Five Step Carpet Care of Asheville NC provides rug and carpet cleaning services at the most affordable price in Asheville NC.

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Bagged or Bagless Vacuum Cleaners?

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What type of vacuum cleaner is best? Bagged or bagless? Both types have advantages and disadvantages. In this post, we’ll go over the pros and cons of each.

The very first vacuum cleaners were bagged models, and for much of the vacuum cleaner’s history, bagged models were all that was available. Bagless technology wasn’t introduced until 1993, but now they make up the majority of the vacuums on the market. However, bagged models still sell, which tells us that the bagless option is not necessarily superior in every situation. A lot of people still prefer a vacuum with a bag, and not just for nostalgia’s sake!

Below is a brief rundown of points you may want to consider when deciding between a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner.

  • Bagged vacuums are more hygienic. Removing the vacuum bag and throwing it away releases less dust and allergens into the air than emptying a canister. It also eliminates all of the dirt—whereas the filter in your bagless model will hold onto a lot of that dirt until you change it.
  • Both bagged and bagless vacuums usually come standard with HEPA filtration. This means that with both types, fewer allergens will be released into the air, either through the exhaust or when changing the bag.
  • Both bagged and bagless models require repeat purchases. Vacuum bags have to be changed out more often than the filters on bagless versions, but the cost of replacement bags or filters usually works out to be roughly the same, since bags are much cheaper than canister filters.
  • With bagged models, be prepared to deal with reduced performance. With a freshly installed bag, these vacuums work great, but as the bag fills, you’ll probably notice that the suction is not as good. Some people see this as a positive—an early warning system. For others, it’s just a pain.
  • Bagless vacuums are less expensive to buy. But, as we noted above, they are about the same cost to maintain, with infrequent filter changes costing roughly the same as frequent bag changes.
  • With bagless options, it’s easy to see when the dirt receptacle is full. Most dirt receptacles are clear plastic canisters, easily visible to the user, so you’ll never have to wonder whether it’s time to empty the canister, you’ll just know by looking. Bagged vacuums do not have this advantage.
  • Bagless vacuums are the greener choice. The filters represent fewer pounds of waste going into landfills than vacuum bags, over the life of the vacuum.
  • Emptying the dirt receptacle on a bagless model releases a lot of dust and allergens. It’s highly recommended to empty the receptacle outside of the home. And if you have asthma or severe allergies, a bagged model may be the better option.

 We hope this post helps you choose between bagged or bagless vacuum types! Of course, vacuuming isn’t all there is to keeping clean and healthy carpets. Periodic deep cleaning is also highly recommended. If it’s been a year or more since your last professional carpet cleaning, give Five Step a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line today!

Vacuum Cleaners: To Bag or Not to Bag?

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When we’re out cleaning carpets, we often get asked about vacuum cleaners. Which type is best?

Last week discussed the pros and cons of different types of vacuum cleaners, but once you’ve chosen a type (unless you go with a robotic or stick style vacuum cleaner), you’re going to have to determine whether you prefer a bagged or bagless model.

Both options have their own benefits and disadvantages. Let’s go over the pros and cons of each.

The bagged model is the original vacuum cleaner—the one our mothers and grandmothers all used. Although bagless vacuums have become the most popular option for consumers since their introduction a couple of decades ago, bagged vacuums still sell. That tells you that the bagless option is not necessarily superior in every situation. A lot of people still prefer a vacuum cleaner with a bag, and not just out of nostalgia!

For one thing, bagged versions are more hygienic than their bagless counterparts. This is mainly due to the fact that removing the vacuum bag and throwing it away releases a lot less dust and allergens into the air than emptying a canister. Bagged vacuums also usually come standard with HEPA filtration. (Many bagless models have HEPA filters, as well.) This means that fewer allergens will be released into the air, either through the exhaust or when changing the bag.

The main drawback to bagged models is that you have to keep buying bags for them! But keep in mind that many bagless models require repeat purchases, too—of filters. And with a bagged vacuum, you will begin to notice reduced performance as the bag fills. Some people see this as an early warning system, but for others, it can be a pain.

Bagless vacuums have become the most widely used type of cleaner for home use in recent years. They tend to be less expensive than bagged, and even if they require filter changes, it ends up being a less frequent purchase than if you had to buy bags all the time.

Another advantage to bagless choices is that it is very easy to see when the dirt receptacle is full since they are always made of clear plastic, easily viewable to the user.

Bagless is also the greener choice since you aren’t putting all of those bags in the landfill year after year. But emptying the receptacles can release a lot of dust and allergens, so if you have asthma or severe allergies, a bagged model is recommended. If you do go with a bagless option, it’s better to empty the receptacle outside of the home.

Hopefully, this post helped you narrow down your preference between bagged and bagless vacuum models!

If you live in the Asheville, NC area and are looking for top-notch professional carpet cleaning, give Five Step a call at 828.772.1824 or write us a line today!