Vacuum cleaners make cleaning your house significantly easier. You can use it to clean carpets, drapes, couches, cushions, stairs, and more. The irony is that even though it helps you clean your house, it needs its own cleaning. If you don’t regularly clean your vacuum, you might notice a significant reduction in performance. To prevent this from happening, you should perform maintenance on your vacuum.
How do you maintain your vacuum?
You might not know this, but the bagless variety is the most common vacuum type that needs repair. This could be due to two factors: the number of bagless vacuums in operation and improper owner maintenance. Bagless vacuums need to have their filters cleaned regularly; not doing so will make the motor work harder and lead to motor burnout. You can avoid this by cleaning the filter after every use. There are two types of filters: washable and non-washable.
Clean your washable filters using a non-abrasive cleaner and rinse them with water. Then, set it to dry completely before inserting it back into the vacuum. You should also take the time to brush loose dirt away from the air intake and onto the floor. This will prevent you from accidentally pushing this loose dirt into the intake, which may get into the motor.
Non-washable filters can often be brushed off with a small brush or dustpan broom. You should take the same precautions with loose dirt on a non-washable filter as a washable filter. It’s worth noting that not all non-washable filters can be cleaned. For instance, pleated filters can’t be cleaned. In these scenarios, you would need to replace the filter roughly once per year.
How not to clean your vacuum filter
Most people take the vacuum filter out and bash it inside the trash can to knock the dust off. Are you guilty of this too? If so, it’s ok. Most people are. This is, unfortunately, the least effective way to clean your filter and will lead to dirt accumulating on the filter. You also should take care to be gentle with the filter. If you use a brush, you should brush the dirt off slowly and gently. If you are cleaning a washable filter, you should take precautions to not use high-pressure water. It’s safe to use the hose on your sink, but you should refrain from turning the water pressure all the way up or using scalding hot water.
Choose the right filter
Whether you have a washable or non-washable filter, you will eventually reach the limit of times you can clean off your filter. When this happens, you will have to replace it. Consider what type of vacuum you are using. Are you using a home or commercial vacuum? We carry 6 of the most common vacuum brands. If you are using a commercial vacuum, check out our commercial vacuum collection to find your brand and model. If you are using a residential vacuum, check out our home vacuum collection to find your brand and model.
If you’re not sure when to replace your filter, then here are three simple guidelines:
- In a home setting, the vacuum filter may last two or three years before it needs to be replaced.
- In a commercial setting, your vacuum filter should be replaced every six months.
- If a musty or stale odor is detected when the vacuum cleaner is used, the filter should be changed.
Keeping your carpets clean
Vacuum your carpets at least twice per week, more often if you have many people in your home or high-traffic rooms. Dirt left on carpets not only negatively affects their appearance but also their life cycle.
Dirt particles are jagged particles that can cause micro damage to carpet fibers over time. As dirt is shifted around by people and pets walking on them, it will reduce the overall health of the carpet. This can be avoided by regularly vacuuming and cleaning them.
The easiest and most effective approach to keep your carpet clean outside of a carpet cleaner is with a vacuum. Vacuuming is a form of proactive carpet cleaning and is highly underrated. Carpet cleaners require shampoos, water, and considerably more time to clean than vacuums do. If you utilize your vacuum appropriately, it’s far more efficient.
Like vacuums, not all filters are created equal. Most filters are very similar these days, but you may still find vacuum filters that aren’t HEPA filters. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air filter, so it’s more of a standard than an actual product. The only way to keep your carpet 100% clean is to never walk on it, but that isn’t realistic. By routinely vacuuming and changing your vacuum filter, you can significantly improve both the look and life of your carpet. These simple tricks will save you lots of time and money.
