Re: Stinky vacuum cleaner.

jaysmommy · ‎08-09-2011

I also have a shark bagless upright that smells, I have done the filter thing, I have sprinkled baking soda on the carpet, found it did nothing to help.Wonder if this is a defect with the vacuum? I have a dog also but the vacuum smells worse then my dog lol.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

I'm still working on an update but so far some things helped quite a bit but the odor still lingers. Just to be clear I have already cleaned the waste cup and both filters. I received the X-O spray, not used yet) and also that long drain brush so I'm getting ready to use those today then I'll have to wait until everything dries before I can use the vacuum again which will be tomorrow.

These things are done so far and they helped quite a bit:

-ran hot water through the hose...what came out was smelly and dark (gross!)

-Soaked the hose in a Lysol/water bath in my tub for a couple of hours.

-let hose dry and then vacuumed but the odor was still there.

Stay tuned....going to use the drain brush to wash out the inside of the hose with soap and then spray/wipe down X-O on brush roll and inside the filter compartments....any place where odor can be detected that cannot be washed in the sink.

ETA - Just so you know the bristles on that long drain brush are fairly soft. The thing fits nicely inside the vacuum hose and it doesn't get caught going in all the way through. Even though the bristles are soft, they do a good job at removing fine dust and light dirt from inside the hose. It's not like I'm trying to dislodge stuck-on food or anything like that so this drain brush works perfectly for what I need it to do. So far my plan is working!

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

UPDATE

Washing the inside of the hose with Dawn using the long drain brush made a huge improvement with getting rid of most of the stink. In addition to cleaning the hose, I cleaned the inside of the filter compartments which includes the HEPA compartment and also the sponge/felt compartment. After I wiped the compartments down with vinegar, I wiped them down again with a rag sprayed with the X-O spray. I also sprayed the X-O on the brush roll, turning it while I sprayed.

After all of that I vacuumed this morning and I was not smelling a stinky dog like before. I plan on washing the hose out regularly, like once a month, to keep the odor at a minimum.