Can Dyson washable filters be washed with detergent?

[DavidP]

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Can Dyson washable filters be washed with detergent?

We have a DC07 now. The Dyson website says only wash the filters with plain water. Your youtube vids say use detergent. Who is right?

[MV Claire]

Dyson recommend that you don't wash filters with detergent, for reasons unknown, however we wash filters with it and have never experienced any problems. Sometimes if the filters are damaged, pitted or particularly smelly you should buy a new one.  You can buy them from us for a very reasonable price.

[Vacuum Cleaner House]

One of the reasons I think that almost all vacuum cleaner companies say don't use detergent is that they have no control over what you use.
Also any detergent attacks dirt , that's how they work so if you don't rinse it out enough it will get dirty faster and often clog. I tested this out for a large well known vacuum company recently using both sponge and cartridge filters, for interest sake I did two Dyson filtersat the same time  and found the folowing

Dish washing liquid
worked well but did not remove all the dirt and did not help smelly filters .
It was least likely to clog if not rinsed properly .

Laundry detergent ( liquid)
worked better than dish liquid and removed smells as well as returning filter to a good clean colour .
Clogs very easily if not rinsed well

Laundry detergent ( powder)
Was the most effective at removing dirt smells and filters were the cleanest of all 3
Clogged filter within a day if poorly rinsed

[tbofram]

One of the reasons I think that almost all vacuum cleaner companies say don't use detergent is that they have no control over what you use.
Also any detergent attacks dirt , that's how they work so if you don't rinse it out enough it will get dirty faster and often clog. I tested this out for a large well known vacuum company recently using both sponge and cartridge filters, for interest sake I did two Dyson filtersat the same time  and found the folowing

Dish washing liquid
worked well but did not remove all the dirt and did not help smelly filters .
It was least likely to clog if not rinsed properly .

Laundry detergent ( liquid)
worked better than dish liquid and removed smells as well as returning filter to a good clean colour .
Clogs very easily if not rinsed well

Laundry detergent ( powder)
Was the most effective at removing dirt smells and filters were the cleanest of all 3
Clogged filter within a day if poorly rinsed

Thanks for the info I was always worried about the whole thing of cleaning the filters my self. Well this is going to save me alot of money in buying new ones :)

[chrissybabe]

I think the reason for some hesitation in using detergent is that it can leave a sticky residue behind if not rinsed properly. Depending on detergent some are stickier than others. I suspect that most people don't rinse the filters properly and this will be one reason why the filters eventually lose some efficiency. IF you are prepared to rinse properly then washing with hot water (that you can put your hands into) followed with hot water rinse and then plenty of rinsing with cold water. If you can be certain that the rinsing will be sufficient to clear out any detergent residue then I cannot see why you cannot use detergent. 

[Madrat]

My filters go into the washing machine on a quick wash at 30 degrees with a bit of washing powder. 

[chrissybabe]

With proper rinsing I find that the foam filters last years (we are still using the originals at 15 years old). What doesn't last well is the pad of white stuff which stops the filters from sucking through the frame. In New Zealand when you buy these the white filter material is heat sealed to the frame. They are a devil to wash properly and once blocked you might as well buy new ones. You can tell if blocked by holding them up to the light and you should be able to see right through with no darkening of the material. Because they are sealed in it is hard to get the darkening out while washing. Hence buying the loose bits of filter from Man Vac because they can be screwed up while washing and are very effective. The white sealed in material can be cut out with a scalpel or sharp knife. Our Dyson now always sucks like new. It is about 15 years old and still going strong (apart from a new motor of course and a new turbo head which I suspect wasn't really required). I find most people chuck the cleaners out after a few years and in NZ they have a reputation as not being the best cleaners. This is caused solely by this white filter material blocking up and nobody seems to be aware of how to fix. If you ring Dyson spares here they suggest either new foam filters or a new top bit (the centifugal screw bit) neither of which work. If your Dyson isn't sucking then get a new Hepa filter, a new filter holder with a clean white filter and wash out and rinse the foam filter properly and you will be back to new suck. Note it is much more cost effective to buy the bits from Man Vac as it works out half price even including the freight to NZ.

[MVacs]

Note it is much more cost effective to buy the bits from Man Vac as it works out half price even including the freight to NZ.

We send quite a bit of stuff to NZ and Oz now. I know prices there are not cheap.