How to Get Rid of Odors in Your Vacuum Cleaner

Having a smelly vacuum cleaner is a most annoying household problem. Run the machine around your home, and you spread that odor throughout the whole place! It's not surprising that your vacuum cleaner can get smelly. It sucks up dust mites, dirt, pet hair, human hair, dead skin flakes, bugs, mold spores, microorganisms, food particles and more. Put all those together in a vacuum cleaner bag or canister and the germs and bacteria flourish. There are some steps you can take to remedy this problem. Read this informative article and find out how to get rid of odors in your vacuum cleaner!

Fragrance Beads, Scented Powders, and Even Baking Soda Don't Work
I have to start by saying that putting smelly beads, powders and the like in the bag or canister of your vacuum cleaner won't kill odors- they only mask them. The same goes for sprinkling baking soda across your carpet and sweeping it up. It might help your stinky vacuum cleaner smell a bit better, but the odors are still going to be there. To actually get rid of the odors, you need to clean the machine.

Clean Your Vacuum Cleaner Initially, Then On a Regular Basis
I have a Bissell PowerForce Bagless upright vacuum cleaner. To keep it smelling good, I dump the canister after every use. Once or twice a month, I remove the canister and all the filters. I spray the vacuum cleaner pieces with bathroom foam spray. Right now I'm using Scrubbing Bubbles. I let them set a few minutes. Then, I wash the canister and filters with warm water and an old rag. I finish the cleaning process my rinsing everything clean. I then set it all on an old towel to dry. Once they are completely dry, I put my vacuum cleaner back together. It's clean, fresh, and ready to go.

To get rid of odors in your vacuum cleaner, you need to do the same routine. Dump the canister after every use. If your vacuum has a bag, you can't do that without wasting bags and costing more money- one of the drawbacks of a bagged sweeper. Take the canister and the filters out and clean them. With a bagged vacuum cleaner, you should wipe out the inside of the outer bag whenever you change the dirt bag. Once you get rid of the odors, continue to clean the parts on a regular basis.

Note: Bathroom spray works fine on the foam filters in my sweeper. However, depending on what YOUR vacuum cleaner filters are made of, it may not work for you. Check the owner's manual to find out what the manufacturer recommends.