Bagless vacuum cleaners make emptying your vac so much easier. You can empty them straight into the bin and you don’t have to wait until the bag’s full to do it. But just because you’re bag-free, it doesn’t mean your vac couldn’t use some TLC.
Like all appliances, your vac needs to be clog-free and clean to work its best. Don’t know where to start? That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide to help make vacuum cleaner maintenance easy…
You will need:
A microfibre cloth.
An old toothbrush.
A can of compressed air.
Flexible cleaning brush. (optional)
Clean the filter
Keeping your filter clean keeps your vacuum cleaner working its best. Don’t know where to find your filter? Check the manual that came with your vac or you can often find the manufacturer’s guides online.
Some filters can be removed and cleaned. Others will just need changing every 6 months, so find out what kind of filter you have.
If it’s ok to clean, remove the filter and give it a tap to get rid of any fluff or dust. Then give it a run under the tap to clean it off. You’ll know when your filter is properly clean because the water will run clear.
You’ll then want to leave it for 24 hours to dry thoroughly before putting it back into your vacuum cleaner.
Clean hard to reach areas
Open up your vac and use a microfibre cloth. We recommend a microfibre cloth because it can pick up the tiniest particles. If the dirt and dust is a bit stubborn, go to work on it with an old toothbrush. Just remember not to use it in your mouth after. Because yuck.
Check the hose
Think you’ve got a blocked hose? You can use a flexible tube cleaning brush to get in there and remove blockages - but be careful. Vacuum hoses are delicate, and you might want to leave it to an expert if in doubt.
Clean the attachments
Most modern vacs come a whole host of accessories. The good news is that almost all of them can be removed and some (like Dyson vacuum cleaners) can even be disassembled to make the job easier.
First, let’s take a look at your main floor brush. Spot any hair wrapped up in there? Use scissors to remove the worst of it. If the hair is really stubbornly wrapped up, lots of vacuum cleaners will let you remove the whole roller brush for easier cleaning.
Some brushes come with anti-tangle tech – which can save you a dirty job.
Now let’s take a look at the smaller attachments. Most of these come in one piece, so you won’t be able to open them up. But you can blast any dirt or grime free with a can of compressed air. Compressed air is often used to remove dust from PCs and other electrical equipment – so you know it’s safe on your vacuum cleaner.
If you don’t have any compressed air, you can soak attachments in warm, soapy water. But only soak attachments that are completely plastic. You obviously want to avoid getting electrical parts wet. Once that’s done, let them air dry for the day before reattaching.
