HEPA Filters - Keep Your Home Safe

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic has led to rising consciousness about the quality of indoor air and the proper precautions to reduce the propagation of this virus. According to the experts, the virus will live on the soles of shoes for two days. Most of it also ends up on the floor through sneezing and coughing. This is why vacuuming the floors is incredibly necessary.

Although no studies have been conducted on the efficacy of vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters to provide protection against the virus, it is very useful to learn a little bit more about how HEPA filters function and how they can be effective in keeping your home clean.

What does HEPA filtration mean?

HEPA is the acronym for "High-Performance Particulate Air". With varying interlaced fibers that form a “maze”, HEPA filters are designed to capture 99.97 percent of air particles that are as small as 0.3 microns and prevent them from getting through. Particulates that are stuck within the filter do not circulate in the air that you breathe.

The size of each COVID-19 particle is around 0.125 microns. Even if they are tinier than the 0.3 that a HEPA filter can block, the virus particles could not transport alone. They have to be attached unto something, like water droplets and other substances that we produce when we talk, cough, or sneeze, which usually have a minimum size of 1 micron.

HEPA Vacuum Filters

Even though there are no conclusive studies on whether a vacuum filter is capable of preventing COVID-19, a vacuum that is equipped with a HEPA filter can potentially collect and capture harmful particles within your home, which minimizes the risk of spreading the virus to your family.

Although there is no clear evidence as well as to whether the virus could be spread by vacuuming, low-quality vacuums that lack HEPA filters may theoretically pick up and distribute virus particles into the atmosphere. This may actually be a problem if anyone is diagnosed with the virus in your home and you are trying to keep anyone from catching it. This could also be a concern for offices, businesses, and public places where many people regularly pass by, and where cleaning staff could spread virus particles by vacuuming unknowingly into the air. This is why the CDC advises that any cleaning should be performed at a time when the least amount of people is susceptible to being exposed like at night time or after closing.

To prevent pollutants from entering an enclosed space, a negatively pressurized room ensures that air is drawn in from holes or leakages. HEPA filters may be positively installed, which will place pressure on a confined space to avoid pollutants from getting into the room.

With its capability of trapping COVID-19 particles as well as a wide range of common pathogens and pollutants, it's a great idea to invest in a HEPA vacuum filter. At Superior Vacuums, we offer you a range of HEPA bags and filters that could help keep you and your family safe from harmful particles that can cause diseases. These high-quality products are all available in our Vacuum Store in Calgary.