Need help maintaining your vacuum cleaner? Read on, for some useful maintenance tips to ensure your vacuum cleaner works efficiently for years to come.
Below are 4 tips to maintain your vacuum cleaner:
Unplug before Maintenance
A vacuum cleaner that turns on unexpectedly while you are working on it can injure you.Check to make sure your vacuum has a ground prong. If this is missing, DO NOT USE the vacuum. Contact your lead custodian for repair. Source: WikiHow
Change the Belt
Change the belt every three months to a year, even if it isn’t broken. A loose or worn belt will not propel the brushroll effectively. Exception: sprocketed belts made of more durable material (similar to the timing belt on a car) and which need changing only every year or two. Source: HouseKeepingChannel
Set at the Right Height
If your vacuum is set too low, you can damage the carpet as well as the vacuum’s roller brush and drive belt. If it’s set too high, you won’t pick up any dirt. To set the vacuum’s ideal height, raise it to its highest setting, turn it on and lower it until you can feel the vacuum trying to tug it-self forward. Source: FamilyHandyman
Store Properly
- Empty your tanks, then add fresh water into each of them. Turn the machine on and flush any remaining solution out of the cleaner by pressing the trigger for 30 seconds. This will keep detergent from drying up and clogging the tubing.
- Clean the filter, brushes and tanks. Depending on your cleaner model, you should be able to remove the nozzle, filter and brushes in addition to the clean and dirty water tanks. Clean them as soon as you’re done cleaning your carpets to avoid leaving a dirty and/or sudsy film on your cleaner’s components. Click here for a video that will walk you through it.
- Store your cleaner properly. You may want to set it on an old towel or cloth for storage, any remaining water in the cleaner’s system may drip out if you haven’t dried everything completely. It’s also a good idea to store your carpet washer somewhere that doesn’t experience extreme temperature changes, keep it in an indoor closet if possible, for example, rather than outside in your garage. Source: Hoover
