As homemakers, we all know the value of keeping a clean and tidy home. But do you clean your cleaners as often as you should? Chances are you don't. Hey, no judgement, neither do I. Maybe the reason is you just don't know how. Which is why I'm kicking off a 4-part “clean the cleaners” series. So, today, I'm going to walk you through how to clean a Dyson DC29 vacuum cleaner..
I got my awesome upright vacuum shortly after we moved into our new house. It had to stay in the box for a while until the carpet was installed, but OMG do I love it. It's now over 4 years old and I've never wished for anything different.
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What you need to clean your Dyson vacuum cleaner
- Sink/tub with working faucet
- Dish soap (I like Dawn the best)
- Rag, long-handled cleaning brush
- Cleaning spray (I like using vinegar/water or water/thieves oil)
How to prevent your vacuum from getting out-of-control filthy: don't let your husband use it…. I joke..
But seriously.
Step 1 for how to clean a Dyson DC29 vacuum cleaner
The first thing I do is empty the “filth chamber.” You know, where all the dust and everything goes once it's sucked up. Use the button on the handle of the cylinder to unclick it from the vacuum. Then, with it positioned over a garbage can, use the button at the back of the container to release the bottom door. Most of the crap will fall out, but you may need to stick your hand in there to pull out any remaining pieces. I like to pull the whole clear part off now, too.
Second, disassemble.
I next work around the vacuum, removing all the necessary parts. There's a filter in the top of the big piece you just pulled off. Expose it by pulling on the handle/clip on the top front of the cylinder. Pull out the fabric filter and place both parts in the sink or tub.
Then head down to the ball. There's a filter in there. Find the little button to remove the cover. Proceed to pull out the plastic filter.
Last you'll want to remove the “beater bar” and clean it. If you haven't done this in a while, be prepared for yuckiness. Mine was nasty. You'll need a coin or flat screwdriver to turn the “screw” on the casing. Twist the end and pull the whole thing straight out. Use scissors and/or your fingers to clean the bar and replace it.
If you've noticed your machine not picking up as much as it used to, I recommend first checking the beater bar. A lot of times there's so much hair/thread in there that the little bristles can't brush the carpet to pick stuff up.
As I was writing this post I looked on Amazon to see if you can buy the entire unit. You can't, but they do sell replacement parts, which is really awesome to know.
Now how to clean a dyson DC29 vacuum cleaner
All the parts that have been removed are safe to clean with water. I like to do the cleanest pieces first, so I start with the clear plastic dirt trapper. I put a bit of dish soap on it and wash with a rag (or my hand) and rinse. Lay on a towel to dry
The next piece I was is the plastic filter. There's instructions right on it that say to run water through it and smack it against something to loosen debris. Repeat 10x. This filter really never seems that dirty.
Thirdly I was the top fabric-y filter. Run water onto the side with the faucets on it until the water coming out runs clear. This can take a while, especially if your machine is dirty. Now you know why you need to be cleaning this so often! Pull off any pieces of hair or dirt that won't rinse off, squeeze the water out and lay on the towel to dry.
Dyson recommends every month. I try to do mine every 6 weeks or so, but it doesn't always happen that way.
The last piece I clean on my upright Dyson vacuum cleaner is the cyclone part. I'm not even sure this is recommended, but I do it anyway and haven't had any issues. This part is SO filthy. Rinse as much as you can off with water straight from the tap. You'll notice inside the top there is probably caked dust/dirt that won't come off just from tap pressure. Use a toothbrush or similar cleaning tool to remove all the stuck on yuck. I've also used a dish washing bottle-type brush cleaner. Rinse and lay to dry.
How to clean a Dyson DC29 vacuum – drying the pieces
In the warmer weather, I like to lay my pieces outside to dry for a few hours. That's usually all it takes for every pieces except the fabric filter. That one comes back in to dry on a towel overnight (or until I use the vacuum again).
Putting it all back together
Take a rag and dampen with your fave cleaner (vinegar/water or water/thieves oil are my top 2). Wipe down the entire unit (even the cord), concentrating on any scuffs. Use a magic eraser if necessary.
Connect all the pieces and replace. Notice the better clean!
Do you love your Dyson as much as I do? I'd love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments.