The vacuum cleaner, that noisy Sunday morning companion that we take out almost by reflex. Except that for a good number of French people, this gesture has much more importance than a simple aesthetic maintenance.
According to the Foundation for Medical Research, between 20% and 30% of the French population today suffers from at least one allergy, of all origins (respiratory, skin, food). A figure that has been growing constantly and spectacularly since the 1970s, when only 2 to 3% of the population was affected. In half a century, the proportion of people with allergies has increased tenfold. Among the allergens most frequently involved in this explosion, dust mites occupy a special place: these microscopic arachnids, invisible to the naked eye, proliferate in household dust, particularly in textiles, rugs, carpets and bedding.
It is not so much the mite itself that poses a problem as its droppings and body fragments, veritable cocktails of allergens which are found suspended in the air as soon as you move a carpet or sit on a sofa. A single teaspoon of bedroom dust can contain up to 1,000 mites and 250,000 balls of allergenic excrement according to several specialized studies. A figure which gives another dimension to the almost banal act of vacuuming: it is not simply removing visible dirt, it is also limiting the allergenic load which floats silently in the air we breathe every day at home.

What this task actually involves

Vacuuming involves treating all the floors in the house, as well as rugs, carpets and sometimes sofas depending on their accessibility, with particular emphasis on high traffic areas. Allow around 20 minutes for an average-sized home, a time which obviously varies depending on the surface area to be covered and the size of the rooms.

Tips and tricks for a truly effective vacuum cleaner

The choice of filter changes a lot of things: a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter captures up to 99.95% of fine particles, compared to a classic filter which tends to reject part of the dust sucked up directly into the ambient air, a shame for a device supposed to clean. People sensitive to allergies therefore have every interest in favoring this type of filtration, checking that the air circuit is properly sealed around the filter to avoid any invisible leaks.
Vacuuming once or twice a week is sufficient to effectively limit the allergen load on the surface, without more frequent vacuuming providing any significant additional benefit according to several clinical studies. Pay particular attention to textile areas (rugs, carpets, sofas) where mites cling to the fibers, rather than focusing solely on hard floors which retain much less dust in depth.
Finally, emptying the bin regularly or changing the vacuum cleaner bag remains essential: a bin that is too full reduces the suction power and can even end up releasing part of the dust already collected into the air, canceling out a good part of the effort made.

With up to 30% of the French population affected by an allergy according to the Foundation for Medical Research, vacuuming goes far beyond the simple aesthetic question of the floor shining. It is a respiratory hygiene gesture in its own right, which deserves attention with a little more consideration than the strict minimum.