If your Dyson V6’s filter smells strange, you might be thinking about buying a new filter, or maybe replacing the whole hoover!
But you shouldn’t be too hasty, because there are a number of reasons why the filter might smell bad. And it just so happens that the problem can usually be fixed with very little effort.
Check out the reasons why your V6’s filter might be smelling funny, and find a solution to your problem below.
Here are the most common reasons why your Dyson V6’s filter is smelling. It’s not uncommon for a hoover to actually be suffering with a few of the reasons listed below at once, so be sure to check out the solutions section to find a way to solve the problems.
Reasons Why Your Dyson V6 Filter Might Smell
Cause 1: Filter has not been cleaned in a while
One of the most common causes for a pongy filter is that it hasn’t actually been cleaned in a while.
It’s really not uncommon for filters to be left uncleaned for weeks, even months. However, leaving the filter sitting in the machine, submerged in whatever dirt and scents you’ve hoovered up is just going to give rise to poor odours.
Filters need to be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. Failing to do so, just makes the filter smelly, and in a lot of cases it hinders the performance of the hoover too.
Find out how to clean the filter in your V6 by following the step-buy-step guide in the Solutions section below.
Cause 2: You’ve cleaned up something pretty stinky in the past
When you’re in the “cleaning zone”, sometimes you clean over bits of food or waste that you shouldn’t really go over. As a direct result of this, your entire vacuum cleaner might start to smell quite pongy, or maybe you’ll just end up with a stinky filter. Either way, the stench is bad.
In this case, you’ll need to clean your entire hoover just to be sure that you’ve cleaned the whole mess off the machine. But starting by cleaning the filter is as good a place as any to begin.
For future reference, you shouldn’t hoover up any liquid with a Dyson V6. This includes water, wee or any other liquid. In addition to this, you shouldn’t hoover up any sick, patches of food or excrement. These will obviously make your entire V6 smell!
Cause 3: The filter is picking up the smells in your home
If you’ve got a pet in your home, for example, your filter could be collecting up the smell of your pet.
Like it or not, pets do have a certain scent, and these odours transfer onto floors, furniture and clothes in the home. It’s unlikely that you, the pet owner, will notice these scents because you’re used to them. But when these scents get stuffed into one tiny filter, they will get much stronger and you’ll be able to sniff them out for sure.
It sort of works like this… As you go around hoovering, your V6 collects up all of the pet smells that are embedded in the fibres of your carpets. The scents then get pushed into the filter, become stronger over a period of time, and stay there until the filter is cleaned or replaced.
In some cases, the smell may never entirely go from the filter, even if you do your best to wash it.
Think about it, your pet is continuously going around your home, so their scent is always there and is being renewed. So, when you hoover, you just keep adding more pet scent to your machine. It’s never really going to go away.
It’s really not very uncommon for this to happen with any sort of hoover, even if you buy a brand-new machine it’ll eventually pick up the smell of your pet.
Cause 4: The smell might be coming from another part of your V6
While the filter will smell if it isn’t cleaned properly, other parts in your V6 will also smell if they’re not maintained properly.
The brush head, for example, comes into direct contact with the floor, so it will be one of the dirtiest parts of the hoover. If you don’t maintain the head, it can become clogged with hairs and fibres, gunk can get caught up in the bristles and the vacuum cleaner’s performance will decline.
The V6’s head should be cleaned monthly, or more frequently if needed, otherwise the trapped dirt will become smelly.
In addition to this, if you don’t empty the bin, for example, dirt will just collect in this section. It will start to smell, particularly if you’ve hoovered something pongy up. Plus, the performance of the V6 will drop significantly if you don’t empty the bin. The bin needs to be emptied as soon as the dirt inside it reaches the maker.
Keep a close eye on your Dyson V6 and clean it regularly.
Cause 5: Filter has been cleaned, but not thoroughly enough
If you’re in a bit of a rush, maybe you haven’t had time to clean your filter as well as you should. And while some sort of clean is better than nothing, you really should put aside some time each month to clean your V6’s filter thoroughly.
Keeping your filter clean can save you money in the long run, keep your vacuum cleaner working in tip-top condition, and a proper clean will remove the unpleasant odours that you can smell.
So, don’t rush this process, take your time!
Solutions To Prevent Your Dyson V6’s Filter From Smelling
Now you know why your Dyson V6’s filter is likely to be smelling, let’s discuss ways you can resolve this issue. You may find that you need to try one or more of the solutions listed below to remove your pongy problem.
Solution 1: Clean the filter and make sure it’s dry before replacing it in the V6
If you’ve not cleaned your filter in a while, then you need to go and wash it. It won’t take you too long to clean it.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Switch your V6 off.
- Locate and remove the filter and end cap from your V6 – you usually just pull the filter out from the top of the hoover. You will find the end cap located just above where the power cable goes in on the handle.
- Gently tap the filter on the side of the bin to dislodge dirt – don’t be too rough.
- Turn on the cold water tap.
- Hold the filter under the cold water to clean it.
- Gently tap the filter on the side of the sink to keep on dislodging dirt.
- Continue to do this until the water runs clear.
- Remove any excess water from the filter.
- Repeat the steps above for the end cap you’ve removed.
- Put the filter and end cap to one side and allow them to air dry naturally for at least 24 hours. If the parts still feel wet, leave them for a longer period of time.
The filter should be cleaned with cold water at least once every month. But you can clean it more often if you use the hoover more frequently, or if you gather up lots of dust and dirt from your home. And, once again, it should be completely dry before it is replaced in the V6.
You should never, ever, wash your filter in the washing machine, with hot water, with detergent or put it in the tumble dryer to dry it as this will likely damage the filter, and may even void your warranty.
Solution 2: Buy a new filter and replace the old one
If you’ve tried cleaning your filter, but you’ve still got a bad smell coming from it, perhaps you should replace your filter.
When replacing your Dyson V6’s filter you should buy a new one from Dyson, as this is one way of making sure that you’re actually buying an official part for the hoover.
A Dyson replacement filter costs around £12.50 if you buy it direct from Dyson. You can also purchase these filters off Amazon, but their prices vary.
Solution 3: Use some Zoflora or essential oils
Note: This solution is not recommended if you’ve got a Dyson V6 that’s still under warranty, because adding such a product to the filter may void your warranty. You try this solution at your own risk.
If you don’t want to buy a new filter and you’re happy to experiment, you could add a few drops of essential oil or Zoflora to your filter. This smell will then permeate through the air as you hoover.
Of course, this may not cure all smells and it may only be a temporary fix.
Solution 4: Make sure that the filter is really smelling to begin with
It’s really not uncommon for users to think that their filter is smells, when in reality it’s another part of their Dyson V6 that smells.
So, if you’ve done all the necessary cleaning and maintenance work, but you’ve still got an odour hanging around, you should check the rest of your V6.
There could be something caught in the brush head, you might’ve hoovered up something unpleasant, or there could be something stuck in the V6’s stick. Any of these other parts could be causing the problem.
If you need to check these parts out, just switch your Dyson V6 off and start pulling the hoover apart according to your instruction manual, of course.
And if you do see something and you need to clean a particular section, do so!
Solution 5: Call Dyson for support
If none of the solutions above work out for you, then you should check out Dyson’s website for help or speak to someone at Dyson for additional support.
You can contact Dyson on WhatsApp, on live chat, on the phone, via email and even on social media. Their telephone line is open seven days a week, 08:00 – 20:00 Monday to Friday, and until 18:00 at the weekend.
Tips to Prevent Further Issues with Your Dyson V6
Here are a handful of tips to keep in mind when using your Dyson V6:
- Maintain and clean your Dyson on a regular basis.
- Don’t hoover up obvious dirt that’s going to cause problems and bad smells.
- Allow the parts in your Dyson V6 to dry properly before reassembling the pieces.
- Remove the dirt from your Dyson V6’s bin often.
- Don’t pick up liquid mess with your V6.
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
