According to Allergy UK, around 41 million people in the UK are thought to live with hay fever, dust mite and other common dust-related allergies. Fine dust particles can trigger many of these allergies, which is why vacuuming regularly can make a big difference in relieving sneezing and other symptoms.
But not all vacuum cleaners are created equal, as our lab tests prove year after year. Some vacuums perform brilliantly in our allergy retention tests, but others were very disappointing - half of the vacuums we tested received only three stars out of five, or even less in this area.
We explain what you need to know about vacuuming and allergies, plus share our top tips and advice for reducing allergy symptoms in the home.
Inspiring tips for improving the place you live in Get our Home newsletter – it's free monthly
How vacuuming can aggravate allergies
Vacuuming can trigger symptoms for people who suffer from dust allergies. These often worsen during or immediately after vacuuming or dusting since the cleaning process can stir up dust particles and unsettle debris and pollen from carpets, hard floors and other surfaces, making the particles easier to inhale.
Vacuum cleaners generally suck up most visible dust and debris, but plenty miss the microscopic particles which are invisible to the eye.
Some vacs blast those bits back into the air through a motor exhaust filter and that's what aggravates allergies. You might even spot some of the larger dust particles floating in the air after you've disturbed them.
The human eye can spot dust as small as 25mm, but it's the really tiny particles - which can be as little as 0.3mm - that can trigger dust-related allergy symptoms. If your vacuum has a poor filter, these tiny particles can get flung up into the air, causing you to cough and sneeze.
Need to upgrade your appliance? Find out which are the best vacuum cleaners in our tests
The best vacuums for people with allergies
The differences between vacuums with the best filters and those with the worst are significant, so we award the best with a full five-star rating for allergen retention.
Receiving top marks means that nearly all the fine dust and allergens the vacuum cleaner picks up are locked tightly within a container and are not released back into the home. Those with lower ratings simply shot more of the particles back up in the air.
Make sure you read our reviews to find the best vacuums with well-designed suction and filtration systems. You can find both corded and cordless vacuums with brilliant filters and our tests have uncovered models that keep allergens at bay.
Most cordless vacuums are bagless and often have smaller capacities compared with corded models. This means you'll need to empty them more often and, subsequently, be exposed to dust during the process.
Find the best vacuums for allergen retention:
How we test vacuums for allergy retention
No one wants to breathe in any blown-out vacuum dust and a good vacuum cleaner should also keep the fine dust and allergens trapped in its filters. This is especially important for serious allergy sufferers who want to remove as much of the fine dust and allergens as they can from their home.
This is why we assess how much of the fine dust sucked up by the vacuum cleaner (including allergens) is trapped in its filters and not blown out of the vacuum's exhaust. The allergen retention test has a significant impact on the overall score of each product.
During our test, a pre-weighed amount of dust (with particles ranging between 0.4mm and 25mm) is cleaned by the vacuum cleaner over 10 minutes. During this time the number and size of dust particles entering the vacuum cleaner and the number and size of dust particles exiting is measured in our test chamber.
The filtration efficiency of the appliance is reported in percentages (the higher the value, the better) and these are turned into our star ratings.
For more information on our in-depth testing, go to how we test vacuum cleaners.
How often you should vacuum if you have allergies
According to experts your home doesn't need to be visibly dirty to trigger a reaction to dust-related allergies such as dust mites, since the particles are too small to be seen. If you have such allergies, it's important to vacuum regularly, but also keep in mind that vigorous cleaning or too much cleaning can make symptoms worse.
It's generally advised to vacuum your house once or twice a week, as well as clean furniture and other areas that collect dust quickly.
Allergy UK recommends using a high-filtration vacuum cleaner, especially one with a HEPA filter - although we advise that you read our reviews and pay close attention to the allergen retention star rating. Some of the vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters that we tested were brilliant at keeping allergens locked up, but others were not so great.
Allergy sufferers may also wish to wear an N95 filter mask while vacuuming, since it can take more than two hours for the dust to settle after a thorough cleaning.
Fight dust and allergens and find out more cleaning tips in our guide to how to vacuum your home
Which? advice for people living with allergies
- If possible, choose wood flooring over carpets. Carpets are generally harder to clean effectively as they collect more dust deep between the pile.
- Use 'allergen-proof' covers on your mattress and pillows, and wash all of your bedding weekly, using hot water.
- Consider using a steam cleaner when deep cleaning your home. The high temperature of the steam kills harmful bacteria and can eliminate the dust mites that cause asthma and allergies. Compare the most popular brands in our steam cleaner reviews.
- Vacuum at least twice a week - and don't forget to vacuum upholstered furniture too.
- Consider using a dehumidifier, especially if you live in a humid climate as they extract water from the air. Find out which ones we rated in our dehumidifier reviews.
Find out how a dehumidifier works and tips on how to get the most from yours if you own one
undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/is-your-vacuum-cleaner-making-your-allergies-worse-aOzlz7U9gHyx