How many times have you thought, “My vacuum stinks? How can I get rid of the smell?”
Considering that a vacuum is designed to clean up dirt, which causes odors, it probably stinks. No need to be alarmed though, there is a way to get rid of the smell.
However, before we tackle this question with an answer, let’s first look at some of what a vacuum cleaner sucks in that causes odors in the first place.
Once you know this, you may have a better understanding of why your vacuum sucks.
Why does my vacuum stink?
One of the main factors that your vacuum cleaner stinks is the fact that the pores in the bag become clogged and do not allow air to pass through.
You may think dirt is the culprit here, which is partly true, but in fact, a huge factor is those deodorant powders you put on your carpet to make it smell better. (There are better ways to make your carpet smell clean.)
When you spray all that powdered deodorant on your carpet and then vacuum it up, it clogs your pores faster than dirt. Therefore, the clogged vacuum bag does not let air through. Air must be allowed to pass through the bag and then through a HEPA filter, which filters out particulates and therefore reduces odors.
other factors
Other things your vacuum ingests are things like pet hair and dander, bits of paper, food crumbs, and yes, paper clips and chips.
Food particles that get trapped in the vacuum bag will start to break down and therefore emit bad odors.
All of this can contribute to the vacuum bag becoming full and clogged and not allowing air to pass through.
So how do I get rid of the smell?
Having said all this, how do you get rid of the smell? Change the fucking bag. There is absolutely no reason to allow a vacuum bag to fill beyond its functionality.
This is also one of the causes why your machine shuts down for no apparent reason. Many vacuums have a bag fill limit and turn it off before it overfills so the motor doesn’t burn out. Another good reason to change the damn bag.
Keep clean
Like any other piece of equipment, you need regular maintenance to keep it running at peak performance. For a vacuum, this means changing the bag from time to time, cleaning it, and using an odor-removing product. Results; less smell of vacuum cleaner.