How To Remove Odor From Vacuum Cleaner?
Are you facing difficulties to remove the bad odor coming from the vacuum cleaner? Let’s welcome to our stepwise guidelines to fix up your problem.
The vacuum cleaner is something you use to deal with the dirt and debris from the rest of the house. Since it deals with dust and dirt most of the time, the dust and dirt, well some of it, can get left behind inside it. While there are many other reasons, reasons like this are the main cause behind the smell coming out of vacuum cleaners.
Yes, vacuum cleaners do smell. You may have already noticed it or you are already experiencing the bad smell of vacuum cleaners. It’s weird, isn’t it? Something you use to clean the rest of the world needs some cleaning itself apparently.
While it may seem difficult, it is quite easy and also necessary to clean vacuum cleaners. Not only the proper full method of cleaning will do away with bad odors but it can also leave behind a nice smell if you want it to.
Let’s see why vacuum cleaners smell and how to deal with the smell. People will fall in love with your house through their noses right when they enter the house.
The Reasons why Vacuum Cleaners Smell
Only things stuck in the vacuum cleaner does not make it smell. There is a lot of other reasons why they may emit a bad smell. Let’s check out the reasons why vacuum cleaners smell.
1. Pet hair stuck in the vacuum cleaner
If you own a pet then you know how irritating pet hair can be. Even though you love your pet, you just cannot love the pet hair lying around. Apparently, pet hair is one of the biggest enemies of vacuum cleaners.
They easily get stuck in small places. It does not happen overnight but gradually, the volume of the clog increases. As a result, other dust, debris gets stuck, even some moisture. And, this leads to a bad odor coming out from the vacuum cleaner.
2. Molds in the vacuum cleaner
You may vacuum wet carpets, there is no bad in that- it cleans your carpet better. However, water leads to moisture and the moisture stuck inside the vacuum for a long time will cause molds. As a result of which a bad smell may come out of the vacuum cleaner.
3. Dust itself
Dust seems like a harmful, powdery thing incapable of causing bad odors, right? However, other debris can easily get stuck to the dust and hair. And this is what leads to bad odor in the long run.
4. Burnt Belt
There are different kinds of bad odors. While there is the wet smell of molds and stuck hair, there is the smell of chemicals as well. Apparently, the belt of vacuum cleaners is usually made of rubber.
And, you know how rubber is. With wear and use, it stretches and at one point it starts emitting a smell. That is why it is necessary for you to notice the belt of the vacuum cleaner.
You can replace it at one point when you think the smell is coming out from the vacuum cleaner belt.
How to remove the bad odor coming from the vacuum cleaner
Here are a few ways in which you can remove the bad odor from vacuum cleaners.
1. Take care of the dust bags
Another one of the reasons for the cause of smell coming from vacuum cleaners is the dust bags. Apparently, the dust bags get exposed to the dust themselves. Just emptying them for another user does not get rid of the smell.
This is why you have to clean the bags if the bags are washable. If not washable, you have to replace the bag. While it may seem like a continuous maintenance cost, it is actually a healthy choice of life.
It will keep your house free of germs and smell both. Also, make sure you dry the bag well after cleaning it with soap and water (unless the label says not to).
2. Clean The Hose Next
It is mainly the hose where things get stuck. You have to detach the hose first. And, the hose has a hole in it. So, what you have to do is use a blunt object of the right size to push through the hole.
You can either use an object that has the perfect size for the hose or you can just poke inside the hose a few times to get everything out. Whether it is something like a sock or something smaller- it will come out.
Then, you should use warm water mixed with baking powder or bleach or just soap to clean inside the hose. The outer part needs the same. After that, just rinse the hose and let it dry. This is the most important step for getting rid of bad odors- keeping the parts dry.
3. Clean the filter of the vacuum cleaner
The filter of the vacuum cleaner is where the most dangerous germs and dust get stuck. While it is made to handle all that, keeping the filter clean will ensure that the air in your house is clean too. Therefore, clean the filter of the vacuum cleaner with vinegar and baking soda, or just use bleaching powder.
4. Clean the brushes
The bristles of the brushes also have a lot of things stuck to them with time. Therefore, firstly, manually get rid of the hair and dirt stuck to the brush. Make sure you do not harm the bristles when doing it.
Be careful when you detach the brushes and also dry it well after cleaning.
5. Clean the whole vacuum cleaner periodically
While the outer part of the vacuum cleaner usually does not cause any smell. However, it is best to clean the upper part of the vacuum cleaner periodically- just wipe it up.
6. Leave it smelling like something
Just keeping the vacuum cleaner may not be always enough for doing away with bad odors. It is best to use something that spreads a good smell. You can use the following to get a good smell:
Perfume pads: You will easily find these and you can keep in the hose to let the smell spread.
Baking Soda: It has an inbuilt property of absorbing odor. Just sprinkle a bit in the bag and it won’t easily smell.
Cinnamon: It has a similar function like baking soda.
Orange Peels: Yes, if you want to go fully organic then orange peels in the dust bag can help.
In conclusion
Even though it may not cross your mind until it happens, the vacuum cleaner can smell. What you have to do to prevent such things is to maintain the vacuum cleaner regularly. You can follow the mentioned steps to get rid of the bad odor. It is not as hard as it seems, does it?