Here's How To Use Your Dishwasher To Clean Your Vacuum

If your vacuum cleaner isn't sucking up dirt as well as it used to or you notice a buildup of dust, grime, and dirt, there's a simple, easy way to clean your apparatus without having to scrub it yourself. Vacuums should be cleaned every three months, but it can be a hassle and is often forgotten. Surprisingly, the canister, foam filter, and attachments to your vacuum can be washed in your dishwasher in under five minutes. You'll want to make sure you don't have dishes inside at the same time, and you may need to remove the top rack for the canister to fit.

While this trick works for many vacuums, it's always a good idea to check the user manual before cleaning. Robot vacuums, such as Roombas, should never go in the dishwasher. The plastic that these vacuums are made of can become warped in a dishwasher, and the heavy-duty soaps can scratch it. For robot vacuums, it's best to clean them by hand.

To successfully clean your vacuum with your dishwasher, you'll need to empty out the canister and shake out any debris. This will ensure that rocks and other small objects don't end up hurting your appliance. If your vacuum's canister is taller, you'll need to remove the top rack of your dishwasher. Also, try to keep the doors to the canister open so the soap can get inside; if they won't stay open on their own, you can prop them open with anything that's safe in the bottom rack of your dishwasher. If you're able to adjust the temperature of your dish-washing appliance, it's best to clean your vacuum in cold water, but short periods in hot water should be fine.

The filter of your vacuum can go inside the dishwasher next to the canister, as long as it's washable and made of foam. It's helpful to rinse the filter in the sink first to prevent dirt from accumulating in your dishwasher. While attachments for your vacuum's hose can be washed in the dishwasher as well, the hose and brush should be washed by hand.

Once your vacuum's parts are safely nestled in your dishwasher, add detergent to the basin of the dishwasher rather than in the dispenser. If you put your detergent in the dispenser like normal, it won't be released soon enough to clean your vacuum. Close the door and run your dishwasher for three minutes on a gentle cycle. After three minutes, check on the canister and if it's still a bit dirty, run the dishwasher for another minute or two. If you're running it with hot water, less time is better.

When your clean vacuum parts come out of the dishwasher, make sure to air dry them before putting your vacuum back together. If the parts are even slightly damp, it can lead to issues with mold and mildew or mess up the electrical components of your vacuum. You may also need to rinse the foam filter in the sink again after it's clean to ensure there's no soap left behind. If after cleaning your vacuum in your appliance, you notice your dishwasher is left a bit dirtier than you'd like, you can run it empty with a dishwasher cleaner.

With this cleaning hack, having a dirty vacuum will be a problem of the past, and you can get back to making sure all that dust and hair isn't stuck in your carpet.