How to Clean a Shop Vac
Shop Vacs can suck up and shoot out a lot of stuff. Good stuff, bad stuff ad in-between stuff. Some of the stuff in the Shop Vac you don't want to touch, but it needs to be cleaned out. Shop Vacs can breed germs and airborne illnesses if left too long in the wrong location. Cleaning a Shop Vac isn't hard, but it can get dirty. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Empty the machine of any debris. Remove the lid on the tank. Place a trash bag over the tank base and dump the tank contents into the trash bag. Seal the bag and throw it away. Don't let the dust particles escape.
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2
Place the tank outside and fill it with warm water and dish soap. Add a cup of bleach and let the tank sit for 1 hour.
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3
Clean the top of the Shop Vac. Use another vacuum and vacuum out the top. Replace the filter or wash it in warm soapy water. Use cleaning wipes and wipe down the top of the machine. Use wipes like Clorox Wipes or the Franklin Brand found at Costco. These wipes kill 98 percent of the germs. Leave the lid to dry out.
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4
Remove and clean the hose and attachments. Spray water through the hose in the bathtub or outside with a garden hose. Spray a cleaning product that kills germs into the hose. Then spray the hose down and through and leave outside to dry in the wind.
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5
Clean the tank that is soaking outside. Put plastic cleaning gloves on your hands to protect them from the bleach. Scrub down the inside and outside of the Shop Vac with a disposable sponge. Spray the tank down with a hose several times to remove left over soap residue. Use a garden hose sprayer to spray off hard-to-clean stuff left in the tank.
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6
Replace old and worn parts, filters and cartridges before using your clean machine.
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Comments
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paddlewizard
Nov 14, 2009
I agree that trying to kill every germ in the bin is energy misspent. The focus should be on the filter. If outside, backflush the filter with the strong focused flow of the garden hose, then rinse the flutes from the outside with a gentler setting, especially at the ends. If inside, you can use the sink rinse hose, but use caution not to breathe the dust you will generate. Finally, soak the filter in a strong solution of dish detergent overnight in a dishpan or bucket, then rinse and let dry 24 hrs. -
Bickwiz
May 08, 2008
Can I clean my paper shop vac filters with water and use again and again? Thanks.
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Bickwiz
May 08, 2008
Can I wash out my paper filters and use many times?
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Bickwiz
May 08, 2008
Can I wash out my paper filters and use many times?
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MrBillG59
Apr 09, 2008
This is a crazy level of cleaning. I guess it would be appropriate if you were using the vacuum to clean crime scenes or medical waste, but for home use, just dump the dry waste in a garbage bag and if you've been vacuuming wet waste, hose it out and let it dry. Knock on the filter a few times to shake it clean and re-use it a couple of times.
