Dyson Vacuum - Do You Clean Yours?

[mrb627]

Does anyone perform routine maintenance on your Dyson vacuum cleaner? Or any other brand for that matter?

I try to disassemble my Dyson twice a year and give it a good washing. Am I insane?

Malcolm

 

[ronhic]

I have a Miele....

Miele's have 3 filters if you include the bag, which is particularly heavy duty....

I used to remove the filter that is pre-fan everytime I changed a bag to see if there was much in there - result: next to nothing....

So, no, I don't even wipe it out inside....in this case, bags and filters negate the need to clean (the cleaner)...

 

[petek]

I don't think it's really necessary to totally disassemble it and wash it all out unless there's something stinky happening. Just follow the instrx about the filters if any and maybe wash out the bin, clean off the brushroll if required etc.

 

[washernoob]

I used to have a dyson Dc17 asthma and allergy. (the powder blue cyclone one)

About every 4-5 uses I would strip the cyclone apart and wash it out. I notice than on other bagless machines the plastic would become dull over time, so I tried to keep it clean to prevent that.

I miss my Dyson. It was a wonderful and fairly quiet vacuum. Only problem was the brush roll/power nozzle. Sand would get into there and start making a funny sound. Always been a problem with these dysons. I never did get it fixed, as I didn't know how to take it apart, and I most certainly didn't want to break it since it was brand new!

Other than that funny sound, it was fantastic! I know many vacuum collectors despise dysons, but honestly I have no idea why. Their older machines were not very good, but the new ones like the DC17 and my dream DC28 are really fantastic.

I traded it for a new Rainbow E2. BIG mistake.

Here is it the day we got it. Pardon the dirt. Typical me I HAD to use it before I took pictures.

 

[austinado16]

Love my Royal upright

22ish years later, still love the Royal that I purchased new. Like Kirby, the Royal doesn't suck dirt through the motor, so the only thing I do is pop the beater bar out and clean that. I'll also remove any debris from the shaft right at the face of the turbine blades (fan blades).

 

[mrb627]

Miele

While I like the Miele and wouldn't mind owning one. I would have to change the bag every three weeks compared to emptying the Dyson's container weekly.

@ 18.95 for four bags, that's around 100 bucks a year. Yikes!

 

[brisnat81]

What are you vaccuming Malcom?

The Miele doesnt loose suction until you've ended up with a solid housebrick shaped white pillow.

With the Dog hair from a Rottweiler we usually change our bag every second month, based on vaccuming once a week. Unlike a bag from an older hoover or the such, the Miele keeps sucking until the bag is literally a rock solid lump.

The convienience of just emptying the dyson is good, but we got sick of all the other compromises and ended up gifting it to a family member.

 

[washernoob]

Miele has some good sized bags. But I think I would replace them each month.

My tristar CXL, which is almost as powerful as a miele, goes through bags like non other.

Now it also depends on what kind of carpet you have and what all your vacuuming. Is it rugs, or thick shag? I have some pretty loose but tall carpet. Not quite shag, but not too short, and a large chocolate lab that sheds really bad.

My dyson I always emptied each time I used it.

What model of dyson do you have Malcome?

 

[washernoob]

Austinado....

Dysons dont suck dirt through the motor either. Its a clean air machine, therefor no dirt ever touches the motor or fan. A kirby/royal's dirt goes through the fan, which also can get behind it, and potentially get into the motor.

 

[austinado16]

If the Royals were taking grit/dirt/dust in around the back side of the fan, they'd eat that front sealed bearing on the motor.....which they don't.

The gymnastics gym (about 20,000 square feet) that my daughter was attending had a Dyson as their vacuum. It didn't last more than a year or 2 before it grenaded. I got them a used pair of Royal uprights....not because it took 2, but because they could have 2 people vacuuming at the same time and get it done faster.

I'm not knocking Dysons.

 

[washernoob]

Well... 20,000 square feet is a lot for any vacuum to be taking on. Im surprised they dont have muuuch larger ride on vacuum cleaners. Would hate to be on the team to clean it each night! lol.

It also depends on how you take care of something too. I have seen kirby Sentrias and other g series with broken handles, and several broken emptor situations. Ive seen dysons with a crack in the bin handle and base.

To be honest, I have never seen a broken royal besides fans. Because those things are just darned sturdy. Hardly a piece of plastic on them.

 

[austinado16]

Before the gym's in-house meets we would go over with a bunch of other parents and clean the whole place, and get it all set up for the next day.

On one such evening after listening to umpteen $69 plastic Walmart vacuums whining for an hour, I tried to reserect the Dyson. There was no saving it, so I came home and grabbed my Royal and did the entire facility with it. Got plenty of laughs and jokes about my "antique vacuum cleaner"... 'til they saw the job it did. Aferward the owner was hot to have one, and then wanted a 2nd after trying out the 1st for a couple weeks. Guess she was so used to the poor performance of the plastics that she had to prove it to herself.

We've broken one fan in my Royal. Probably about 5 years ago now. Sucked up a dime that just happened to hit wrong and I was really bummed.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I have seven cats and three dogs so I'm always doing PM on my Kirby LII every three or four months.

 

[mtn1584]

Malcom.....

Don't forget I used to work for Oreck, I periodically clean my vacuum as well. I love my Oreck and I have a black lab. A bag usually lasts me about two months.
Mike

 

[tolivac]

Haven't had to clean any of my machines-except for a Dyson DC07 I got from the kirby folks in their trade in pile-was owned by a dog owner-ahd to take the cyclone system apart ot clean it and the dust cup-I simply REPLACED the so called washable filter-and when I used the Dysons regularly for a while-just replaced the filter rather than washing it.YUCCHH!They were cheap enough to me to replace rather than wash the uggy things.Face it--for a dog owner-wether his vacuum is bagged or bagless-he is going to have to change bags,filters more oftenand have his machine cleaned out more often than a non pet owner.-airpaths,fan cases,and outer bags.Like my AirWays-the inside of the Meile canister does'nt get nasty.The filters last longer.

 

[cleanteamofny]

I have cleaned my Dyson DC25 twice during the three years of usage and it is in retirement because it just doesn't suck like a Hoover.
For some reason the Dyson mats the nap and the Hoover raised the nap as if the carpet was shampooed.
Can you see the difference?

 

[tolivac]

looks like from the picture the Hoover grooms the carpet better than the Dyson.It also may mean the Hoover is DEEP cleaning the rug better too.when you try the Hoover as above-have you looked in the bag to see if it picked up more debris than the Dyson?Esp for deep cleaning-the fine grit and sand that settle into the carpet.See this with my Kirbys.

 

[washernoob]

Interesting results! I have never used that hoover platinum model.

However, I will say the Dyson DC17 vacuum I had was the best grooming (comparing to sanitaires, convertibles, Concepts and all) vacuum cleaner I have ever used, making the carpet look brand new and tall. And it was the best deep cleaning. On the sanitaire I am used to constantly running back an forth over the carpet near the front door, and hearing a constant woosh of sand, Do that 4-5 times then go over it with the Dyson, and still pick up lots of fine sand and dirt that the sanitaire couldn't get.

The DC17 has the most ridiculous stiff brush roll ever.

 

[whirlcool]

You are right about changing bags more often if you are a dog owner.
We have 3 labs and a Rhodesian/Lab mix. We brush them every other day. We have a Miele canister vac. We get about 4 total vacummings of the house before the bag gets rock solid and has the be changed. Sometimes someone on Ebay may have some Miele FJM bags for cheap available. But the Miele does get every bit of dog hair on the floors.

 

[mrb627]

The YELLOW One

Mine is the Yellow one. DC07, I think. It is a good vacuum cleaner and has served me well. But I am sure there is better out there.

Malcolm

 

[whirlpolf]

not on Dysons, but...

...bristles of floor brushes are on my list as well as combo nozzle roller axles and belts of power brushes.

I have never owned a Dyson nor will I ever do, but what comes to regular vacuum maintenance, I like to give the brush frames of a floor brush or of a combination nozzle a thorough combing: Hair, fluff and carpet fibers seem to have a tendency to knead down into those brushes. I flip them to "floor mode" and hold those brushes very close to a running power brush to get all that debris combed out and sucked up.

Likewise, the roller shafts of nozzles of all kinds get their regular scissors-cut-down-and-off so they can rotate freely. (Which applies to brush rollers as well). In former days I used to just pull hair and threads out of them, but I have changed: I cut them with scissors, so once sucked up, they won't wind around the roller axles again for being too short for that. Works fine.

Disassembling? No. Just in case of "sick cat puke-out" hazards. Normally not.
To get rid of residues getting stuck on the blades of a direct air vacuum, I run a cup of coarsly shred rice grains through the machine, that will do for the major part of it.

Washing bags? Here and there, depends on model, make and incident.

Reselling a vacuum? Yes, always! My vacs go out only when done as good as one can go. (My own pride, not necessarily to be applied to others). Only washed and dried out and polished.

Having disassembled a vac for other reasons? Yes, always washing and polishing (once I am at it, I can do a complete job as well, can't I?)

Who is with me? Spring time is a good season, the wind and the new sunshine will help you dry out washed hoses on the clothes line in no time.
Cheers
J.

 

[passatdoc]

I have my Miele cannister serviced about every two years

The local shop does an overhaul for about $60. Mostly cleaning and lubrication. I change the HEPA filter every 18-24 months. Still running fine after nine years.