably think – wrongly as it happens – that suction power is simply to do with the size of the motor. In fact it’s determined by three things – the motor, the construction of the air path through the machine and the dust bag. Every component of the vacuum cleaner must be engineered for highly efficient airflow, right down to the size and shape of the nozzle, because airflow is what sucks up dust.

Making the right choice – Having got the basic technology out of the way, let’s consider what’s involved in finding the most suitable vacuum cleaner for your application. The choice will depend on a number of factors, such as floor size, ease of access for cleaning, and perhaps most importantly, the volume and type of particles to be controlled, which affects the level of filtration required and dust bag capacity. There’s also the question of whether you need a machine capable of wet and dry pick-up.

Breathe easily – Making sure that the vacuum cleaner’s filtration system can handle your specific dust control demands is essential for health and safety reasons and commercial considerations. Of course, the term ‘dust’ covers a lot of different types of particles. For example, in a typical commercial environment it can include cigarette smoke, pollen and dust mites. Whereas when it comes to industrial facilities, it can mean anything from metal grindings or paint powders to flour or coal dust, for which we’d probably recommend a fixed extraction system. For their part, cleaning equipment manufacturers can offer the benefit of their experience to guide you through all the options, including pre-filter systems, HEPA filters and multi-layer dust bags. The advanced, certified HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is already recognised as one of the best on the market and is available in different classes. For example, the HEPA Class H13 extracts an incredible 99.997% of the microscopic dust particles that can cause health problems, especially for people who suffer from allergies and asthma. This high level of filtration would, therefore, be The UZ 964 hip mounted vacuum cleaner from Nilfisk-Advance – ideal for cleaning in theatres, cinemas, shops and aircraft recommended for environments where hygiene is paramount, such as hospitals and other healthcare establishments.

Commercial benefits – While protecting people and machinery from potentially damaging airborne particles is an important consideration, effective dust control can also bring other benefits. Vacuuming hard or carpeted floors as part of a daily cleaning routine will extend floor life, as any surface debris won’t become ingrained into the material. It will also make it easier to keep floors looking good for longer without having to resort to premature replacement or costly restoration procedures. Clean floors also present a professional image to customers, and have been linked directly to increased sales in retail outlets – so effective floor cleaning really can reap commercial rewards.

Application and environment – Last but by no means least the application plays a critical role in choosing the right vacuum cleaner.

For daytime cleaning operations and any noise-sensitive environments, a quiet and unobtrusive vacuum cleaner is a must. In hotels or hospitals, for example, cleaning equipment must be ultra-quiet in operation to cause the minimum of disturbance to guests or patients.

So if this is an issue always check the machine’s decibel rating, which really needs to be around 46dB or lower for use in this type of environment. And verify that this level has been independently tested to BS5415, rather than being just the manufacturer’s claim.

Selecting the most suitable type of machine will also depend on ease of access for cleaning. Trying to manoeuvre a standard upright vacuum cleaner in confined or awkward spaces can be difficult. In these situations it may be worth considering an ergonomically designed backpack model for reaching under furniture and into corners.

Backpacks also provide a highly effective and safe method of cleaning stairways, with less risk to operators of back strain or other injuries.

Which supplier? – While machine performance is key to selection, it’s just as important to check out the supplier’s service offering. For example, do they offer flexible lease purchase finance, on-site training and a range of maintenance options? In the search for the right professional vacuum cleaner, make sure your proposed supplier offers a free assessment of your needs plus a full range of machines and support services – and if they don’t then our advice is to find one that does!

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