Cleaning A Stinky Vacuum

I too have had to deal with stinky vacuums and smells in carpeting from cats and dogs. The best thing that I have found was the enzyme odor cleaner at the local Oreck store. The quart is slightly expensive, but you only need 8 oz to each gallon of water and it really makes the smell go away.

Disassemble your vacuum and wash the outer bag by hand then spray it while wet with the enzyme odor cleaner. Then let it air dry. Remove the brush roller and wash and spray it too. Then wipe all parts that you can get to with an all purpose cleaner mixed with the odor cleaner. It works like a charm. The Oreck store will also do it for a price if you do not want to, and they do a really good job.

The odor cleaner also works well on carpets but you have to keep the spot wet for at least 30 minutes to make it work, but if you are cleaning stinky carpets anyway with a steam cleaner put about half the bottle in the clean water part of the carpet cleaner and it works while it slowly dries. Pet odors are gone!

Source: Myself with the help of the local Oreck employee.

By cathy from Wilkes Barre, PA