Cleaning Kirby Shake out Bags

[jessed]

I am going to be obtaining a vintage Kirby D-80 vacuum. I was wondering how I should properly care for the cloth shakeout bag.
I have been told that they should never be washed because it will mess up the filtration. I have also read that it is ok to hand wash with Woollite.

I am really confused and do not want to do something stupid.

All help is appreciated.

 

[jimjimmunster]

Heres the thing...

You cant put any vacuum bag in the washing machine, hot water, or strong soap. I always go outside, turn the bag inside out, beat it (don't breath in the dust), vacuum it out, and hand wash it in cold water with no soap. Hang dry. Try not to wash a bag often, as it stretchs the bag out.

 

[vacuser]

kirby bag cleaning

vacuum it out & leave it alone. do not clean the pores of the bag out by washing it.

 

[charleskirby66]

What I do

Once I remove them from the Emptor, I turn them inside out and use a Kirby Zippbrush to get the embedded dust, dirt, and detritus from the bag.  I then use the crevice tool to get the dirt in the seams' crevices.


 


Next, for a bag that was not too dirty, I will use a Kirby as a portable shampooer to shampoo the inside of the bag with Kirby Carpet Shampoo.  Depending on the soil level, you can use a clean white cloth or clean, relatively soft-bristle brush to work the suds into the bag.  I then let it hang dry and once dry, I use a Zippbrush again to remove the trapped dirt and dried suds from the bag.  Comes out bright and smells great!


 


If the bag is really dirty or splotchy, or if it's a refurbishment, I will use warm water in a bucket with Woolite.  I hand agitate and gently scrub the bag against itself to remove built up gunk.  I dump the dirty water and refill with warm water, and hand agitate and scrub again to rinse the detergent out.  I then let it air dry.


 


I hope this helps!