Tips on How to Maintain Your Vacuum Cleaner

How do you maintain your vacuum?

When you buy a vacuum cleaner, it’s more often than not, a long-term investment. Some people have grown knowing no other vacuum other than that Dyson their dad bought in the 90s. Granted, many vacuum cleaners can last for quite a long time.

Apart from strong build quality, any vacuum must be well taken care of to last as long as is expected. So, whether you intend to buy a Shark, a Dyson, a Miele, or any other vacuum, you must know exactly how to handle it.

With proper maintenance, you will get value for money. Instead of buying a replacement, you can use that money elsewhere. Also, if you do this regularly, your vacuum remains efficient in performing its intended purpose.

How to Maintain Your Vacuum Cleaner – Step by Step Guide

In this section, we let you know the main parts that need to be checked regularly, and how to sort out any issue. While most vacuum manufacturers produce different designs, the steps taken are more or less the same. All you need to know is how to access a particular part.

Remember that before undertaking any kind of maintenance on your vacuum, you must unplug it from the power outlet. If your vacuum is cordless and has removable batteries, you can take those out too.

This is what you do to ensure that your vacuum continues to produce top-notch performance and lasts long:

1. Check the bag or dirt canister

Well, vacuums can be classified into two – bagged and bagless. In both cases, if the bag or dirt canister gets filled up, you will notice a decline in suction power. This means that you may take longer than usual to clean.

While most people wait until the vacuum is 1/3 full or even full to empty, we have our recommendation. You see, the more dirt that is n the vacuum, the lesser the suction. So, we advise that you empty the vacuum (or replace the bag) when dirt reaches half-way.

For bagless vacuum, the dirt canister is usually transparent or translucent and you can easily tell when to empty. However, for bagged vacuums, you can’t see the level of dirt. So, when you start noticing a reduction in suction, just replace the bag.

If you are lucky, however, your vacuum may have a full-bag indicator that will guide you on when to replace it. Only a handful of vacuums have this feature, though. A good example is the Miele Complete C3 Marin Canister Vacuum.

2. Regularly monitor the brushroll for blockages and clogs

If you remove the cover from under your vacuum’s floorhead, you’ll see a cylindrical part with bristles. This is what is called a brushroll (or a beater bar). Ideally, the brushroll plays a vital role in picking up dirt, debris, and hair from carpets and area rugs. With time, it may get blocked by debris, and especially hair.

Pet and human hair tends to get tangled onto the brushroll. While some manufacturers have tried producing brushrolls with anti-hair wrap technology, every so often you must take matters into your own hands. So, this is another key area when it comes to vacuum maintenance.

Usually, it’s easy to pluck out any stuck debris without necessarily removing the brushroll. Also, if it’s human or pet hair, you can pull it out by hand. A pair of scissors comes in handy in such instances as well. Once you cut the hair, it becomes even easier to pull it out by hand, a seam ripper, or tweezers.

If you have to remove the brushroll, please read the user manual because different vacuum designs call for different approaches. Ideally, you will need to remove a few latches then unscrew the brushroll from the floor head.

3. Lubricate the brushroll bearings

As you remove any blockage and hair tangled onto the brushroll, remember that the brushroll spins as you clean. So, before you place the brushroll back into its place permanently, check to see if it is still spinning freely.

If not, ensure that you lubricate the bearings. This will make the vacuum cleaner more efficient going forward.

4. Check if the belt is worn out

Here, you follow the same procedure of removing the brushroll. Once you can see the brushroll, the belt is usually approximately at a third of the length of the brushroll. If the belt is worn out, you need to buy a replacement.

Also, you can pull the belt with your index finger to see if it is still tough. If not, you also need to acquire a replacement. Depending on how often you vacuum your house, ensure that you replace the belt once or twice a year.

5. Wash or replace filters

Another very important part of any vacuum cleaner is the filters. As air passes through the filters, particles may get stuck onto the filters. With time, this may impact the vacuum’s suction negatively. So, whether your vacuum has HEPA filters or the regular filters, you must know what to do.

If you notice any reduction in suction, check the filters in conjunction with the dirt bag or canister. If the filters are dirty, you can wash them under cool running water, and leave them to air dry for approximately 24 hours.

Remember to check your vacuum’s manual to find out exactly how to remove the filters. Also, be sure that your vacuum’s filters can be washed and reused. If not, you need to buy replacements. However, whether the filters are washable or not, you need to replace them once in a while (ideally every 3 to 6 months).

6. Check the hose for blockages

Vacuum hoses rarely get blocked. But when they do, they can hamper the performance of your cleaning partner. However, this is easy to deal with. When you check the dirt bag/canister and filters but the suction is still low, that means the hose could be the cause.

Any clogging or obstruction caused by large debris or an accumulation of dirt and hair can be easily dealt with. You can use a stick or a strong wire bent into a hook. If you have wire hangers, they could come in handy in this scenario.

Conclusion

“How to maintain a vacuum cleaner” is one of the most frequently asked questions. And that is because a vacuum is one of the most common home appliances. Whether you have bare floors or carpets, a good vacuum is a must-have.

Therefore, you must have an idea of how to maintain your vacuum so that it can last for long. While we have tried to pinpoint what to be done on what in terms of a regular check-up, all vacuum models are somehow unique – especially if they are from different manufacturers.

This means that various parts such as filters and brushrolls are located in different places depending on the particular product. This means that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to accessing such. So, ensure that you check the manual for more specific guides.

If there is any question specific to your vacuum, please feel free to ask in the comments section below, and we’ll be ready with an answer. In summary, for proper maintenance of any vacuum cleaner, this is what you need to do:

1. Check the bag or dirt canister
2. Regularly monitor the brushroll for blockages and clogs
3. Lubricate the brushroll bearings
4. Check if the belt is worn out
5. Wash or replace filters
6. Check the hose for blockages

Here is a short YouTube video by EurekaCleanUSA that will give you an idea: