My vacuum cleaner bag (Hoover vacuum) smells terrible and stinks up the whole house when I vacuum. I tried several things to freshen it such as, a downy sheet, carpet fresh, a cotton ball soaked with perfume inside the bag, etc. Nothing has worked. I used to store the vacuum in my coat closet but it made the whole closet stink so I've moved it to the garage. I currently change the bag once a month and feel it would be too expensive to change it more often, so I'm asking for any advice to solve my dilemma.
Thanks,
Eve
Below are answers shared from 2004 to 2005.
You might want to actually try to manually empty the contents of the vacuum bag you can pull the contents out with a opened up coat hanger. Also you might want to put baking soda with essential oil mixed in on your carpets before you use your next new vacuum bag. Then when you vacuum it up it will stay in the bag so you get a good smell when you vacuum and again in the bag. Healthfood stores sell some nice scents, I use honeysuckle.
By acraftycat
The first thing I do when I change my vacuum bag is open one of those scented sachet bags that people use to scent their linens or dressers and pour some of the contents on the rug. I suck it into the vacuum and every time I use it, it's the first thing I smell. Works great for me.
By Lisa
Look to see if your vacuum has a filter. If it does you need to change it when you change your bag. The filters are what hold the odors. If your filter isn't available at your local mart or vacuum service center then pull out your owners manual. You can order from them or they will give you the name of a service where you can purchase them. Good luck.
By Rhonnie
Are you aware you should not fill your vacuum cleaner bag fuller than 1/2 full, regardless of the time it takes to fill to that level? Any more than that and it puts extra stress on the motor and will wear out sooner. If it gets full in one month, you will need to change the bag much sooner. The longer you leave the bag in, the more it smells.
By Angellfire
If you are thinking about replacing your vacuum, you could go with one that does not have a bag. I just got the Hoover Z Vacuum and it has a HEPA filter and a clear canister that you empty after you vacuum. I am astonished at how much it is picks up. There is no smell and it is very quiet. It is an upright that comes with all the tools attached.
By Joni Deiters
I have the same problem with a stinky vacuum, I am now on my 2nd one, and 2nd new house! I am actually starting to think that possibly the smell is coming from dog hair. The hair may be getting burned into the motor or something. My parents are having trouble with their vacuum all of a sudden and they got a dog about 6 months ago. Anyone else have this problem and have a dog? I've also done all the oils, scents and changing bags. Nothing works!
By Jessica
I know I had the same problem at one point and I found out it was because I had vacuumed a little bit of cat litter that she had flung outside of her littler box. So if you have a cat and have done that, that might be the problem. Just a thought!
By Mandi
I took my vacuum outside on a sunny day, threw out the bag and washed the whole thing with the garden hose. I put dishsoap inside the hoses and sprayed them out, washed all the little tools with soap and water and even sprayed down inside the collection areas of the vacuum. The vacuum was wiped dry on the outside and left out in the sun until the inside was dry. It doesn't smell anymore.
By Fern
Vacuums need to be cleaned out regularly. If it is a bagless vacuum, there is usually a filter that you can remove. Take it outside and wrap it against the garbage can. You can also sometimes wash them in hot soapy water. Look in your manual for places that can be cleaned. It may be clogged with all that dog hair somewhere so it's actually putting dirt back into the room. Also check the brushes, they can also be clogged with hair and it could also be hampering the action of the belt.
I had the worst smell coming from my vacuum, and looking back I realize that it was from the tons of dog hair that I had to clean up when we moved to our new house. It smelled like something crawled up in there and died!
I read the ideas on this site and decided to try the essential oil mixed with baking soda. I didn't have essential oil, but I had a very nice scented massage oil, which I'm sure has some essential extracts in it. I mixed it with the baking soda to a dry pasty consistency, sprinkled in onto a rug and vacuumed it up, and no more smell! I was so thrilled that I immediately vacuumed the entire house!
By Gina
Anise seeds will do the trick. I poured about 2 tablespoons into a clean Hoover bag. No more stinky vacuuming!
By ANNAMARIE
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