How to Keep a Vacuum Cleaner Smelling Fresh

The one item in your home constantly subjected to dirt and grime, is the vacuum cleaner. While the vacuum is invaluable in keeping your floors clean, picking up all that dirt can make your vacuum cleaner smell less than fresh. Standard maintenance will keep the machine in working order, and a few simple housekeeping steps can keep a vacuum cleaner smelling fresh.

Change the interior vacuum bag frequently and wash the exterior bag. Odors from pet dander and dust in the home can make the bag smell bad over time. Some exterior bags are machine washable for easy cleaning. If your bag isn’t, wipe down the bag with a damp cloth.

If your vacuum cleaner is bagless, wash out the plastic dirt canister with mild soap and warm water. Gunk and dirt can stick to the sides of the canister, causing it to smell.

Sprinkle your choice of a fragrant spice inside the bag. Consider spices such as cinnamon and lemon verbena. If you have dark-colored carpets, sprinkle the spices directly on the carpets and vacuum away; the scent from the spices infuse the vacuum cleaner when absorbed from the carpeting.

Add one tablespoon of baking soda to the bag before using the vacuum. If your vacuum is a bagless, sprinkle several tablespoons of baking soda on the carpet and vacuum it up. Baking soda will naturally absorb and eliminate odors.

Place a fabric softener sheet inside the bag or plastic compartment. When you turn on the vacuum cleaner, the smell of the fabric softener sheet will permeate the bag and bagless compartment, keeping it smelling fresh.

To remove the buildup of dust and grime wipe the exterior of the vacuum a solution of mild soap and warm water and a clean soft cloth. Then spray your vacuum cleaner with a disinfectant spray to eliminate germs that may linger.

If you have white or light-colored carpets, do not use dark-colored spices such as cinnamon inside the bag or directly on the carpet. The vacuum cleaner could release some of the spices onto the carpets causing them to stain.