Most conventional vacuum cleaners pick up the larger particulates, so the floor looks clean. What you don't realize is that the filter isn't good enough to capture the tiniest particles, the ones that are most harmful to lung tissue. Those tiny particles fly out the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner back into room air, where you breathe them in. With the average vacuum cleaner, the air is cleaner before you vacuum then after you vacuum.

This is why you should not use the average vacuum cleaner in mold cleanup -- because mold spores and other particles are very small and require a HEPA filter to capture them.

I don't know why a vacuum cleaner manufacturer would sell any other type of unit than one with the very best filtration, that is, a HEPA vacuum cleaner. A true HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns  (the size of mold spores) or greater.

Tip: Some vacuum cleaner manufacturers try to make you think that their vacuum cleaner is a HEPA vacuum when it's not. Beware of words like "removes 99.97% of pollen," because pollen grains are much larger than mold spores. Avoid such a vacuum cleaner.

 
Watch out for terms like "hypoallergenic," which could mean anything. Trust me, if the vacuum cleaner is a true HEPA vacuum, the manufacturer will proclaim that.

In addition to having a good HEPA filter, the vacuum cleaner should also be tight. That is, you don't want dirty air escaping through cracks in the chassis. Canisters are generally preferred.

I'm kind of leery of vacuum cleaner bags that are sold as HEPA bags. They can be hard to measure or to confirm that they really do capture 99.97% of tiny particulates. So far I have not been able to confirm that any HEPA bag functions truly as a HEPA bag.

HEPA vacuum cleaner story:

A New Jersey woman called to schedule a mold inspection, because she was on high levels of asthma medication. I didn't find mold, but I did suggest that she furnish her cleaning service with a true-HEPA vacuum cleaner, just for use in her home.

Within a week, she was off all asthma medication. The inefficient vacuum cleaner used by the cleaning service was spewing dog dander from another house throughout my client's home. My client was severely allergic to dog dander.

The take-home lesson is not to let anyone else use their vacuum cleaner in your home, unless it is a HEPA unit.

Question: How do you know whether a vacuum cleaner is a HEPA vacuum cleaner?

Answer: Look for the "HEPA" that should be marked on the chassis. When I'm doing a home inspection, I have an additional way to check by using a laser particle counter. I turn on the vacuum cleaner and then turn on the laser particle counter. The sensor from the particle counter is placed in the airflow being discharged from the vacuum cleaner. If the reading goes down to near zero, I know it's a HEPA filter.

Question: Where can I buy a HEPA vacuum cleaner?

Answer: Most manufacturers are making at least one HEPA model these days. You could do an Internet search or just check out a local store. There are models ranging from $125 to about $1500, from manufacturers such as Nilfisk, Miele, Electrolux, Eureka, and Dyson.

The only upright HEPA I have seen with a bag is a Eureka model. A bag is preferred to a bagless model.

Generally, canister models are preferred because the chassis is easier to seal. Nilfisk, a Danish company, is the only manufacturer that I know of which makes only HEPA models. I have one of their HEPA vacuum cleaners. If you have wall-to-wall, you probably would want the optional power nozzle. If you only have smaller areas of low-pile carpet, you could use the turbo nozzle.

Tip: When using a HEPA vacuum cleaner in mold cleanup, turn off the power nozzle. Power nozzles  are not HEPA filtered -- which is another good reason to have hardwood floors instead of wall-to-wall.

Question: what else should I be aware of when looking for a HEPA vacuum cleaner?

Answer: A hidden cost can be replacement cost of filters. The Nilfisk for example requires replacement of only one HEPA filter about every two years, unless it receives heavy use. One client told me the best price she had found for the Nilfisk Family Vac is at ABC Vacuum Warehouse. ABC also carries a low-end Eureka upright with bags.

HEPA vacuum cleaner story:

A Connecticut woman hired me to do an environmental assessment because she had a persistent cough in the house.

After she did no more than upgrade her vacuum cleaner to a Nilfisk Family Vac, she reported her cough was 80% better.

Tip: A whole house vacuum system is fine for everyday cleaning but maybe not for a mold removal project. There is typically some discharge of particulate matter at the canister in the basement. If you have a whole house system, you don't need a HEPA vacuum cleaner - except for areas where the whole house doesn't reach.
 

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