Carpets are the most common breeding ground for infection-causing bacteria and viruses. Not only that, but when you open your windows or walk on the carpets, you are silently letting in dust mites and dirt that cleverly hide within the fibers.
Some people do not take dust seriously, but if ignored for a longer periods of time, removing dust even can take a lot of effort. With dust, come many other problems as well.
The important thing about these particles is that most of these particles cannot be seen by the naked eye, the only way to get rid of them is by constant vacuuming or cleaning the complete area.
Vacuum cleaners are certainly great invention. They do not only reduce the effort and time to clean but also give that added efficiency.
For something that is very handy, many people are guilty of not maintaining this equipment well enough. That goes without saying, that vacuum cleaners are expensive, well at least the efficient and fancy ones are for sure.
Vacuum cleaner maintenance is highly important to ensure it performs well. Dust mites and pet hairs can easily clog the hose, and if left uncleaned for long, the vacuum will start smelling terrible.
As mentioned before, with dust particles come many other problems as well. Bad odor is certainly one of those problems.
Vacuum cleaners though, remove those particles and different products can remove odor from the stained area, but what about vacuum cleaner itself? They do catch that bad odor when not maintained well.
That bad odor or smell can transcend to other areas where you apply vacuum afterwards. Thus, when you have carpets all around the house and use a vacuum cleaner for cleaning, make sure you keep it clean too.
What do you do when the vacuum smells? Treating a smelly vacuum cleaner is super easy and with the tips below, you will be happy to breathe in the fresh air.
How to Get Smell Out of Vacuum
Before we dig into how to freshen up your smelly vacuum cleaner, know that the different types of cleaners are treated differently. It is important to analyze your vacuum cleaner first.
Every machinery, does not matter how simple or complex it is, has its own structure, where each part is joined in a certain manner. So, study your machine first before moving on to the dissemble and cleaning. Here is how to do it:
1. Bagless Vacuum Cleaner
A bagless vacuum cleaner is very easy to clean, hence the less complicated machine, as you do not have any additional bagging hanging outside that needs to be thoroughly washed to get rid of the smell.
Start with detaching the canister from the cleaner’s main body and washing it clean with dish soap and some warm water.
Because the grime and dust can easily stick to the walls of the canister, use a brush to gently scrub off the mold from the walls and rinse it again.
You can even use a product for the cleaning of walls. Repeat the process until you have gotten rid of all the mold and dust and see clear water seeping out of it.
Next, make sure you dry the canister before putting it back, or else, the wet surface will make a good breeding ground for fresh mold.
Once you are done with cleaning the canister and the roller, through some baking soda on the floor and let the vacuum suck it up.
A fun fact: baking soda is a natural deodorizer and hence, very safe to use!
2. Vacuum Cleaner with a Bag
Did we hear asking ways to clean a vacuum cleaner with a bag? No problem at all! Remove the cleaning bag and wash it with a good dish soap/fabric cleaner and warm water.
Make sure you wash, clean, and rinse the bag from the inside out thoroughly.
Next, let the bag dry and move on to the main body of the vacuum. Once the bag is dry, re-attach it to the vacuum and add some cinnamon, any fragrant herb, or baking soda directly into the vacuum cleaner to kill odor.
You can also sprinkle some fragrant herbs on the carpet, even soda, and vacuum it. This way, you will be getting rid of the smell from the cleaner and the carpet at the same time!
Why Do You Vacuum Cleaner Smells?
Most of you must have never heard of a smelly vacuum cleaner, right? Whose vacuum smells?
Well, even if you have not heard about foul odors rising from the cleaner, it does not mean it never happens.
Hence, let us try to avoid the problem and understand why it happens. Here are some of the most commons factors that lead to smelly cleaners:
1. Mold
Places with high moisture breed mold and hence, when these grow in dark places like the cleaner hoses, these produce a foul smell.
If you use a vacuum cleaner within the house or have kept it safely in a closet, it does not mean it will not ever smell.
Thus, make sure you clean the hose and rollers after every use to avoid the growth of mold.
2. Dust
Have you been experiencing a sore throat and an itchy nose lately? Is the constant sneezing making you tired? Well then, you need to check around the house and make sure it is clean of all dirt and dust.
Dirt and dust are some of the biggest reasons for falling ill these days and hence, vacuuming helps get rid of the stuff from deep within the fibers of the carpet.
Yet, when you use the cleaner and pay less attention to its maintenance, the dust accumulates within the vacuum, sticking to the walls that produce a foul smell.
Thus, make sure you clean your vacuum regularly to avoid problems later!
3. Pet Hair
Do you have a pet in the house? If yes then your vacuum smells because of it! pets especially cats and dogs lose a lot of hair and when you vacuum, these clogs the hose if left uncleaned for long.
Hence, the lack of maintenance quickly leads to the production of a foul smell for which you will need to try out treatment that will help get rid of the odor easily.
4 Things That Help Treating Vacuum Odor
From baking soda to cinnamon, we would say if you need to get rid of the vacuum odor, go straight to your kitchen for the magical products.
How do you treat odor is simply by neutralizing the smell with something natural and powerful.
Chemicals can do more harm than good, but if nothing works on your vacuum, you can always opt for professional vacuum cleaner odor neutralizers.
But if you’re looking for something less expensive, something you can find in your home, here are things that can help kill vacuum smells:
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Essential oils
Vacuum cleaner fresheners
Relax and Enjoy!
Remember, your vacuum will smell only when you have not cleaned it in a long time. Pay attention to its maintenance by cleaning regularly and you will not face such a problem ever.
But even if after high maintenance the cleaner smells funny, use the above-mentioned tips to get rid of the foul smell and freshen up the atmosphere.
The nasty smell rising from your cleaner can be super disgusting and before it “pollutes” your space, clean it and kill it!
John Wesley is passionate about cleaning industry especially vacuum cleaners. He is having more than a decade of experience in repairing and selling vacuum cleaners from a well known retail shop. When he’s not testing and reviewing latest vacuum cleaners for this site, he likes to spend time with his partner, 2 kids, and doing house projects.
