If your bagless vacuum has begun to leave you feeling a little letdown, don’t trash it and buy a new one. Your vacuum may just need a little bit of loving care to get “back to its old self”. Even though your vacuum may not have a bag, it may need a good cleaning.
Supplies you will need
Dish detergent
Fill your kitchen sink with warm water and add dish detergent to it to clean the parts of the vacuum. Be sure that you only put plastic parts in the water and that they are completely dry before you put your vacuum back together.
Old toothbrush and microfiber rags
Microfiber rage is good for cleaning your parts but they should not be put in water because they trap dust in their fibers. If you have parts that are hard to reach, the toothbrush will save you from a few hand cramps.
A good pair of scissors
Most vacuums have rolling brushes and hair gets tangled up in the bristles (especially if you have long-haired animals or people in your home). If you don’t have scissors, a seam ripper will work wonders as well.
A can of compressed air
The dust in your vac can get deep in those nooks and hard to reach pieces and parts. To get those really tight spots that the toothbrush cannot reach, a can of compressed air has a long straw on it that the air blows out of. That can help you get into the tiniest areas and blow away the dust that has collected.
How to get your vacuum up to par
Before you get started, and this may seem like something that doesn’t need to be pointed out, double-check to be sure your vacuum is unplugged.
Unblock the passageways and hose
One of the most common reasons bagless vacs start underperforming is because the hose gets clogged.
Detach hose from vacuum
Use a wire hanger and clear the hose of hair, lint, etc
Bunch up hose so it’s as short as can be and run hanger through
Rinse in soapy water
Take vac apart and soak main components
Take apart the main unit of your vacuum and remove all washable pieces.
Dust bin
Cyclone piece
Filters
Attachments and accessories
Dump any debris from the main barrel and soak all the plastic pieces in soapy water. If pieces are metal wipe them with a damp rag and put them on a towel to dry. The filters should be replaced every 3-6 months. Many filters are washable but still need to be replaced due to wear and tear. To clean you can just rinse the filter under warm water until the water doesn’t run dirty anymore. The air duster can be used to blow any further dust from the inside of the vacuum. If this can be done outside it’s best so the dust isn’t flying around your house.
Thoroughly clean the roller brush
To make cleaning easier, detach the roller brush. You will just need a screwdriver. Use scissors or a seam cutter to scrape the filthy buildup from the roller brush and cut off any hair or string strands that might be caught in it.
Finishing up
When you have cleaned everything and it’s all dry, put in the washed or new filter and put your vacuum together and you’re ready to roll.
