Originally Posted By: tanstaafl.
Originally Posted By: g_attrill
it seems people don't wash the washable filters
Excellent point!

Two years ago I nearly doubled the pick-up power of my Dyson by cleaning the HEPA filter. I had forgotten all about that filter, and I think a Google search or something showed me the error of my ways. The difference was astounding.

Hmmm... two years. Probably I should do that again, eh?


I'm not sure about upright vaccums, but the cylinders have two filters - a pre-motor filter that the labels say to wash every six months, and a "lifetime" post-motor HEPA filter that apparently should only be replaced after damage or abuse (eg. running it without the pre-motor filter).

The first Dyson I picked up looked like it had been used to vacuum up a sack of plaster or something! Everything past the filter was fine though, and there is some sort of bypass flap inside to prevent the motor overheating in case of blockage.