Paper vs. Synthetic Vacuum Bags, who will be the victor !?

Remember the polyester leisure suit ?

Ohhh yeah, you remember. For those of you who were unfortunate enough to miss the manly allure of the polyester leisure suit then all that needs to be known about these beauties was that they were the garb of kings back in the 1970’s.

Polyester, disco balls and huge shoes made of cork were the height of fashion and technology in those days.

But what does this have to do with vacuum cleaner bags ?! Well, a great deal my ever inquisitive reader.

The polyester suit of the 1970’s is a cautionary tale of quality vs affordability.

The polyester of the 1970’s was cheap to produce and easy to manufacture. Polyester was an affordable fabric to the fashion conscience consumers of the 1970’s, and it even came with all the benefits of wearing what was –for all intents and purposes – plastic. It came in numerous patterns, it was easy to wash, stain resistant and relatively wrinkle free !

However, as the 1970’s endured, people began to realize that polyester was not all it was cracked up to be.

Polyester had some serious drawbacks. Those leisure suit wearing disco kings of the 1970’s suffered from excessive sweatiness, chaffing and general plastic-induced discomfort. It turned out that fabrics made of plastic failed in the breathability and comfort department. It also wasn’t the most safest of materials when exposed to a heat source.

So what does this have to do with vacuum bags I hear you say, yet again? Well, what material are vacuum cleaner bags made of?

Paper vacuum cleaner bags have been used since at least the 1950’s. Their success came from being relatively cheap to produce and easy to manufacture. They have been a successful medium for storing dust and dirt in vacuum cleaners for many years. The good ol’ paper vacuum cleaner bag has endured, despite being an old technology. But like their polyester counterpart, vacuum paper bags also came with a host of design issues which were unique to the material being used.

Paper vacuum cleaner bags struggle to keep most of the dust in the bag. They have a tendency to “leak” dust through the paper walls of the bag. This is because the filtration ability of the vacuum cleaner paper bag is limited by the porous nature of the paper material. What this means for users is a dusty and dirty vacuum cleaner. This may also mean that you will have to change your filters more often, and may also in the long run place added strain on your vacuum cleaner motor. This is certainly not a good thing, as this vacuum cleaner bag fabric may result in a reduced lifespan for your vacuum cleaner. For those with allergies or asthma, it may also mean coughs and sneezes.

Paper vacuum cleaner bags also suffer from a general susceptibility to tearing and damage. This becomes particular apparent to those who would use their vacuum cleaner to clean the patio, backyard or car. Small bits of material like rock and wood can be sucked up at incredible speeds resulting in a breakage of the paper bag. Stones and such can literally shoot through the back of the paper bag resulting in a dirty vacuum and the need to prematurely replace paper bags.

So how does one avoid this problem ?

Well, purchasing better quality paper bags will mitigate some of the inherent problems of paper bags. Buying poor quality bags will only make matters worse.

You can browse our large range of quality vacuum cleaner paper bags here –

Vacuum Cleaner Bags

Alternatively, if you’re prepared to spend a couple of extra dollars to potentially save some dollars in the long run, then synthetic bags are a great alternative and a higher quality vacuum bag material.

Synthetic vacuum cleaner bags are a relatively recent addition to the vacuum cleaner market. They are made from a host of synthetic materials and are specifically designed to maximize vacuum airflow whilst at the same time limit the amount of dust that can be “leaked” through the vacuum bag and into the vacuum. Synthetic vacuum bags will significantly reduce the amount of dust leakage in your vacuum and in turn reduce the frequency in which you need to replace your filters. The reduction in dust leakage will also result in a healthier vacuum motor and a healthier you !

In stark contrast to traditional paper bags, synthetic vacuum cleaner bags are very resistant to tearing and damage. Small rocks and other solid material are much less likely to rip through the walls of the bag. Unfortunately, you will still need to avoid sucking up razor blades and hot coals.

So the men and woman of the 70’s moved on from the polyester materials of old and started wearing materials that were designed for practicality, comfort and breathability.

Why not consider moving on from the bags of old ? For a few extra dollars more you will have a healthier vacuum and much less dust for you to cough about.

See if you can find a synthetic alternative to the paper vacuum cleaner bag your are using now ? It's worth a try.

Head over to VacuumSpot and get busy browsing –VacuumSpot

Meanwhile, should you need any assistance, we at VacuumSpot are more then happy to serve you in our safari suits.

They were so much more awesome then the leisure suit anyway.