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Its easy to take your vacuum cleaner for granted, until it stops working.

But even thebest vacuum cleanersneed a bit of regular maintenance to ensure that their suction remains powerful.

Woman looking over a broken vacuum cleaner

A drop in suction, or complete loss of suction, is an issue that demands your attention.

Try these steps on thebest cordless vacuumsand thebest car vacuumsas well.

Clean the dust canister

First things first: empty the dust canister.

Dust canister filled with dust

Clean or replace filters

This is one of those jobs that often gets forgotten about.

Check your vacuum cleaner manual itll advise on how often filters should be washed and/or replaced.

Replace any filters that are past their best.

Vacuum cleaner dust filter

If you cant see into the hose or tube, you could use a long broom handle or rod.

Be gentle to avoid damaging the part or making the problem worse.

FAQs

How often should the filters be replaced?

Vacuum tube and hose

Check your vacuum cleaner manual, as this varies by brand and theres no one-size-fits-all answer.

Some filters need replacing every six months, while others will need frequent monthly rinses to stay fully operational.

What if Ive done all of the above and the suction is still poor?

Dirty vacuum floorhead

Check your warranty, if its still covered you’re free to reach out to the manufacturer.

Or, it might just be time to invest in an upgrade, like one of thebest cordless vacuums.

Final thoughts

Try not to wait until your vacuum completely loses suction.