So, I vacuum, a lot.
Which means if I don't clean or change my filter regularly the vacuum gets that NASTY smell it throws out when using a dirty filter. Filters are expensive. The filter for my vacuum is $27 (which is 1/5 of the cots of my vacuum! Crazy).
I had heard years ago that you could wash your filter in the dishwasher. I have to say I've been a total skeptic. Which is probably why after owning this vacuum for 7 years, purchasing a number of new filters, and it taking ONE HOUR to vacuum two rooms last week, I finally tried this.
Fed up with this stinky filter, I dumped the dust/trash out and tapped my filter a few times to get the extra dust and allergens out (sick, I know). then I tossed it all in the dishwasher with one of my dishwasher soap pods. Actually, the little mesh divider thing I washed by hand, I didn't want it to rust.
Here is how it came out! I was pretty surprised by how clean it got. And, it wasn't until I compared both pictures that I noticed just how clean everything came out.
I put the filter in the window sill to dry for a day or two. Then I ran my dishwasher empty to clean it once or twice - just in case, because I'm paranoid like that.
The filter seems to be working fine. My vacuum doesn't smell and....it finally SUCKS again!
5 comments:
This was just the information I was looking for! My filter is so dirty and isn't washing up by hand the best anymore and I wanted to put it in a power cycle of the dishwasher but I was afraid that it would destroy it. One simple Google search pulled up your post and hurray.... I'm gonna go wash mine now! Thank you!! xx Sari
Sari, did you try this? Did it work for you? I've been using my washed filter for a little over a week now. So far so good. The best part - that stinky smell is GONE!
Sweet! What a great tip! Pinning this. Thank you for sharing at our
Pinteresting Party!
That's one nasty-looking vacuum filter! Having vacuum cleaning equipment in the house is truly a lifesaver. It cleans the carpet magnificently. A vacuum cleaner must have good specifications and features such as watts, capacity, noise, filtration system, and horsepower.
Deidra Schaefer
Thank you for this great tip you shared with us. I haven’t thought of using the dishwasher to clean my vacuum filters. I would just clean it by hand, and no matter how I try to clean it, the results just wouldn’t satisfy me. This is a really helpful insight and is economical at the same time. I’m excited to try it now!
Sharen Ambrose
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