Washing HEPA Filters

[sireluxomatic]

I have a year old Electrolux Ingenio. As far as I know, this is a made in China, sold only in China model, and is similar in shape/style to the Electrolux Oxygen (forgive me if this isn't the current model in the Electrolux line; I pretty much lost track around the changeover from Electrolux - Aerus).

I've had this vacuum for a year now, and it gets regular use (at least 3 or 4 times a week). Beijing must be one of the dustiest cities in the world, due to constant construction, dust storms, and general pollution, so any vacuum here gets a workout. The Ingenio has a cloth bag, a pre-motor filter, and the HEPA filter. When I use a paper bag, there is a light coating of dust in the bag chamber and on the pre-motor filter. With the cloth bag, there is almost no inner dust at all. As for the HEPA filter, its still completely white after a year (not even any motor dust on it). Should this be washed? I regularly clean the pre-motor filter and cloth bag, so I'm not sure if washing the HEPA filter is necessary until it gets noticeably dirty.

 

[petek]

What's the filter made of.. Some hepa filters in aircleaners for example are washable some aren't. And by washable I mean some like in the Honeywell air cleaners just require you to vacuum them, not actually wash them in water.

 

[sireluxomatic]

Picture of HEPA filter

This is more or less what mine looks like, and mine is as white as this. It does say on the vacuum itself "washable HEPA filter". Looks like its just thin paper.