How often to empty a vacuum cleaner?

January 20, 2018 10:13 AM

My roommate claims that handheld vacuum cleaners should be emptied before every use because the cleaner dispenses air that includes the suctioned dust. Is this true?

Is the technology of handheld vacuum cleaners that primitive?

I think it's a bagless vacuum cleaner but I'd be interested in knowing about others too.

posted by thesockpuppet to Grab Bag (8 answers total)

Best answer: I mean, depending on the quality of the vacuum they probably aren't *technically* wrong, but they would probably spread as much of the fine dust into the air by emptying the canister into the trash, as they would by using the vacuum with existing dirt. Good vacuum cleaners have post-motor filters to solve this problem. My rule, empty the filter when it is full or when suction suffers.
posted by tybstar at 10:17 AM on January 20, 2018

Best answer: My bagless vacuum stopped working a few years ago and I took it in to be repaired. The repairman told me to empty the dust before or after every use because if it builds up too high in the canister, the dust will start to clog up the works over time.
posted by muddgirl at 10:31 AM on January 20, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Most of these handhelds do not have bags to capture the dust. They have a small diameter HEPA filter to capture the dust. This small filter can quickly clog up, which will impede airflow. Not only does this decrease the efficiency of the cleaner, but the same airflow cools the motor and can cause overheating and failure.

So it isn't the case that dust will escape. It's that airflow will be reduced.

The best thing is to take the cleaner outside, remove the filter and tap it to remove the clogged dust. Don't do this inside your house.
posted by JackFlash at 10:35 AM on January 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Absolutely, empty it every time after you vacuum and check the filter every time before you vacuum. Basic stuff.
posted by Gnella at 11:22 AM on January 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

We have a bagless Dirt Devil, and we just empty the canister when it's full, not every time we vacuum.
posted by sarcasticah at 11:30 AM on January 20, 2018

I think it's more that you want to maximise the efficiency of these small appliances. Completely empty would be the most efficient.
posted by humboldt32 at 11:36 AM on January 20, 2018

Best answer: Is the technology of handheld vacuum cleaners that primitive?

I think it's a bagless vacuum cleaner but I'd be interested in knowing about others too.

My husband repaired vacuums for years and yes, bagless vacuums really are that primitive. He refuses to use them (ever, yes, even an expensive dyson) because they both redistribute dirt particles back into the air and eventually lose suction because their parts are all gunked up with those particles. So technically your roommate is correct, though I doubt anyone would notice the dust particles after a few vacuums. Still, if you want to avoid this, and make your local vacuum repair person happy, you should switch to a bagged vacuum.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:47 AM on January 20, 2018 [5 favorites]

More = better for many reasons.

If it's a dump-in-trash thing, and you're hesitant about having it cough into a mushroom plume, keep a spray bottle near the trash and quickly zap, downwards, right after you dump. The atomized water particles will grab at the dust which will immediately and permanently settle to the bottom of the garbage.
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:30 PM on January 20, 2018 [5 favorites]