Chances are you have never thought about deep cleaning your vacuum… and if you have, then your vacuum is probably in dire need of a thorough cleaning!
Why you need to deep clean your vacuum
Extends the life of your vacuum
Keeping your vacuum clean will help extend the life of your vacuum and increase the performance of your device. Vacuums work off from suction, which occurs by air being brought into the machine, filtered through multiple filters, and then the air is discharged back into your home. If the machine has clogged filters, it will reduce the air flow allowed into the machine, which in turn, reduces the suction power you get from your vacuum.
The harder your vacuum has to work to bring in air and filter air, the harder it is on the motor within your vacuum. Overtime, this will cause quicker degradation on your machine and will also cause your machine to have a lesser performance.
Makes your house smell better and helps you breathe better
Your vacuum cleaner needs to take in air (suction) in order to collect dirt and debris from your floors. However, in order for your vacuum to not explode, air also needs to be expelled from your vacuum. Vacuums typically have a series of filters that air passes through before it is discharged back into your home. If your vacuum and filters are not properly maintained, it will have a direct and negative impact on the air quality in your home.
Maintaining a clean vacuum will increase the quality of the air being discharged from your devices. Which in turn, will help make your home smell better.
Disinfects the machine traveling around your house
Think about it… your vacuum is traveling throughout your entire house. Meaning, it is tracking possible bacteria, mold, viruses, and loose debris around your entire house. You mop your floors, but never clean the bottom of your vacuum…. it is time to change that!
Deep cleaning your vacuum will help promote a healthy home environment starting from the ground up.
Signs it is time to deep clean your vacuum
- Reduced suction
- Odor emitted from vacuum during use
- Lower overall performance
- Sounds like the motor is working harder
- Overheats during use
- Visibly dirty
The Caveat: Before you begin cleaning your vacuum, note that you should follow the manufacturer instructions, specific to your make and model. You might need to modify how you perform your deep clean based on your own machine, warranty, owner’s manual, etc. Continue at your own risk 😉
The How To:
Review your vacuum’s owner manual
Do a quick Google Search on your exact vacuum and you will likely be able to find a PDF of the Owner’s Manual for your vacuum. This will give you further details on how to disassemble your vacuum, cleaning tips, and outline the warranty related to your device.
Determine what type of filters you have
Many vacuum cleaners made in recent years now have washable filters installed. These filters are designed to be washed regularly and directly impact the quality of the suction and performance you get out of your vacuum. It is crucial to make sure that your vacuum’s filter is clean to optimize the performance of your vacuum and the cleanliness of the air discharged from your vacuum.
If your filter looks like mine, you might want to consider purchasing a new filter instead of attempting to clean it. I did not regularly maintain my filters and so they ended up like this… I have decided that it would be best to start fresh instead of attempting to clean out this thoroughly clogged filter. It’s not worth my time, but also I know that this filter is now likely compromised from such heavy soiling.
Gather your materials
- 5 gallon bucket
- clean bath tub
- scrub brushes
- scissors and/or seam ripper
- cleaning solution
- disinfectant spray
- nitrile gloves
- hair dryer
- replacement filters specific to your exact vacuum (if needed)
- paper towel
- trash bin
- old towel
Start with an empty, unplugged vacuum
Obviously, step number 1 is to unplug your vacuum. After unplugging your machine, get your nitrile gloves on and empty out the collection cup.
Disassemble your vacuum’s removable parts
Take apart your vacuum as much as you can. Your Owner’s Manual will detail all of the parts that can be removed, so utilize that to aid in this step.
Do a preliminary wipe down and rinse
We will focus on the removable parts of the vacuum first. To reduce the grime going down your drain, use warm water and paper towel to remove the loose dirt from all of the surfaces on the removable parts. Discard the soiled paper towel into the trash.
Scrub removable parts
Now that the loose dirt has been removed, use warm water, a scrub brush, and cleaning solution to thoroughly scrub down the removable parts of your vacuum.
Fill 5 gallon bucket (half full with warm water) for hose soak
If the hose on your vacuum is removable, fill a 5 gallon bucket with warm water and cleaning solution for soaking. There are a lot of nooks and crannies in the hose, which leads to a lot of build up of dirt and bacteria.
Note: Some hoses have electronics in the handle. Be extra careful when soaking any parts with electronics and make sure the electronics to not come in contact with the water. I do not recommend soaking the handle as water could become trapped between the plastic pieces.
Clean the bristles
Once you have removable parts soaking and/or drying, it’s time to clean out the roller brush bristles. Some vacuums have removable brushes, but many do not. If not, just remove as much of the housing as you can for easier access to the roller brush.
Using scissors or a seam ripper, start by cutting out all of the hair, string, and debris from the bristles. Discard all of the debris and wipe down the floor in the area.
Then, lay down your old towel to catch any dirty water. Proceed by using cleaning solution, paper towel, and a brush to clean out the bristles and roller. Be careful to not get electronic components wet.
Wipe down all of the nooks and crannies of the vacuum
After the roller brush is clean, leave the housing open for the roller and components to dry. Stand up the vacuum on the old towel and clean out all of the crevasses of the machine. Again, be very careful and cautious around electronic components.
Wipe down and scrub all of the connections, surfaces, internal housings for filters, etc. After the entire machine has been cleaned, spray it down with a disinfectant spray.
Thoroughly dry your machine
Once the removable parts have had their final scrub down and rinse, it is time to let them dry. Use a hair dryer on medium to low heat to speed up the drying process.
Note: Make sure the hose is completely dry before reinstalling it. If you use the hose while it is still damp inside, dirt and bacteria will stick to the inside of the tube. This can lead to bacterial growth and mold, which is counterproductive to all of the work you just did! Don’t skimp on the drying process.
Reassemble
Once your machine is completely dry, reassemble your vacuum by following your Owner’s Manual. Now is the time to reinstall your new or cleaned filter.
Now that your vacuum is sparkling clean, the trick is… maintaining a clean vacuum. Stay tuned for a post on my exact method on how to keep your vacuum performing at its best and not stinking up the house!
This post has been all about how to deep clean a vacuum cleaner. This is the step by step process to cleaning a vacuum for optimal performance. And how to get rid of the vacuum smell.
See more content by Elements Collective
