Overview

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., the Newark, Delaware-based manufacturer of CleanStreamÒ vacuum filtration products for home and industrial uses, sponsored a survey to gauge consumer awareness of the "state of the air" in their homes and their perceived effects of airborne impurities on allergies and the health of their families. Consumers were also asked a series of questions about their cleaning and vacuum purchasing habits.

Research Methodology

The survey was conducted by International Communications Research, located in Media, Pennsylvania, as part of its twice-weekly, national EXCEL telephone omnibus surveys.

Key Findings

• Ninety-five percent of Americans recently surveyed describe the air in their homes as "clean and healthy," when, in fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top environmental risks to public health.

• More than 97 percent of Americans surveyed believe that cleaning their homes helps improve their air quality, and nearly 50 percent of respondents said their primary vacuum is two years old or less, which means that they are benefiting from some of the latest vacuum filtration technologies.

• When it comes to the relationship between vacuum filters and indoor air quality, Americans seem to make the connection. Ninety-five percent of those surveyed said they considered a filter on their vacuum "important" to the quality of the air they breathe inside their home, and more than 83 percent of the Americans surveyed think it's important to have a vacuum filter that can be cleaned.

• Americans ranked filtration third among the features that are most important to them when buying a vacuum cleaner, right behind a vacuum cleaner's power and its manufacturer's reputation. A vacuum cleaner's style, as well as its comfort, weight and handling, were less important than filtration to customers.

• Sixty-four percent said they would pay more for a vacuum if its filters were able to trap more pollen, pet dander and most other allergens and airborne impurities in their home than any other vacuum cleaner filter.

• Younger people vacuum more frequently than older people. More than 34 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 said they vacuum more than three times a week, compared to only 5.5 percent of Americans aged 65 or older. Nearly half (49.5 percent) of those over 65 say they vacuum once a week, with only 23 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds saying the same.

• When it comes to selecting a vacuum cleaner based on a factor other than price, men are slightly more inclined than women to base the decision on power, while three times more women than men look for comfort, weight and handling.

• Half of respondents said that their primary vacuum cleaner is only one to two years old, or even less than a year. This may reflect a trend towards Americans owning more than one vacuum cleaner.