Methods for washing and cleaning a vacuum cleaner bag

To carry out high-quality cleaning of an apartment, house or office, you cannot do without a vacuum cleaner - which, by the way, itself requires regular cleaning. Collected dust and small debris ends up in the dust collector; it must be periodically removed and emptied of its contents. You can wash a vacuum cleaner bag, but only if it is a reusable product made of a fabric-like material. Paper bags are not washed, but simply thrown away when they are full.

Is it washable?

A bagged vacuum cleaner is an inexpensive and very popular model. Caring for the device is not difficult. First, let's find out what type of bag is used in your technique. There are two types: disposable - usually made of paper or synthetic material, and reusable bags made of denser materials. Once full, the disposable dust bag is thrown away and replaced with a fresh one. And the second variety has been used for several years.

Washing a vacuum cleaner is necessary to maintain cleanliness: firstly, this way its power always remains at the proper level, and secondly, the air from the vacuum cleaner does not emit dust particles. A strong smell of dust from the blower grille and weak suction of debris, as well as the strong heating of the device during operation, give you the clue that it’s time to wash the vacuum cleaner bag.

Important Manufacturers do not recommend machine washing, but the dust collector cannot do without gentle manual cleaning in water.

How to Clean and Wash a Reusable Bag

It is advisable to clean the bag at least once a month. You need to act carefully, since the slightest awkwardness will cause the newly collected dust to scatter throughout the apartment.

Advice from Miss Clean magazine: Do not shake out vacuum cleaner bags on the balcony or on the street so as not to disturb your neighbors.

Follow this instruction:

1. Wear protective gloves and indoor clothing.
2. Remove the bag from the vacuum cleaner and place it in a previously prepared garbage bag.
3. Remove the clip and carefully turn the bag over inside the bag. It is very convenient if someone helps you and holds the bag while you shake out the dust.
4. Shake out the dust from the upside down bag.
5. Carefully remove the bag, tie up the trash bag and throw it away.
6. Now let's move on to washing. Prepare a bowl of soapy water. You can use powder, soap shavings, washing gel.
7. Place a dust collector in the solution and swirl gently. There is no need to rub, squeeze or use force at all. Still, many manufacturers’ instructions prohibit washing the element.
8. Soak the product for an hour.
9. Rinse thoroughly in clean water. Several rinsing cycles will be required as the dust penetrates into the fabric structure.
10. Dry the bag outdoors by hanging it on a line or laying it out on a horizontal surface.

Do not wait until the reusable dust bag is completely filled, as this will not lead to damage to the vacuum cleaner. Don’t forget to also rinse the vacuum cleaner itself and the HEPA filter, if equipped. Assemble and turn on the device only after all parts are completely dry.

How to quickly clean a reusable vacuum cleaner bag?

Cleaning a washing vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner with an aqua filter

Such devices are cleaned after each cleaning. Open the lid, remove the container with dirty water, remove the dirt, rinse the container and “wet” filters thoroughly and dry. Wipe the cavity of the vacuum cleaner with a damp cloth and leave it slightly open to dry.

After each wet cleaning or every few dry cleanings, wash the suction hose, telescopic tube and brush. Do not forget to remove and wash the suction pipe. Pay special attention to the cleanliness of the nozzles through which water is drawn from the reservoir and sprayed into the suction pipe. You can check their functionality by turning on the vacuum cleaner with the aquafilter assembled and filled, but without the suction hose. Simply place a dry finger into the suction port. If the nozzles are clean, then the finger will be sprayed with sprayed water from all four holes. If the holes are clogged, clean them with a toothpick, power rinse them, and check again.

While cleaning, monitor the condition of the vacuum cleaner lid. Its inner surface may be covered with minor splashes, but should not be dusty. If you see dust, it means that for some reason the aquafilter is not working fully and the burden of air purification falls on the HEPA filter. It, of course, will not allow contaminated air to enter the engine and the apartment, but it itself will very quickly become dirty. Stop cleaning, check the condition of the nozzles, the cleanliness and level of water in the aquafilter. Clean if necessary and continue cleaning.

Periodically look under the wheels of your assistant. On the bottom of many models, behind the grille, there is a filter that purifies the air and cools the engine. By its cleanliness you can judge the condition of your engine. If the vacuum cleaner is worn out, then the motor brushes are actively destroyed and the filter will be covered in black soot.

Clean the device, replace the filters with new ones and do not overload the engine. Cleaning should not last more than two hours, and in forty-degree heat and half an hour’s work is a big load.

Cleaning the filter

There is more than one type of filter, but they are cleaned in approximately the same way: by blowing or under running water.

Before cleaning the filter, make sure that the device is turned off.

• Filter bag. This filter contains synthetic or paper. To clean the filter, rinse it thoroughly. Before returning it to its place, the filter is thoroughly dried. If it is made of synthetic material, it must be left for some time in a basin of water. After the dirt from the filter has settled to the bottom, it is removed, dried and returned to its place.
• Water filter. The way this filter works is that the dust in it is exposed to water and settles to the bottom of the container. Clean water filters under running water. After drying, they are placed back.
• Cyclone filter. Filters of this type contain special containers for dust and large debris. This filter requires particularly careful care - it must be cleaned after each cleaning. To do this, remove the microfilter and garbage container, rinse under running water, dry and install the parts back.
• HEPA filter. This type of filter is worth highlighting separately. It differs from other filters in its location - it is installed at the air flow outlet. A HEPA filter is a high-quality device whose main function is to clean the air from the smallest particles of dust, various microelements, pet hair, etc. HEPA filters can be cleaned in different ways: by blowing or rinsing. Blowing is carried out in the opposite direction, and washing under running water.

If you have a model with a HEPA filter

Before being released outside, the air passes through a HEPA filter located at the rear of the device. It effectively traps even very small dust particles. HEPA filters of classes 13 and 14 capture over 99.9% of contaminants. This is especially important if there are people with allergies, small children or people with chronic respiratory diseases in the house. The HEPA filter consists of randomly intertwined fibers. It retains large particles using the sieve principle. Smaller ones - due to the phenomenon of adhesion. Over time, the filter becomes clogged with dust and also needs to be cleaned. For this:

1. Disconnect the vacuum cleaner from the power supply. In this case, you need to pull on the plug, and not on the cable itself.
2. Wind up the cord (most models do this automatically).
3. Remove the output filter compartment cover.
4. Remove the filter and wash it under cold running water. Do not use detergents!
5. Dry the filter at room temperature overnight. A wet filter cannot be put back.
6. Check that the filter is not damaged.
7. Replace the HEPA filter and close the lid until it clicks.

Cleaning the hose

One of the most important parts of any vacuum cleaner is the hose, so it also needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid contamination.

Clean the hose as follows:

1. The hose is disconnected;
2. If it is very clogged, it is placed in a bathtub previously filled with water. Of course, this cannot be done if there are any wires or switches on the hose;
3. The hose is washed with a sponge and soap;
4. If the hose is clogged, it is usually blown out or the blockage is removed using a long object (wire, for example);
5. After cleaning the hose, wipe it thoroughly and return it to its place.

Cleaning the bag

The dust bags of the vacuum cleaner also need timely cleaning. It is done as follows:

1. The pouch is carefully removed;
2. The contents of the bag are shaken out onto previously spread newspapers;
3. After the main garbage has been shaken out onto newspapers, it is necessary to inspect it again. If it is severely clogged, it will have to be replaced. If it is filled no more than 1/4, then it does not need to be changed;
4. The empty bag is placed in place.

Cleaning the brush

There are standard vacuum cleaner brushes and turbo brushes. Each of these parts also needs regular cleaning.

In order to clean the turbo brush, you must do the following:

• Remove the attachment from the vacuum cleaner.
• Remove the cover from the turbo brush, first moving the latch.
• Wipe off dust from the surface of the turbo brush using a sponge (can be replaced with a damp cloth).
• If necessary, use tweezers to remove threads, hair or pet hair from the brush rollers.
• Thoroughly clean the turbo brush blades.
• Return the cap to its place, securing it securely.

How to prepare a vacuum cleaner for cleaning?

Before cleaning the vacuum cleaner from dust and other debris, you need to take the following accessories:

• Instructions (needed for disassembling/assembling the vacuum cleaner).
• Gloves.
• Clothes that you don't mind getting dirty.
• Bucket with warm water.
• Cleaning agent.
• A soft napkin.
• A hard sponge.

If you don’t want to dirty the floor, additionally take a film on which you will clean the Tefal vacuum cleaner or any other manufacturer.

Then you can start disassembling the vacuum cleaner:

• Unplug it from the outlet and let it cool.
• Place the vacuum cleaner on the film, roll up the cord and wipe with a damp cloth.
• Open the lid and take out the filter.

Cleaning the motor

Cleaning the motor is quite a complex matter, so it is not recommended to clean the vacuum cleaner yourself - this requires certain knowledge. In this case, it is best to entrust the vacuum cleaner to specialists. However, if urgent cleaning is necessary, or it is not possible to call a specialist, the motor is cleaned in the following way:

1. First of all, you need to disassemble the case;
2. Remove the garbage bag and take out the filter;
3. Unscrew the cover that hides the internal parts of the device;
4. The internal parts must be blown or gently brushed with a brush. At the same time, it is important not to compromise the integrity of all components;
5. After all the elements are cleaned, you also need to clean the board of dirt. To do this, remove the microcircuit, clean it with a brush, after remembering how the wires are arranged;
6. At the end of cleaning, all parts are returned to their original place.

When should you clean your vacuum cleaner bag?

Cleaning or replacing the bag is required in the following cases:

1. The bag change indicator lights up. It is triggered when the suction power drops to the values ​​​​set by the manufacturer.
2. The suction power of the vacuum cleaner has decreased. Air has difficulty passing through a full dust bag. As a result, cleaning efficiency decreases, and additional load is placed on the motor, which leads to its accelerated wear.
3. An unpleasant odor appeared. The bag contains garbage along with bacteria, fungi and mold. Microorganisms begin to actively multiply in an environment favorable to them, hence the specific smell.
4. The bag is damaged. This situation can be suspected if you removed something sharp, for example, fragments.