Vacuum Filtration Has Come A Long Way

• Conventional vacuum filters, made of microfiberglass or paper, trap particles deep inside the filter, resulting in clogging that restricts airflow through the filter, which ultimately diminishes the vacuum cleaner's power. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

• CleanStream® filters, made with a space-age polymer and engineered with composite membrane technology, can stop particles at the surface of the filter while resisting permanent clogging. The particles can be easily tapped away clean from the surface of the filter, restoring like-new airflow and efficiency.

• An efficient filter - one that stops fine dust AND keeps suction strong - not only enhances cleaning performance, it can also lengthen the life of the vacuum cleaner by keeping ultra fine particles away from the motor, which can prevent overheating and wearing down of the vacuum's mechanical parts through dirt and dust buildup. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

The Facts About HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) Filters

• HEPA filters are classified by their minimum collection efficiency: 99.97 percent efficiency for the removal of 0.3 microns diameter or larger. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.org)

• Consumers can take precautions to help eliminate bacteria and other irritants in their homes through vacuuming with highly efficient filters. Many irritants are larger than 0.3 microns, and therefore, are large enough to be captured by HEPA and high efficiency filters:

  Bacteria (0.3 microns), pet dander (0.5-11 microns), pollen (7 to 100 microns), plant spores (9 to 100 microns), and even some cooking (0.3 - 30 microns), wood (.03 - 3 microns) and tobacco smoke (.01 - 1 micron) (Particle Size Source: North Central Regional Extension Publications, Cooperative Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

• Consumers need to understand that filtration efficiency is only half of the story. How the filter affects the vacuum cleaner performance is the real test of customer satisfaction. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

• Recently it came to light that the vacuum cleaner had a dirty little secret of its own: it sucked up dust to beat the band, but in some machines, the smallest, most breathable specks whistled right through the filter and billowed out into the air. The revelation that some vacuum cleaners could increase the amount of dust in the air led to a revolution in vacuum cleaners. In the late 1990s new models began to tout their HEPA filters. (Source: The Secret Life of Dust by Hannah Holmes, pg. 167)

• A HEPA filter in itself may not lead to optimal vacuum performance. Without the unique polymer technology used in CleanStream filters, a HEPA filter made of microfiberglass or paper can clog easily, and deteriorate over time, thus reducing the vacuum cleaner's airflow, suction and cleaning ability. How the filter affects the vacuum cleaner performance is the real test of customer satisfaction. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

A New Standard of Filtration

Not all vacuum filters are created equal…
• CleanStream filters offer the ability to keep air flowing with the greatest suction power under the most abrasive conditions experienced in a vacuum cleaner. Abrasion resistance is particularly important for bagless vacuum cleaner units because larger particles and debris can reach the primary filter. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

• With the introduction of CleanStream filters, scientists and engineers at W. L. Gore & Associates developed a filter that has maximum "Airflow Recovery Capacity" (ARC), which refers to the filter's impact on airflow over the course of multiple cleaning cycles. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

• The higher the filter's Airflow Recovery Capacity (ARC), the greater the vacuum cleaner's ability to maintain maximum airflow, without replacing the filter, over the course of a normal vacuum cleaner lifetime. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

• Maximizing ARC enables consumers to capture more dust with every pass of the vacuum. This results in more efficient cleaning and a cost savings over replacement filters. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)

• Compared to ordinary vacuum cleaner filter material, CleanStream filter media provides an ARC rating that's three times more efficient over the life of the vacuum cleaner (average 7 years) without replacing the filter. On average, CleanStream filters provide 90 percent airflow recovery after 100 cleaning cycles, when cleaned in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations. (Source: W. L. Gore & Associates, www.cleanstreamfilters.com)