Nothing more disgusting then smelling vomit especially when it is coming from your Vacuum Cleaner. You’re probably wondering why your vacuum has this nasty smell and how you can get rid of it.
The good new is that we have some helpful tips to get rid of that odor coming from your vacuum cleaner.
Do This First
Unplug the vacuum cleaner from the wall or remove its battery.
You will need to locate the filter and replace it. If you’re not sure where or how to replace your vacuum cleaner filter, then click here to go to YouTube to find videos of replacing filters.
The filter on your vacuum is usually the main culprit when it comes to a vacuum cleaner smelling. I would replace the filter and take a damp rag and clean the tubes and area around the filter before putting a new one in.
The Brush
The next biggest reason for a vacuum smelling like vomit is because it was used to clean up vomit. So what I like to do is lay the vacuum cleaner down and remove the beater brush, and either replace it or clean it up. I will also clean the entire underside with vinegar and a damp rag.
If you can remove the brush place it in a bucket with warm water and a little bit of baking soda. The baking soda will help remove odor from the brush. Be sure to splash the brush around so that all the hairs and other debris get removed from it.
The underside of a vacuum cleaner can get smelly over time. I’ve even seen the belt to the beater brush start to wear out and cause an odd smell so be sure to check that too.
The Hose
If you can remove the hoses that go from the intake into the canister or bag, then remove them. I like to fill up my bathtub with hot water and dish detergent and let the hose soak in the tub for a bit. I only put the plastic hose in the tub, never place the whole vacuum cleaner or anything electrical in water.
Once the hose soaks a bit, I remove it and allow it to dry all day in the Sun. The sun is great for cleaning most things and also drying them out. The reason why you want to clean the hose as this is the most unlikely thing people clean. Besides the beater brush, the hose takes the most abuse and gets dirty while doing it too. A lot of stuff will start to collect on it, and many of the odors can come from it too.
Vacuum Scents
Once you have cleaned or replaced the filter – cleaned the brush – and have cleaned the hose of the vacuum the next step is to get Vacuum Cleaner Scents like this one here (Amazon Link Ad).
These scents are simple to use and will make your vacuum cleaner smell great when you vacuum. This will make you want to vacuum even more just to get that lovely smell.
Besides completely tearing down a vacuum cleaner to make sure you get all the vomit smell out (which no one is going to do) then the vacuum cleaner scents are the next best option.
Let’s Be Honest
It’s time to be honest with each other. When someone comes to me about their vacuum cleaner smelling like vomit, it’s because they have a big family with young kids and have pets.
Accidents do happen and your trusty vacuum cleaner is there to help you along with this venture.
I’m going to predict that your vacuum cleaner now is more on the affordable end – nothing wrong with that – but the cheap vacuum could be your biggest culprit for nasty smells like vomit.
If you have a family with kids and pets you’re going to be constantly cleaning and using a cheap vacuum is not helping you or your family’s health. Lower-end vacuum cleaners are not meant to last and are the first ones to start to smell odd because they don’t filter and treat the air properly. Many of these lower-end vacuums don’t even have a complete seal so a small amount of dust you suck up gets thrown back in the air.
Investing in a higher-end vacuum cleaner like a Sebo Vacuum Cleaner like this one (Amazon Link Ad) can be worth it as they’re built to last.
Kids and pets almost always are on the floor and playing, so having a good vacuum cleaner that can clean the floor the best is a must-have. You might have dust mites, dander, and who knows what else on that floor, and having a low-end vacuum cleaner could be leaving them behind.
With these low-end vacuum cleaners, the dust finds ways to escape (the reason why they smell like vomit over time). This dust goes back into the air and can be nasty to breathe and downright smells bad. A good vacuum cleaner will be less likely to do this and if built of quality materials it can last far longer than a low-end model.
If this sounds like you, then it might be worth a venture to look at some nicer vacuum cleaners. If not, the next low-end vacuum might give you the same problem.