History of Vacuum Cleaner Bags

Patented in Ohio in the year 1907, a man named William Henry Hoover created the first upright vacuum with a vacuum cleaner bag. It was the first commercial bag-on-a-stick vacuum that had been introduced to date. Afterwards, the Hoover Company of New Berlin, Ohio produced the first electric vacuum cleaner that used both cleaning attachments and a cloth filter bag. This began in the year 1908, and was actually invented by a man named James Spangler the previous year.

Rapid Advancements

By the time the 1920's rolled around, vacuum cleaner bags had already become very popular. Then, the Air Way Sanitizer Company invented a vacuum with the first disposable vacuum bag of its time. Centered in Ohio, the company's invention revolutionized vacuum cleaner bags. Until then, bags were made of bulky fabrics such as canvas that were heavy to carry and frustrating to use. Once Air Way created this revolutionary bag, it actually served to improve the effectiveness of vacuum cleaners. What's more, the bag was now made out of paper and was created to fit inside the cloth bag that was normally used. This helped prevent dirt and debris from being swept around throughout the house, as well as making it easier to empty and clean. In 1955, the first reusable paper vacuum cleaner bags were introduced.

Manufacturers Take Notice

Once the rise of disposable vacuum cleaner bags caught on, each manufacturer was responsible for creating their own disposable vacuum cleaner bags. These bags were made out of various kinds of paper. Because the bags were not designed to work between different machines, the companies recognized that they had created an entirely new market for their businesses. Sales of these disposable vacuum cleaner bags skyrocketed, and manufacturers everywhere furiously tried to keep up with the consumer demand.