Why Does My Vacuum Cleaner Smell When I Use It?
Vacuum cleaners can make maintaining your home far easier than using a dustpan and brush. But if your vacuum cleaner smells then using it can become quickly unpleasant and completely put you off from actually doing what it’s supposed to do – keeping your home clean.
Your vacuum cleaner may smell due to a number of reasons most likely however, is that it’s picked up some type of odour causing elements such as mold or pet hair that’s creating an unpleasant set of circumstances inside the dust bag. The other main culprit could be a burnt vacuum belt or potentially too much dust inside the machine.
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Why Does My Vacuum Stink When I Use It?
Knowing what is causing your vaccum cleaner to smell is one of the first steps to making sure you can get rid of the smell but also more importantly eliminate the chances of the smell re-emerging a few weeks down the line.
1 – Smelly Food and Other Particles
As you vacuum around the home it’s inevitable that your machine will pick up items that can end up being very smelly over time when inside the dust bag.
Little bits of food for example such as peas or sweetcorn can easily find themselves in your dust bag and over time these organic materials can end up causing your vacuum cleaner to smell as they can give off strong odours as they go through different phases of decomposition.
2 – Presence of Mould
One of the most likely reasons your vacuum cleaner may smell is the presence of mould with the dust bag/container or within the device itself. Mold is a type of fungus that enjoys moisture in its surroundings and can be found everywhere. Mold on your carpet can find its way into your dust bag where the sometimes damp, dark and warm environment can provide the perfect breeding ground.
Creating a damp environement inside your dust bag or vacuum cleaner is easy enough to do as it could occur if you vacuum over a slightly wet floor or carpet. Whilst the heat from the machine can help to create the perfect temparature for the fungus to multiply.
Mold can smell stale and highly unpleasant akin to the smell of a pile of rotting wood. As well as being highly unpleasant to smell, mold can also cause health problems when present in the home thus making it imperative that if you do suspect mold is the cause of the odour from your vacuum cleaner, you get it sorted as soon as possible.
3 – Pet Odours
If growing mould is not part of the problem then you may have your pet to thank for the unpleasant aroma eminating from your vacuum cleaner.
There are a few potential ways that the presence of pets in the home can cause odour issues with your vacuum cleaner. One of the biggest culprits is pet hair as well as the multitude of material pets shed from skin and hair, oftem termed dander. This organic material from pets can often be a major cause for smelly carpets as well as then having a smelly vacuum cleaner.
In addition, pet urine can also add to the unpleasant smells experienced from your vacuum cleaner as the combination of pet hair as well as urine produces an unwelcome alliance of smells.
As well as the unwanted smell pet hair and dander can also cause irritation to many triggering allergies in some so you should take care to get rid of the offending smells if they are indeed coming from your pet.
4 – Liquids and Oils
Another strong contender for why your vacuum cleaner smells unpleasant may be the remains of drinks and oil spills making their way into your device. Spilt milk for example could be a heavy contender for the bad odours particularly if you are in a home where that’s a popular drink amongst your residents. Often times you may suck up small amounts of milk from a slightly damp carpet which then find themselves in your dust bag in a warm and moist environment creating an unpleasant mix.
Oils can also contribute to the smell from your vacuum cleaner as they can eventually smell themselves but also create surfaces for other things to get stuck on by clinging to some of the parts of your device and thus create more surface area to attract things that can cause bad odours.
5 – Burning Vacuum Belt
An often common complaint of vacuum cleaner owners is that their machines can sometimes smell of burining plastic. This can of couse be an alarming smell around the home and not one many will want to take lightly.
Why Does My Vacuum Smell Like Burning Plastic?
The burning plastic smell coming from your vacuum cleaner is often coming from friction generated on the vacuum cleaner belt. The belt, made of rubber, is what allows the brush to roll trapping dust, dirt, and other debris as you vacuum. The build-up of dust and debris on the belt can cause lots of friction which can contribute to the smell of burning you sometimes experience.
In addition, as the belt gets increasingly worn out and stretched, that smell is much more likely to occur.
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6 – Build Up of Dirt and Debris Over Time
Over time your vacuum cleaner can become overburdened with dust, dirt, and other debris from a variety of sources. When left undisturbed this build-up of material, sometimes organic as well, mixed in with all manner of elements can leave your vacuum cleaner smelling highly unpleasant and in need of cleansing.
As you continue to vacuum new layers of dirt build up on top of old ones in the dust bag to add to the potency of the
How Do I Get My Vacuum To Stop Smelling?
We’ve understood some of the key reasons for your vacuum smelling bad but how do you get rid of these smells? Fortunately, removing the bad odours from your device doesn’t involve throwing it into your bin and can usually be solved by trying a few different routine steps.
1 – Replace Your Dust Bag Or Empty Dust Container
The first thing you could try and do is replace your dust bag. If it’s been some time since you last replaced it or your bag is near full then the foul smell coming from it will be the perfect excuse to get rid of the dust bag and get a new one in place.
Not only will a new dust bag mean your rid of the various old smells but it may also help to make your vacuum more efficient if your old bag was near full in any case.
If you have a bagless vacuum cleaner then you’ll need to empty the dust container as you normally would. If it’s not messy and the smell disappears then problem solved. If not then you will need to wash the container and dry it out to get rid of the smell.
2 – Clean Your Filter
Most vacuum cleaners are generally equipped with filters that play a crucial role in the operation of the machine. Filters act as a trapping mechanism to collect dust that gets sucked up by the suction nozzle as you vacuum. This process ensures that this dust does not spread around the room. In addition, filters also ensure that dust does not find its way into your vacuum cleaner motor which would otherwise cause problems.
Cleaning your filter regularly could be a good way to get rid of any foul smells coming from your vacuum cleaner. As you can imagine vacuum filters end up with all sorts of particles some of which can smell bad. By cleaning the filter you remove another potential source of bad odours.
Consult your machine user manual for instructions on how to safely clean the filter but if the instructions allow then wash the filter with soapy water before allowing it to dry out thoroughly. This is a key step as a wet filter will quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria leading to more foul odour.
3 – Clear Out Your Brushes
Another source of smells from your vacuum cleaner could be the rotating brush inside your intake port. As it rotates and picks up dust, debris and hair the brush head can become home to all sorts of smells.
Removing the brush if your machine allows it and getting rid of the hair and other debris as well as cleaning it in a way consistent with the instructions could help get rid of that bad smell. A clean rotating brush will also mean your vacuum cleaner will be far more efficient when using it.
As well as the main rotating brush, your intake port will also likely have smaller brushes that often run alongside the edges of the suction port. It’s a good idea to get rid of any dirt or debris you can see in these parts as well as they can also attract foul-smelling substances over time.
4 – Clean Out Your Hose And Internals
Making sure your vacuum hose and other accessible internal parts are clean and clear could also help get rid of any smell. It’s quite common for dirt and debris to become trapped in your vacuum hose, especially things like food which can then go on to cause unwanted smells. Be sure to do a check inside the hose and try to remove any material you see clinging to the side.
Conclusion: Why Does My Vacuum Cleaner Smell When I Use It?
We’ve reviewed some of the most common reasons why your vacuum cleaner might smell when you use it. Though it is not necessarily an exhaustive list, it should hopefully help you to capture the most likely things causing your vacuum cleaner to smell. We also reviewed some the main ways to remove the smell from your vacuuum.
