I
cannot tell you as someone English born and bred, how eager I am for Fall
to arrive. I much prefer the cooler weather. If like me, your thoughts
are turning to Fall, then I have some interesting products to discuss
with you in this newsletter issue.
Our staff
has been testing both new and old products all summer and the emissions
results for vacuum cleaners, I think you will find exceptionally interesting.
What is more, we have a rather compelling new EIO
vacuum from Germany for you to consider as an alternative to our current Miele and Eureka lines. All of these vacuum cleaner products have their pluses and minuses.
We will try to make the differences between them clear for you, so you
can make an educated choice when buying one.
You can always tell
whether we have a really good new product, by the reaction of our staff
and what they are buying for themselves and their families. Current staff
favorites are the new Eureka
Oxygen and EIO
vacuums, the DIVA
400 thread count sheets and a tried and true favorite, the Primaloft
pillows and comforter line.
We now
have a video
for our Ladybug vapor steam cleaners for all of you who have asked
to see a demonstration of how they work. The video is online and is really
fast, I hope you like it.
We rely on all of you
to spread the word about AllergyBuyersClub.com but now if you want to
get some part-time income from referring your friends and family to us
just drop Gary McEldowney an email at marketing@allergybuyersclub.com and he will fill you in on details.
You
do not even need a web site to participate. Alternatively, if you would
like Allergybuyersclub.com to be a health perk in your company, let Gary
know and he can forward all details to your corporate HR manager.
Disclaimer: Product and solution information reflect information available at the time of publication, including prices, availability, and reviews. To get the latest information, contact us or join our newsletter.
Our staff are always being asked
to compare our vacuum cleaner selection in more detail
over the phone, so we thought we would try it make it
simple by comparing some vacuums on the features most
often asked about. We are only comparing our canister
vacuum cleaners. We also did some emissions testing
with brand new machines and the results are below. In
our emission testing, we tested the room particulate
count and then averaged 10 readings with a particulate
monitor at the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner. The "efficiency"
is the ratio of dirty air coming into the vacuum versus
the number of particulates coming out the exhaust.
Emission Testing Efficiency Data
We are often asked as to whether the vacuum
cleaners we carry are really effective in not letting
particulates out into the room. For all the vacuum cleaners
tested, the particulate levels were lower than when
we measured the general particulate level in the room
before vacuuming. 10 readings on our particulate monitor,
at the vacuum exhaust were averaged.
As you can see, all three of our best
vacuum cleaners performed up to very high efficiency
standards.
EIO
Vacuum Cleaners - New Product Review Canister vacuum cleaners with
hepa type filter
Rating: 4 Stars - Very Good
We
found a new vacuum cleaner from Germany which we thought
was rather interesting in its fundamental design. In
Germany, it is a strong competitor to Miele, and has
been for years, but has not been exported to the USA
until now. It uses the same fundamental basic motor
as the Miele but there the similarities end. The bottom
line on this vacuum, is we think it provides terrific
value for money and when we tested it for emissions,
a topic near to every allergy sufferer's heart, it came
out roses. It does however have some querks which I
need to mention.
We're presenting the EIO
vacuum cleaner in two different models. They are
actually the same machine with a different label on
them and different packages of hand tool and motor accessories.
The advantage of this approach is that you could start
with a lower priced model and then decide on your upgrades
later. My recommendation is to start with the "Family"
model at $499.95 which comes with an excellent turbo
head, then add the power head later if you find you
need it. If you have a lot of carpets, then just get
the "Estate" model, the top of the line with
power head, right from the start.
For those of you who like details. Here
is a compilation of several testers' product pluses
and minuses. We tested the EIO "Family" model.
Pluses
The EIO vacuum cleaner comes with a
system of 3 main filters out of a total of six. It
has a 3 layer disposable HEPA dust bag, an active
charcoal and motor protection filter cassette, and
an S class suspended matter HEPA filter. We tested
the EIO vacuum cleaner and it had near-zero or zero
emissions. From the allergy sufferer perspective this
is a dream machine.
All EIO models come with an adjustable
wand which we think makes for ease of use when doing
different applications.
We loved the bags that come with the
EIO. They are the biggest ones we have seen in a vacuum
cleaner this size.
EIO made a slightly larger vacuum cleaner
than its competitors allowing for the larger fabric
dust bags and tools on board, but it is still light
and easy to move around.
The EIO 360° swivel hose made the
vacuum very easy to maneuver.
The electronic Max-Min suction control
allows you to clean low to high pile rugs more effectively.
For instance, the max setting removes pet hair from
upholstery while the min setting was useful for cleaning
drapes and lampshades.
The hardwood floor brush was low enough
to get underneath the heating system and furniture,
and the quality of the brush was impressive.
The roller head attachment worked very
well on kitchen and bathroom floors.
Overall the quality of the EIO hand
tools seemed excellent. The turbo head seemed more
powerful than we had seen used with other machines.
Most people will be perfectly content with the EIO
Family Vacuum, which comes complete with a turbo head.
It is easy to change the filters on
this vacuum cleaner. They were very accessible. The
HEPA filter needs to be changed after 50 hours of
use.
The EIO will tell you when it is time
to change the vacuum cleaner bag. This is an important
feature, as most people do not realize that vacuum
bags need to be changed before they are full to the
brim.
EIO is a vacuum cleaner with a defect
record of a fraction of 1% and a reputation for holding
up over time. A boon for those who are tired of their
vacuum cleaners breaking down every two years.
Minuses
In order to get an adjustable wand
and no external wiring, EIO came up with a unique
solution for their power-brush vacuums. It works off
a power-pack which we found lasted an hour without
running out. You do need to remember to charge up
the spare pack in case it runs out on you while you
are vacuuming. We also found the power-brush to be
a little erratic to begin with and it seemed to switch
itself off unasked. Then it settled down and behaved
beautifully but we could not figure out what we might
have done to cause it to be erratic.
The hand tools are on board and can
be changed pretty easily. They were not so smooth
to change as some more expensive vacuums such as the
top of the line Miele, but were more than acceptable.
As with other vacuum cleaners at this
price range, most of the controls are on the canister
instead of finger- tip convenience on the handle.
It was necessary to keep bending down to adjust the
suction such as when the vacuum moved from carpet
to floor to upholstery. Getting finger tip controls
just costs a lot more and it would be unfair to expect
a vacuum cleaner at this price point to have this
feature.
The plastic logo on the handle fell
off repeatedly while testers were using it. It was
hollow underneath and appeared to serve no function.
It was difficult to snap back into place. A little
glue was the answer.
There are two floor tools that come
with the Family model. We thought that was excessive
and got a little confused as to which tool to use
when.
EIO is not a household brand here in
the USA and the number of authorized repair centers
is limited at the moment. The good news is that the
EIO repair and defect record is near flawless.
In the model we tested, the retractable
cord pulled out in a jerky fashion but retracted flawlessly.
We were not sure whether we had a defective model
or whether they were all like that.
Summary
We liked this vacuum cleaner a great deal.
And just in case you are interested, we have tested
and evaluated a number of vacuum cleaners this summer
that did not pass our stringent quality requirements.
Steam
Cleaner Review - Steamax Vapor Steam Cleaners By David Barnaby
Rating:
- 4 Stars - Very
Good.
PLUSES
The STEAMAX vapor steam cleaner
took 13 minutes to heat up which is fast for a machine
of this capacity.
The steam was very hot and dry
and cleaned very well on all the usual household cleaning
tasks in kitchen, bathroom and beyond.
The attachments were easy to attach
and change. Not as easy as our high end vapor steam
cleaners but easy nonetheless
The steam cleaner was light and
easy to pull around the room. We thought that this
was a big plus for normal consumer usage.
The attachments that come with
it were the basics. It had a large rectangular brush,
a triangular brush, window cleaning tool, small and
large round nylon brush, and a two wands and a hose.
The STEAMAX has a good quality
stainless steel boiler which accounts for the steam
cleaner heating up fast and the steel will ensure
longevity.
The unit will run for approximately
two hours, which is really quite long enough for most
people running around doing household clean up on
the weekend!
The STEAMAX has a variable control
for the steam on the handle. You can choose low, medium,
and high. We thought that this was especially useful
and nice to have with a vapor steam cleaner at this
price point.
MINUSES
The STEAMAX does not have a pressure
gauge, and we missed being able to gauge where you
are when the machine is warming up. Also, if you have
a pressure gauge, you are able to monitor the quality
of the steam as you clean.
The window-cleaning tool leaves streaks
and does not clean the entire area easily.
The steam control on the handle is
a nice feature but it could be better. It has a low,
medium, and high setting which are activated by pressing
two buttons in different positions. What we found
was the low setting was too low at times and the medium
too much, and the same went for the medium and the
high.
It is not a continuous fill steam cleaner
so after two hours of use you would need to let it
cool down, refill it, and wait for it to reheat so
there would be around a half hour stoppage. The best
recommendation would be for the user to make sure
they fill it to the brim every time they use it, so
it does not run out of steam 15 minutes into their
next cleaning time.
SUMMARY
We like this vapor steam cleaner. It has
a good quality stainless steel boiler and is easy to
use and maneuver. It heats up fairly fast and will run
for two hours. We recommend it as a good mid-priced
machine for a smaller home for light applications.
Whole House Dehumidifier
Q & A - Plumber Needed for Duct Installation? Large area dehumidifier and
how to use duct kit by David Barnaby, AllergyBuyersClub.com
Staff
Q.
Customer purchased a Santa
Fe dehumidifier and wanted a recommendation for a plumber.
A. Hi Peg,
Thank you for your order. You have selected an excellent dehumidifier.
I would recommend you also purchase the remote dehumidistat.
The reason for this is the room where you have the dehumidifier will have
a lower humidity because the drier air will be exhausting into the room.
Therefore, the unit may shut off prematurely on you because its built-in
humidistat will signal that it has reached its humidity setting while
the humidity in the other rooms you are ducting in from will be a higher
humidity and you will still wish for the dehumidifier to remain on.
The remote dehumidistat will register the actual humidity in the room
you are ducting in from so the dehumidifier will remain on until the humidity
in the room reaches the level you have set it on.
As far as a recommendation for a plumber, it is not necessary. All that
is required is for you to make a hole in the wall of the room you want
to duct the air in from and you run flex hose (it can be dryer vent hose
plastic or aluminum) into the intake hole on the dehumidifier. As long
as you have any circulation for the air to circulate back into the room
after it comes out of the dehumidifier you will not have to worry about
the dry air getting back into the room. The reason for this is that you
are over pressurizing the room where the dehumidifier is so the air will
force its way back into the room where you ducted it from. You need as
little as the threshold underneath a closed door, a louver door, etc.
However, if it is a concrete wall or a completely sealed wall you can
duct the air from the bottom where the dried air comes out of back into
the room. The dehumidifier duct kit also comes with an exhaust collar
that will attach to the exhaust grill on the bottom of the unit where
the dried air comes out.
Keep in mind, that the duct kit consists of only the intake piece that
will sit on top of the dehumidifier with a 6-inch and a 8 inch hole. If
you are ducting from one room you will cap off the 6-inch hole and use
the 8-inch hole. If you are ducting from more than one room you would
use both openings. If you are ducting in from more than 2 rooms you can
buy a Y adapter piece fitted over the 8-inch opening so you can duct into
the opening from more than one room. The 6-inch opening should be used
for one room. The duct kit also comes with the exhaust collar to attach
to the bottom of the dehumidifier where the dried air comes out in case
you need to duct the air back into the room.
So, you will need to supply the ducting but as I said it does not have
to be anything real expensive. The actual installation is easy. It only
requires the holes, the collars around the holes and attaching the ducting
at the two ends. It is not as complicated as you would think. There is
no need for a plumber.
I also wanted to ask you if you planned to have the water drain out with
a gravity hose or if you needed to pump the water up and out somewhere.
If the latter is the case, you will need to purchase the pump kit.
If you have any questions concerning anything please feel free to contact
me.
Mattress
and Mold Q & A Fight mold on mattresses with
a steam cleaner plus more mold control tips From: Kelli M
Subject: mold in our mattress
Hi
there;
I have a "Rest Easy" flotation
bed. I have decided to change the water and when pulling
back the mattress that surrounds it we have discovered
a lot of what we think is "Mold or Mildew".
We vacuumed it and used a shampooed it. The mold appears
to be brown in color. Some spots are darker than others.
Is there anything I can use to get rid of the mold?
Also, I wonder, my 15 month old son has
suffered from lots of upper respiratory illness (pneumonia,
asthma, RSV, and ear infections) . Up until 3 months
ago he was always sick with one of these and slept in
a portable crib at the base of our bed. We moved him
to his own room 3 months ago and has
been well since.
Is there anything else in my household
to check that would not be visible?
Thanks in advance;
Kelli M.
Kelli,
Thank you for your questions.
An excellent solution to your mold problem would be
to kill the mold by sanitizing the area using a vapor
steam cleaner. These machines sanitize and clean
by using steam heat and can be used throughout the entire
house for sanitizing and cleaning almost every surface
without the use of chemicals. Since household cleaners
contain many harmful chemicals, being able to thoroughly
clean your house without using these cleaners is of
immeasurable value in healthy living.
Since mold is present almost everywhere
and your son seems to have a mold allergy, an additional
suggestion would be to filter and clean the air with
an air purifier. Mold spores are usually airborne and
would be filtered out as the air passes through the
machine. Air purfiers range in room size capability
from small rooms to whole house units.
Information on both of these types of
machines can be found on our website http://www.allergybuyersclub.com.
Just click on "appliances" and then click
the appliance type you wish to see. Remember to use
rubber gloves and a "nose and mouth" type
face mask when dealing with mold. It can be nasty stuff.
Please call me toll free at 888-236-7231 Monday - Friday
(9AM - 5PM Eastern) if I might answer any questions
for you.
If You Are Looking For Kids' Bunk Or Loft Beds Check These
Out
I
cannot pretend to have tried out personally our bunk
beds, these are the province of a younger generation
than I. What I can tell you is that we have been getting
some rave email from adults who needed loft beds in
NYC as well as parents who are exceptionally pleased
with the quality of our bunk
and loft beds. We have improved our selection recently
and added a number of new kids beds and bedroom furniture.
Check them out at:
Sinus
Pain and Relief Product - Hydro Pulse Press Release Those with sinus problems and
sinusitis, asthma, and allergy sufferers may find comfort
in new nasal irrigation equipment By Murray Grossan, M.D.
Grossan Hydro Pulse, a new aid for sinus and allergy
sufferers.
More than 37 medical journal articles and books
have recommended pulsatile nasal / sinus irrigation for alleviation of
chronic sinusitis and allergy symptoms. Pulsatile nasal irrigation means
delivering a pulsing stream of saline gently through the nose and sinuses
for removal of bacteria and the cover of the bacteria called biofilm,
as well as pollen and dust. It is this biofilm cover that makes sinusitis
symptoms so difficult to clear.
Pulsatile irrigation using the Grossan methodology, has
been used by over 400,000 sinus and allergy patients. Dr Grossan has listened
to suggestions by these patients and developed an improved device that
fulfills many patient's requests. These improvements include:
A handy off and on switch at the hand piece for easier
irrigation.
A device that won't scare you by a powerful stream that
hits the ceiling!
A device so gentle that kids will use it.
A machine that keeps the pressure where it is set, without
wasting solution as the pressure goes up and down.
A device that is quiet so the neighbors won't object
when it is used at night.
A device with a sealed motor so that the machine still
works after months of use.
Bowl is clearly marked for exact measurement. This is
important now that doctors are recommending adding anti fungal and antibacterial
medications to the Hydro Pulse Irrigator.
The pulse rate is more exact to help restore cilia function.
The Grossan Hydro Pulse is designed for nasal use and is
FDA and UL listed. For this reason it is accepted for payment by many
insurance providers. The pressure is easy to set the stream is about one
inch high, about 1/4 the pressure of a sneeze, and once set remains there.
No waste trying to regulate a non enclosed motor. This is especially important
when antibiotics are being used.
Every medical textbook says to remove pus from the infected
area. With the Grossan Hydro Pulse this can be done easily, at home, and
comfortably on a daily basis. The Hydro Pulse is ideal for this because
not only is pus removed from nose and sinuses, but in addition, mucus
is thinned, and the biofilm that covers the bacteria is removed. The pulsation
rate is ideal for restoring the nasal cilia to the correct rate of pulsation
so that they can move infection away. Now it is easier for the body to
heal in a natural manner with less medication, or possibly none!
Hydro Pulse can be used for persons who get common colds
frequently. It washes away the ICAM 1 from the nose that is the entry
way for the cold virus. (But it won't cure a cold)
During pollen season, using the Hydro Pulse to wash away
pollen and IgE can reduce symptoms significantly.
The largest application for the Hydro Pulse is for alleviating
symptoms for Asthma and chest conditions. Sinus infections are a major
trigger for Asthma.
Post nasal drip is a sign that the cilia of the nose are
moving too slowly so that phlegm thickens and gets infected. Because this
can lead to a breath problem, Grossan Hydro Pulse includes, in addition
to two sinus irrigators, two throat irrigators and tongue cleaners for
the attendant breath condition.
Hydro Pulse is available at most allergy outlets. The Grossan
HydroPulse comes with two nasal and two throat attachments, samples of
Breathe. ease XL, and in instruction booklet that includes excerpts from
"The Sinus Cure" by Bruce and Murray Grossan published
by Ballantine 1991.
If sinus or allergy is your problem, consider the
benefits of clearing these conditions in this natural manner.
I
cannot tell you as someone English born and bred, how eager I am for Fall
to arrive. I much prefer the cooler weather. If like me, your thoughts
are turning to Fall, then I have some interesting products to discuss
with you in this newsletter issue. 
You
do not even need a web site to participate. Alternatively, if you would
like Allergybuyersclub.com to be a health perk in your company, let Gary
know and he can forward all details to your corporate HR manager.
4 Stars - Very Good
