The GoVacuum Blog

By Michele Kadison

I’ve been doing some research on dust mites after my cousin came down with serious allergies apparently due to a proliferation of microorganisms in her home.  We all have mites and pathogens nesting in our furnishings, actually, but often their effect is not that obvious.

The truth is that the average dust mite lives for 80 days and produces approximately 1,000 allergenic waste products that can cause asthma and other similar irritations.  Up to 2 million mites can live in our mattresses and other soft furnishings, feeding on our dead skin cells.  It is a frightening picture, isn’t it?

In addition to dust mites, soft furnishings attract all sorts of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens such as the influenza virus, E coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, and Candida.  Spraying with anti-bacterial products is not that effective for removing pathogens or dust mites, and even the highest end vacuum cleaner will not successfully get rid of them.

But… there is one solution and that is a brilliant new antibacterial vacuum that functions with a UV-C light, which is a germicidal light that damages the DNA of mites and pathogens at close range.  The unit comes with a vibrating pad that loosens dust mites from their territory, whereby they are then stricken by the UV-C ray and then sucked up by a vacuum that moves everything through an anti-allergenic filter.

The Earlex RayCop kills 99.9% of the microorganisms that live in our mattresses and other furnishings.  It comes with two settings:  one that vibrates and the other that does not, which is great for use on harder surfaces where it is not necessary for loosening mites and other debris from their homes.  The unit weighs only 5 lbs and has a sleek design, making it easy to hold and operate.

So, if you want to keep your home dust mite and bacteria free, do what I just did, and that is purchase yourself an essential tool that will keep you and your family microorganism free.

By Michele Kadison

Electrolux keeps surprising us with its ability to move vacuum technology even further ahead of the curve.  Their Ultra Silencer model is exactly that.  When you look at their advertising, you see a baby curled up on the back of the unit, implying that the machine is just that silent, never waking the child.  If you are the type who gets the urge to vacuum at odd hours, such as 3 AM when you can’t sleep, then this is definitely the model for you!  Vacuum away, knowing that you won’t wake a soul.  The unit comes with an 1800 watt motor and claims to be four times quieter than most vacuums on the market.  It is created with optimized suction that can be controlled, high tech sound absorption material, along with seals that prevent air leaks.  With a low noise floor nozzle, soft wheels that never scratch, a shock absorbing bumper, and an easy grip soft rubber handle, the Ultra Silencer is the vacuum of the future.  Or at least the immediate future, for there is yet another Electrolux model that looks like the very next future indeed!

Welcome the Musical Vacuum Cleaner.  This model is based on the Ultra Silencer, but comes with an iPod dock and integrated speakers.  It seems that the designers of the Ultra were so inspired by its silence that they decided to let ardent vacuumers and music fans combine their passions.  The dock is built into the front of the unit, allowing us to listen to music while we vacuum away the dust.  It’s the “whistle while you work” concept, which I can verify as making cleaning a true pleasure.  Product line manager, Cecilia Gustavsson corroborates by saying that listening to music while we clean helps us stay focused, reduces our stress, and gives us a feeling of well being.  Who would have thought that vacuuming could be part of our pleasure principle!  Well, thanks to Electrolux, now it is.

By Michele Kadison

Oreck , one of the leading companies in the vacuum cleaner industry, has been working with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fund on a campaign called Clean for the Cure, helping to find a cure for cancer. By donating $25.00 from each purchase of the Oreck XL Upright Model U3671, consumers can rest assured that they are also doing their part in helping women fight and hopefully win against breast cancer.

Since Oreck got on board in July 2009, $1.3 million has been raised by selling the pink Special Edition vacuum cleaner in conjunction with the Susan G. Koman Fund.  Started by Susan’s sister, Nancy G. Brinker as a testimony to Susan’s fight against cancer and her vigilance in helping other women in the same condition, the fund has seen a $1.5 billion investment since its inception in 1982.  It is now considered the largest grassroots network of activists and survivors with contributions from a wide spectrum of supporters, sponsors, and partners such as Oreck.

The Oreck XL Upright Model U3671 is frontrunner in the new wave of vacuum cleaners on the market.  With its MicroSweep technology, it is able to move from thick carpeting to bare floors with equal efficiency as it adjusts to each surface.  It comes with dual-edge side brushes that effectively clean edges such as moldings and baseboards, with antimicrobial protection embedded in the roller brush bristles to handle the miniscule particles that can contribute to allergies and disease. Its additional IntellaShield technology fights odors, mold, mildew, and bacteria, even when the vacuum is turned off!  A powerful hypo-allergenic filtration system eliminates 99.9% of allergens to assure that your home is as free as it can be of irritants.

The Oreck XL comes with a dirt-search lighting system that illuminates debris, a disposable bag attachment dock with a “Saniseal” that traps dirt and dust inside, and an inner bag that traps odors.  It boasts an ergonomically designed handle that keeps you from having to bend or twist your wrist uncomfortably during use, which has been recommended by the Arthritis Foundation as being especially helpful to those who suffer from arthritis.  At a mere 9 lbs, the vacuum cleaner is easy to maneuver, especially with its 30-foot power that allows for a long range of movement.

Along with all of the exceptional attributes mentioned above, the Oreck XL U3671 comes with a five-year warranty and its guarantee that you are doing your part in helping find a cure for cancer.  Need I say more?

 By Michele Kadison

Ok, ok, so I can’t stop talking about these robotic vacuums!  Its just hard to get over the fact that I don’t have to do it myself anymore… that I can have my own personal cleaning device to do all the work more thoroughly than I ever could.

I’ve just checked out the Roomba vacuum, which is a state of the art cleaning “angel”invented by the geniuses at IRobot.  This is the future looking us square in the face saying, rest… relax… enjoy life… let me do the work!

The Roomba is made with patented technology that makes this state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner one of the best around.  Picking up hair, dirt, and debris from any type of surface, the Roomba comes with a special anti-tangle technology that allows it to vacuum even fringed rugs and electrical cords.  Imagine all that dust accumulating in that fringe and around those cords… effortlessly and finally gone!  The Roomba includes a spinning brush that cleans corners, edges, and along walls, and also incorporates two counter-rotating brushes that whip away large debris.  Because it is so compact, the unit easily glides underneath furniture, going where any man or woman might fear to tread.  And to top it off, the Roomba has an infrared sensor that keeps it from falling off stairs and ledges along with two sensors designed to direct the vacuum cleaner towards especially dirty areas in a room.

And just when you think you’re jaw can’t drop any further, here’s the best part: the Roomba has 15 sounds that speak to you, advising you on the tasks it has accomplished and are about to do like “done,” “back up,” and “found charger.”  Found charger just threw me for a loop because this means that the unit goes back home on its own to recharge once the battery is low.  Some of the newest Roomba models are now created to clean up to four rooms on a single charge, making this mighty household appliance a true force.

The Roomba has a memory.  It will remember the layout of a room for all cleaning moments to come.  Newer models even allow you to program the unit to turn on every day at a specific time so that you can return home to immaculately clean floors.  There is even a special ‘pet series’ which is specifically designed to pick up hair balls, dander, and any other type of pet debris.

This time saving wonder is not expensive, and well worth looking into if, like me, you would rather delegate floor cleaning to something that is infinitely more talented at it than you can ever be!

by Michele Kadison
Dander
When it comes to your pet, make sure he or she is groomed properly and has a balanced diet to prevent dry skin.  Brush your pet  outside your home.

Vacuuming is Key
One of the most effective ways of maintaining an allergy-free home is to vacuum it frequently with a HEPA vacuum.  This is a vacuum that has been tested for particle emissions.  A HEPA unit consists of a filtration system that captures microscopic particles and prevents them from being re-released into your home.

Choosing the Right Vacuum Cleaner
Finding the right HEPA vacuum for your particular home is essential for thorough cleaning. Choose a vacuum cleaner based on what type of flooring you have in your home.

Canister vacuum cleaners are ideal for use on full carpets as well as cleaning drapes where many irritants can lodge. This type of model is also effective when cleaning bare wood or tile floors as well as stairways, corners, and ceilings where dust traps love to collect.  Upright vacuum cleaners are great for deep cleaning, especially on deeper carpet pile where heavy suction is necessary for pulling out dust and debris. If your home has rugs and/or low pile carpet, you may want to consider a turbo model for extra help in pulling dust out of the fibers. Test the vacuum you are considering for strong suction power as well as ease of use.  Make sure filtration is of the highest quality.

Maintaining Your Vacuum
Maintaining your vacuum cleaner is equally important.  Make sure your filter is cleaned on a regular basis and that you throw away your used vacuum bags just before they become completely full.

Staying Allergen-Free
Keeping your home free of allergens is not difficult.  With the right equipment and the discipline of keeping a regular cleaning schedule, you and your family will be breathing free and clear as you enjoy a mite, mold, and dander-free lifestyle!

Last week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission annouced a voluntary recall of the Thane International’s H20 Mop Steam Cleaners, affecting a total of 580,000 units sold between June 2007 and December 2008. The Thane International company has received upwards of 18 complaints regarding the machine’s electrical cord shocking or burning consumers after repeat use. Consumers are asked to stop use of these products and contact Thane to receive a free repair kit. Although GoVacuum doesn’t sell these H20 Mop Steam Cleaners, consumers should be aware that they may have purchased these steam cleaners through Thane’s “television infomercials; on the Web at www.thane.com; by QVC, through its televised shopping program; and by retailers nationwide.”

For those who are unsure if their machine is affected, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission gave this description of the machine’s: “The H2O Mop is an electrically-powered appliance for cleaning a variety of floor surfaces that uses microfiber or disposable cloths on a cleaning head through which steam is dispersed. H2O Mops are white with a purple water tank with the “H20” and “M” symbol printed on the top of the cleaning head. The model numbers of affected units are 808.092 and OEM-TV-001. This recall only includes H2O Mops with the following reference numbers printed on the label on the back of the product: 200709198 to 200803148 or H20M1000 to M-H20M1198.”

For those looking for more information on this recall, please contact, Thane anytime at (800) 485-0017 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.h2omopservice.com

We don’t need to tell you how charming or pleasant a fireplace can make your home, and we surely don’t need to tell you how much of a hassle it can be to clean up afterward. With that in mind, GoVacuum thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss one of our industry’s lesser-known but highly-effective products: Ash Fireplace vacuum cleaners.

Anyone who’s ever unsuccessfully tried to suck up ash with a house vacuum and subsequently ruined it, or exhausted themselves trying to clean out the fireplace with a shovel, knows how vital this piece of equipment is. Simply put, an ash vacuum is a must-have for this season. And as a little holiday treat for our loyal customers, we’ve put the best ash vacuums in the industry to the test to find the best one on the market, the one that gets the GoVacuum thumbs-up.

What we found is that we have nothing but love for the Love-less MU305 Cheetah and MU405 Cougar.

Both models have a significant edge on the competition because they’re able to vacuum both warm and cold ashes, due to having a five-foot flame-resistant hose. But where these vacuums really shine is their filtration system: Both also have a specially designed two-stage filtering system that includes two separate filters, ensuring that the vacuum traps every bit of ash and no dust contaminates your home. They’re also powered by a 6-amp motor and have a 3-gallon container that’s also fireproof, so cleaning your fireplace takes just minutes and doesn’t need those annoying bags that most vacuums employ.

The difference between the Cheetah and Cougar (besides the price) is that the Cougar has a much quieter motor, reducing the noise level by 40 percent, which means you won’t have to worry about waking the house when cleaning your fireplace. The Cheetah also comes in two colors, black and winter scene, which gives you the option of leaving it out instead of storing it.

It takes a lot for a product to meet GoVacuum’s lofty standards. Love-less offers us not one this holiday season, but two. And because of that, we can all spare our house vacuums and use our shovels for an equally painful task: clearing snow off the driveway.

Changing your lifestyle to become more “green” or eco-friendly has become a norm amongst many households. We’ve even seen it from our customers who ask us regularly about green cleaning products and eco-friendly vacuums.

Being green, however, encompasses a ton of different factors so it is hard to accurately determine the “green-ness” of a product. But I was fascinated when I came across a vacuum that is made up of 50% recycled auto parts. As it turns out, like most people could have predicted, the vast majority of American and European consumers want eco-friendly products, a fact researched by the Electrolux company.

When we inquired about this machine, however, we were told that the machine was only built for a limited release in the European market, leaving the American market looking for other alternatives. I was sad to hear that we could not sell this machine to our customers (who are majority American). I can only hope that the limited release was to test out the profitability of the machine and that in the next year or so the Electrolux company continues to tweak the vacuum so that it can provide the world market with both a commercially viable and a eco-friendly vacuum.

In my infinite search for new wisdom, I am subscribed to an interesting site called Idea a Day. Today’s idea was something of obvious interest to me: vacuums. The author of the site made an interesting suggestion for a new kind of vacuum. Check out the idea below:

“Manufacture a vacuum cleaner with an integral carpet freshener function. An adjustable switch or trigger on the handle would dispense the user’s preferred brand of carpet deodorizer through a series of wide-spray nozzles on the front of the device. A dial mechanism (similar to those used on steam irons) would allow the user to adjust the intensity of each burst of the good stuff.”

After summoning the more mechanically and technically inclined members of the GoVacuum team for an emergency vacuum invention meeting, I realized that this technology already exists. Actually, I didn’t realize anything, I was reminded by GoVacuum’s CEO Bill Anand that this technology already existed. He reminded me of his early days of entrepreneurial activities where he sold Rainbow vacuums.

As it turns out, through the use of the Rainbow’s water filtration system, you can add fragrances into the machine so that your vacuuming efforts leave your carpets clean and smelling like your favorite fragrance. I believe the only part missing from fulfilling the “Idea a Day” dream is a nozzle that controls the level of fragrance output.

In the end, it was nice to see a dream come to fruition, albeit a partial fruition. It did leave me wondering, however…do any of our readers out there have their own vacuum invention dreams?

This week we’ve seen the vendors of many of the products we sell stepping up their efforts to make the world a better place. Earlier this week the GoVacuum team was impressed by IQAir’s commitment to providing clean air to the Olympics in Beijing.

Now, we found a new story. iRobot, the makers of the Roomba robotic vacuums, have upped their efforts in using robot technology to help solve many of the world’s complex problems.

Most recent is their unveiling of the iRobot Negotiator, a “low-cost tactical robot designed to meet the basic reconnaissance needs of public safety professionals.” To be delivered in the fourth quarter, this robot is aimed at “police departments, fire departments and domestic security experts.” Currently, the robot is estimated to be priced at $15,000 with certain options (including stair climbing capabilities) pushing that price to upwards of $20,000.

In researching the development of this negotiator technology, I also found out about some of the other interesting projects that iRobot has embarked on in the past few years. Most notably have been robots that can be used by the military to detect the presence of chemicals in the air and an underwater robot that can be used for research in high pressure underwater environments.

While we have been giddy to watch the Roomba scoot around our showrooms and houses, the fact that the company who gave us this cleaning technology is also helping save the world with their patented technologies makes us all the more excited to be Roomba dealers.