How to get rid of bad smell from Dyson DC07?

[niclonnic]

Well guys, I was at my mom's apartment today, helping her unpack things. I decided to do some quick vacuuming with the Dyson DC07, and noticed that it smelled awful. Although I cleaned up the machine really well, it still gives off a bad smell every time I turn it on. The brush bar has been completely cleaned, the outside of the canister has been wiped down really well, and the washable filter is completely clean.

Does anyone know if the "permanent lifetime" HEPA filter can be removed and replaced?

What kind of advice do you have to get this machine to smell better? I've wiped down all the removable parts, but unfortunately, Dyson said that the inner cyclone part should not be washed.

ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a pic of the machine. The second pic explains the so-called "permanent lifetime" HEPA filter in the manual.

 

[niclonnic]

I forgot to mention...

This is a 2007 model that is well out of its 5 year warranty.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I've broken down a DC07 down and washed the whole thing. Just need to make sure it is VERY dry before using.  The lifetime HEPA filter can also be replaced and are available on eBay, Amazon and from many vac shops that will work on Dyson's. They can also be removed and cleaned of any surface dirt and reinstalled. I've also washed the HEPA filter on mine, gently with vinegar and water, rinse well and allow to dry completely. Just don't scrub at it, simple dunk and swish, repeat until as much dirt comes out as possible, rinse the same way, or under a slow stream of water until clear.

 

[dustin]

Well, the hepa filter *can* be removed. We had a dc07 animal at our church, and I removed the filter because it was very clogged. No damage to the machine, although it was significantly louder. Under the bin, at the front, there is a clip looking thing, that can be gently pried up with a screwdriver, and then the cover will lift up and open, revealing the filter. The choice is yours whether to replace it or just remove it. The cyclone assembly can also be washed- make sure you use plenty of soap (laundry soap or dish soap), lots of water, and slosh it around inside. Repeat until the water is COMPLETELY clear or you will end up with mud. Rinse it well and then shake all the water out you can. The vacuum will be out of service for a few days at least, maybe even a week if possible- make sure every last drop of water is out of it before reassembling the cleaner. Just be sure it is COMPLETELY dry, or water will be sucked into the motor. Maybe put it by a fan or heat/ac vent to speed things up.

 

[dustin]

Oops! Guess we posted at the same time!

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

At least we said the same thing

 

[sptyks]

The problem lies in that it's a Dyson...

What you need is a good bagged vacuum. Then you you could just toss the smelly bag and replace it with a new one. Problem solved. NO MESSY FILTERS TO WASH.

 

[man114]

Good Luck

This was the start of my Rainbow Journey. I had actually purchased my Rainbow used knowing it was an expensive vac (got an E series single speed when it was the current model hardly used for $20 at a thrift store) but was still using my DC33 downstairs and DC07 upstairs. It is nearly impossible to get the smell out of them even with thorough disassembly and cleaning. It must have to do with the type of plastic used, the Fantoms do not smell like a Dyson. Even vacuuming my garage today with the Bissell Garage Pro smelled cleaner, in a filthy garage! The turning point was my wife couldn't empty the bagless vacs, I had to do them due to her asthma. She started using the E series down here and the D4 upstairs. They don't smell, I don't have to empty them, I still don't need bags. I hardly use either anymore, I usually use a Fantom Thunder if I need a quick run since it does better on carpet. If largely found aside from the smell the brush rollers don't groom well. They have good hose suction but they tip over easily when you try and use attachments. I don't care for the heaviness of Kirby vacs but I can tell you the Dyson can't lift the carpet from the padding with suction like a Kirby. Due to emptying issues though Rainbow is most practical for my wife's asthma. They have their purpose and deficits. I consider them a high end discount store vac. If I was in Wal-Mart, Best Buy or Target it would be my first choice without question. Sears/Kmart would be a bit harder, some of those Kenmore Canisters are quite impressive. If I could live with used or had the money to spend, I highly doubt I'd buy one.

 

[niclonnic]

Thanks for the advice

A genuine Dyson HEPA filter costs $30 on Amazon.com. There are also generic filters available for less. I read reviews for a generic one, and users said that they had to remove the seal from the old filter and glue it to the new one. The genuine filter includes a seal.

As for the cyclone assembly, I found out that it can be partially taken apart and washed. There are 3 Torx screws on top of the cyclones. Detach the clear bin from the cyclone assembly, then remove those 3 screws and SLOWLY and CAREFULLY slide the top off. Forcing the top off quickly will result in dust flying all over the place.

Sptyks, we've already been over this in my Hoover Windtunnel thread. I'll never own a bagged vacuum again.

Man114, since I got my Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet back in July 2013, I used it as my daily driver ever since. I hardly used my Dyson since then, because the Windtunnel does a better job on carpets.

Here is a link to the genuine DC07 HEPA filter on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Dyson-DC07-DC...893656&sr=1-3&keywords=dyson+dc07+hepa+filter

 

[parwaz786]

Take the entire vacuum apart. There are videos on youtube, and make sure you take cyclone assembly apart. guaranteed 100% that there will be loads of dust inside there. Wash the HEPa filter with scented shampoo, and spray some nice Perfume on the brand new HEPA filter. I always spray aftershave (perfume) on the filters and they smell pretty good

 

[turbomaster1984]

Spraying aftershaves or colognes onto the filters is a bad idea.

Teh alcohols, oils, gasses and other propellants can attack various plastics and make them weak. Some even dissolve the plastics over time.

Far better to strip the cleaner down, wash in the bath tub with a mild detergent, dry thouroughly over 3 to 4 days at least and reassemble the cleaner.

Some air freshener discs made for vacuums had these damaging oils, that rotted plastic and Hoover used to void warrantees if plastic damage was caused my not using a proper hoover freshener.

My Grandparents Hoover Turbomaster U5094 ended up with the bag cover from my aunties Electricity board version of the same cleaner (different colour) for the last 3 years of its life due to my grandparents not knowing how to get the airfreshener disc out. They poured essential oils designed for oil burners thru the holes on the front. Thsi caused the whole bag door to rot away and gradually crack.

 

[sebo_fan]

Not only that, but aftershave and perfume both contain alcohol. It is flammable. Not flammable like fuel to fire but flammable enough where it can cause problems.

 

[turbo500]

Baking soda and charcoal are both known for their odor-obsorbing properties. Maybe you could wash out the bin and cyclone assembly and, once it's dry, put some charocal in the bin and leave it for a day or so. We do this with our fridge, keeps it smelling fresh in between cleans.

 

[sebo_fan]

The main thing on any vacuum cleaner that I find a lot of people forget about washing out is the actual vacuum cleaner hose. This is where pet hair can often get stuck on the coils inside the hose and cause odour - there are two ways of cleaning out a hose in my experience - both require removing the hose completely from the machine.

1) Remove the handle if the manufacturer allows from the hose and lay in a bath of lukewarm water, one tablespoon of washing powder and one tablespoon of vinegar. Leave for a day and then wash out/rinse out leaving it to drip dry by hanging it up.

OR, again,

2) Remove the handle from the hose if applicable and push wet wipes up and down the hose until all gunge has been removed. Use paper towels to dry the hose throughly after use. Leave for a day to dry out properly and re-fit to the vacuum cleaner.

The handle should also be thoroughly cleaned out too.

 

[niclonnic]

I NEVER use perfume or cologne in any of my vacuum cleaners. Alcohol would likely make a vacuum catch fire, because vacuums emit hot exhaust air during operation.

Turbo500, some vacuums have charcoal filters that help eliminate odors. There exist Arm & Hammer vacuum bags and filters that eliminate odors. My Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet has a HEPA filter with a layer of charcoal underneath to eliminate pet odors. I find that it works very well, as I have not smelled anything bad coming out of the exhaust.

Sebo_fan, that idea could work, considering that, on a lot of vacuums, all the dirt goes through the attachment hose when used for floor cleaning. Some other vacuums, like Dyson, are different because the dirt goes through a separate tube for floor cleaning. For attachment cleaning, there is a diverter (automatic or manual, depending on the model) that switches all the suction over to focus all cleaning power in the hose.

Here are some pics of the filter on my Windtunnel.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well, another thing to do is to clean out the dust channel from the floor head to the main hose/suction channel at the bottom to the top. Dependent on model, this can be tricky on a clean fan upright.

 

[niclonnic]

That's pretty tricky

Cleaning out the cleaner head is a difficult task. On my Dyson DC07, the back of the brush bar cavity is black. In addition, parts of the soleplate were black, but I managed to clean it. I guess that happened because I have pets, and I vacuum up their hair, dander, etc. It's kind of hard to see in the pic.

 

[niclonnic]

I think I found a solution to this problem!

My mom told me that she could make a vacuum smell better simply by using a carpet freshening powder. We decided to give this method a try by picking up some Arm & Hammer Carpet Odor Eliminator from Fred Meyer.

It turns out that this solution works exactly as claimed. My mom sprinkled some of that powder on the carpet, and then I vacuumed all of the carpet in her apartment. I did not notice a bad smell coming out of the exhaust. I looked at the washable filter, and there was some powder on it. Plus, I heard a change in the tone of the motor. So I hope that the bad smell goes away by using this method.