So, it’s been a while since I actually cleaned my vacuum. For shame, and I have not vacuumed the past two weeks because of the people visiting, pets and a hectic schedule. I got around to it this week and feel accomplished and disgusted at the same time. Avert your eyes if you don’t want a reason to vacuum regularly, especially if you have pets.
Gross I know. It’s just gross to me knowing all of that was in my carpet. I get great satisfaction knowing I pulled all of that dirt and hair out of my carpet, which is probably why vacuuming is my favorite sport chore. For the record, I do wish that when I vacuumed nothing came out, due to the level of cleanliness. When my vacuum does look this bad, I know it’s time to clean it out. Here’s how I clean my bagless vacuum.
Remove the canister and empty contents into the trash.
Take canister apart, remove stubborn dirt fluff and rinse in warm water.
Check your filters and clean as needed. Mine is washable so I rinsed it in warm water until the water ran clear, squeezed out the excess and let it air dry. Check your manual for instructions on how to care for your filter.
Check hoses for blockage. This one is at the roller brush but also check where the dirt goes into the canister and the hose attachment.
Use a seam ripper to remove hair and string from the roller brush. Scissors would work nicely too.
Wipe vacuum clean as desired and wait 24 hours for vacuum parts to thoroughly dry before putting it back together. My filter was still damp after 24 hours, must be the Texas humidity or something, but a hair dryer fixed that problem quickly. A bagless vacuum needs to be cleaned thoroughly every two months to keep it running well. After I clean my machine, I like lean it up and turn it on for 30 seconds to run air through the system to loosen any potential clogs.
I have to admit, after I put the vacuum back together, I wanted to go over all of the carpets again just in case I missed something. I might have a slight addiction.
Happy Cleaning!
Angela
I love vacuuming, what’s your favorite chore?
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Angela Says 
Thanks so much for the tutorial! I have a bagless and feel the same way when I see the crud it’s pulled from my carpet. I try to keep the positive mindset, “well it’s not in my carpet anymore,” rather than gag at how disgusting it is! I need to clean out my vacuum soon, so I’m going to pin this for future reference! Thanks so much for sharing!
Found you via the Keep Calm and Link Up party!
Cheers,
Julia
It’s Always Ruetten
You’re welcome! Sometimes I see all of the crud and I don’t want to touch my carpet anymore. I just have to remember I pulled all of the crud out so it’s not there anymore.
We need to do this SO bad. Our vacuum actually makes the carpet stink, we have to spray febreeze when we are done. It is sooooo gross!
You can try putting a cotton ball dampened with essential oils or other smell goods in your canister so every time you vacuum it releases the scent.
OMG – I just took my bagless vacuume cleaner appart and after washing all part and drying filter – I dropped a few drops of Peppermint essential oils into filter. Great minds thin allike….lol
When I see the stuff that comes out of my carpet when vacuuming as compared to when I vacuum hardwood I’m grossed out too. I then realize that the crud that is in the carpet is there because carpet catches it and holds it as compared to hardwood which it just keeps floating around. Some goes on the furniture but how much of it goes into my lungs.
It is gross, but I do love carpet because it’s comfy to lay on and I don’t have to clean it everyday. I do love my hardwoods for my kitchen though, so I can see the food bits and pick them up.
I like to sprinkle baking soda on my carpets. When I clean my vacuum parts I spray them with either Nature’s Miracle or a hydrogen peroxide and water solution to eliminate the odors.
That’s a really great tip! I hadn’t though of that because mine didn’t stink this time around. I’ll have to try that next time. :)
Great tips! It’s amazing the difference it makes cleaning with a “clean” vacuum! Thanks for linking up to Frugal Crafty Home! CarrieThisHome.com
Thanks! It’s amazing what my vacuum can pick up after I clean it out. Thanks for visiting.
I’m a quilter, so I’ve always got thread wrapped around the roller brush. Using a seam ripper is a great idea — I’ve always struggled with scissors or a paring knife.
Now you’ve got me almost wanting to clean my own vacuum.
You could just clean part of it, just the brush. :) I usually just clean the filter and will only de-string the roller if it needs it.
Michelle, I keep a large lint roller next to my sewing machine and go over the carpet with that to eliminate treads in the vacuum roller.
Great tips!
I’m visiting you today from Keeping It Simple. I co-host a Linky Party Tuesday (open thru Sat) and I’d love for you to link up! I hope you get a chance to stop by, link up and leave a comment, too!
~ Megin of VMG206
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Thanks for the invite, I’ll have to go check it out.
Our vacuum definitely needs a good cleaning! We have two cats and their hair gets everywhere! Thanks for the tips, I’m pinning this!
I’m glad you stopped by!
Oh we need to do this – you aren’t alone! Thanks for the tutorial Angela!
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I’ve pinned your article so I won’t forget to clean my vac—recently I was having problems with my LG upright shutting off after a few minutes. They do build overloads into many of their appliances, but this was excessive. Then the lightbulb went on, and I remembered the foam disc filter at the top of the cannister. It was filthy-and the bad thing is that I’d forgotten that they’d actually included a spare filter with the vac.Duh… So now I can insert the clean one while the dirty one dries after being washed. I recently purchased a neat little Eureka corded hand vac & I purchased an extra washable filter for it, too! Live and learn!
Thanks! Having a spare sounds awesome. I always want to re-vacuum after I clean the filter and such but can’t because it needs to dry.
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I also clean my bagless vac. at least once a month, taking as much of it apart has I can, then I have my husband take it down to his air compressor and blow it out real good, you would be surprised how much more dust comes out..
I didn’t want to rinse everything in my vacuum this weekend and I used a can of compress air. I could not believe how much dust flew out of it!
LOL I have use can air also, sure does get the rest of out.. Gets in those little spaces..
How do you clean the hose to look clear again of your bagless vaccum?
I would try using a refrigerator coil brush to clear the dust from the hose and any blockages, avoid using water or cleaners as the moisture can ruin your vacuum. The brush won’t make it perfect but it should do the job well enough.
Easy way to clean the hose/s; remove them fro the vacuum unit, pour some warm water in them, about half full, add a few drops of Dawn, ans shake back and forth, rinse, repeat if necessary. Rinse well hang out to dry in the sun to dry. If water droplets remain, drop a string or long shoe-lace/s through the hose, with a piece of soft cloth attached at one end, pull through, tapping hose at is passes through.
Hi Tom,
That is a great way to get them completely clean, however, if the hoses are not completely dry when you use the vacuum again, the excess moisutre can ruin your vacuum. If you really want to clean your vacuum hoses, I would recommend using a refrigerator coil brush to loosen dust and debris then turn the vacuum on to clear the loosened debris.
Thanks so much for your comment!
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I wash the inside of my Dyson in the shower and let it dry for 24 hours
That’s a good idea! I struggle with mine sometimes in my smaller kitchen sink so I like your idea better. Thanks for sharing!
Cleaning my vacuum is kind of a guilty pleasure! I have the same exact vacuum as you, so it’s nice to see that someone else feels the same way!
Yay! I’m glad I’m not alone and I just love the clean carpet lines.
You are lucky if that’s all you get out of the carpet. I have 4 dogs, and I fill the whole thing up when I vacuum (and I vacuum every 3-4 days). It’s horrible :)
Also, a toothbrush works great for those tiny holes. And they need the most attention because they influence the suction.
Oh goodness, you must have some very adorable dogs to clean up after 4 of them. :) That’s a great tip! I typically use the upholstery brush that came with the vacuum but compress air works well too.
Take filter out and canister that the dirt accumulates, bring it outside and use a blower on it. I have a dog it works wonders. I use the blower forthwith whole vacuum. No water used.
I’m glad I found this! I have this same vacuum & when I vacuum, it smells like my dog. I’m gonna give this a try & hopefully it’ll remove that smell.
Awesome tips! Also try putting some of the parts in the dishwasher. You can take your vacuum almost completely apart and put everything right in the dishwasher. That has worked better for me in the past. (: