1. Vacuum bags and filters that are HEPA or that advertise 99.7% filtration are best for homes with allergy or allergy sufferers.

2. Vacuum bags made of synthetic cloth are usually tear resistant and less likely to break.

3. Filters need to be changed or at least cleaned if possible with regularity. Check manufacturer recommendations.

4. Some vacuum belts need to be changed every year. Some belts can last 5 to 10 years without a change. Check your vacuum owners manual to find out what kind of belt maintenance is recommended for your vacuum.

5. Brush rollers should be inspected regularly and cleaned when necessary to maintain optimal performance.

6. Brush rollers should be changed every 3 to 5 years depending on use and wear. Check your bristles.

7. Try to avoid carpet powder. Use scents inside the vacuum bag or spray something like febreze around your home after you clean. Carpet powder makes a mess inside most vacuum cleaners and can cause problems with your vacuum over time. You should also avoid cleaning up any dry wall or fire place ashes. They can also compromise your vacuum cleaner.

8. When you are ready to replace your current vacuum research reputable sources like consumers digest, ivacuumcleaners and consumer reports. There is a lot of bad vacuum information on the internet including a lot customer review sites too. The best consumer vacuum reviews are probably located at amazon but in our opinion most consumers do not know very much about vacuum cleaners.

9. If you do not know what size vacuum bag or type of filter your vacuum utilizes study the vacuum. Replacement filter and bag information can typically be found on the vacuum in the area where the replacement part is located. Or, just look at the part. You might find a model or part number on the actualy bag or part itself. If you are still stumped these links might help but you will need your model number: Eureka, Hoover, Dirt Devil, Dirt Devil, Bissell.

10. A full vacuum bag can have a negative impact on the performance of your vacuum and cause undue strain on the vacuum cleaners motor.

11. If your vacuum is not working right and you do not know how to fix it there are a lot of videos on youtube made by vacuum stores that provide DIY type information. You might get lucky. You might also want to check out info-vacuum-cleaner.com. They have pictures of basic vacuum repair steps that might be relevant to your issue.

12. Some manufacturers like to change the model numbers on filters and bags over time. Do not be confused if a vacuum bag or hepa filter has several different model numbers listed on the packaging.

12. Buying a vacuum soon? Just because a vacuum cleaner is cheap does not mean it is cheap to own. A quick check on the the price of the bag or filters a vacuum uses will give you a better idea of the total cost of ownership. Check on the availability of replacement supplies for the vacuum as well. If they are tough to find now it will probably only get harder to locate an uncommon bag or filter down the road.