You're Vacuum Sucks, and what that is important for your healthy interior

Sweeping around might just be making your air worse

Let’s talk about sweeping. Not the poetic kind of vast landscapes or grand gestures—but the one that just makes dust angry. You think you’re cleaning, but really, you’re giving airborne particles a chance to rejoin the party, now in flight.

It’s a tough pill to swallow: that sweeping with a broom might actually be making things worse for your lungs. When you sweep, you stir up fine particulate matter—PM2.5 and PM10 for the science-inclined—which then floats around, ready to be inhaled. If your cleaning routine leaves the air tasting...a little dusty, you’re not imagining it.

Studies have confirmed what many sinuses already suspected. Activities like sweeping dramatically increase airborne particles. One study even found that PM2.5 levels quintupled during basic cleaning tasks like dry sweeping. (Congratulations, you may have just dusted your living room into your lungs.)

Now enter the hero: the vacuum cleaner—especially one with a HEPA filter. These babies trap 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, which includes pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and yes, microplastics (those uninvited guests from carpets and synthetic fabrics). Unlike sweeping, vacuuming doesn’t just redistribute; it removes.

But before you break up with your broom entirely, here’s the good news: you can keep your interiors clean and your lungs happy with a few easy steps:

Solutions for a Breathable Home:

• Vacuum often with a HEPA-filtered machine—especially in high-traffic and fabric-heavy areas.

• Ditch dry sweeping. Use a damp mop or old wet towel cloth instead for hard surfaces.

• Clean your vacuum regularly so it works at full efficiency.

• Invest in doormats and remove shoes indoors—your soles are sneaky pollution smugglers. This helps the contamination to stay out of your house from the beginning.

• Consider air purifiers if you live in a high-dust area or have allergies.

Lett us look at how we can breath, better. Clean smarter, not harder—and maybe retire that broom to Halloween decor duty instead, or give it a spritz and wash, before you start sweeping around ;).

References

1. Ferro, A. R., Kopperud, R. J., & Hildemann, L. M. (2004). Source strengths for indoor human activities that resuspend particulate matter. Environmental Science & Technology, 38(6), 1759–1764. https://doi.org/10.1021/es026389m

2. Le Cann, P., et al. (2011). Assessment of the contamination of indoor air by allergens and microorganisms in office buildings. Environment International, 37(1), 131–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2010.07.004

3. Custovic, A., et al. (1998). The effectiveness of vacuum cleaning in reducing house dust mites and associated allergens. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 28(6), 622–627. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2222.1998.00271.x

4. Zhang, Q., et al. (2011). Measurement of ultrafine particles and other air pollutants emitted by cooking activities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(4), 1744–1759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7041744