Vacuum or Hoover bags or filter bags fit inside vacuum cleaners to collect the dust and debris that is vacuumed up. Vacuum bags are made from paper that is porous or fabric, which will act as a filtration system. The air passes through this material, but the dust and debris are captured inside. The thicker the filtration is then the harder it is for the air to pass through and more suction power required to push the air through the bag. A plastic or cardboard collar on the bags allows easy insertion and removal from the cleaner. Vacuum bags are widely available as either disposable or reusable.

Types of Vacuum Bag

• HEPA vacuum bags – these can filter out dust and dirt of up to 0.01 micron and able to trap bacteria, pollen, dust mites and allergens which is very beneficial for asthma sufferers or people with allergies
• Anti- odour dust bags – these bags have a coating which traps unpleasant smells from escaping the vacuum cleaner
• Fleece lined bags- These are stronger than the paper bags and do not decompose as quickly when clogged with dust, these bags are ideal for wet dust.

Some vacuum bags are used in vacuum cleaners that are used to collect hazardous dust. These are divided into three classes of use according to EN 60335-2-69:

• Dust Class L - The vacuum cleaner filter will trap 99% of dust with a grain size of under 2 microns that represents a moderate risk
• Dust Class M - The vacuum cleaner filter will trap 99.9% of dust with a grain size of under 2 microns that represents a medium risk
• Dust Class H - The vacuum cleaner filter will trap 99.995% of dust with a grain size of under 1 micron that represents a high risk including carcinogenic dusts and dusts contaminated with carcinogens or pathogens.

Benefits of using vacuum cleaner bags

• Efficient way of disposing dust and dirt, you just remove the bag and throw it away
• Asthma/ allergy sufferers can chose a better filtration to help their needs
• Avoids a messy procedure emptying dust and dirt into the bin

Vacuum Bag Care

You should regularly empty vacuum bags so your vacuum cleaner runs smoothly, if the bag is full the vacuum will lose suction power. Also important is to ensure you buy the correct vacuum/hoover bag for your vacuum cleaner, as recommended by the manufacturer.