How to Remove Smells From a Vacuum Cleaner Filter

Choose your favorite scent to make your room and vacuum smell lovely.

If you are vacuuming your carpet, your objective is to pick up dust and dander that can cause odor. So it can be very frustrating when your vacuum cleaner is actually creating a bad smell, rather than preventing it. If your vacuum has disposable filters, you can simply toss out the old one and replace it to stop the odor. However, vacuums with reusable filters need a bit more maintenance than that.

Things You'll Need

• Old toothbrush
• Essential oil of choice

Instructions

1. Remove the vacuum filter. Examine it to make sure it is not covered in mold or mildew. This sometimes happens with washable filters, since they are not replaced regularly like disposable filters.

2. Hold the filter over a trashcan. Scrape away any gunk from the surface of the filter using an old toothbrush. Clean the filter completely and dispose of whatever you remove.

3. Apply a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the surface of the vacuum filter. As you vacuum, the pleasant scent will be emitted. Replace the vacuum cleaner and vacuum as normal.

References

• Maid in Chicago; How to Get Rid of Vacuum Cleaner Odor; June 2010
• Curbly: How to Clean a Vacuum Filter