How To Clean A Bosch HEPA Filter

Bosch vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters are very helpful when it comes to catching pollutants that can affect your indoor air quality. But they too can get dirty and clogged while doing their job which is why it is important to clean them regularly.

If you want to know how to clean your Bosch HEPA filter, you've come to the right page. We asked the experts how it's done, and here's what they taught us.

To clean your Bosch vacuum cleaner's HEPA filter, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Remove the filter from the vacuum cleaner.
  2. Disassemble its parts and shake off the loose dirt.
  3. Wash the filter parts with tap water.
  4. Dry completely before putting them back in the vacuum cleaner.

Continue reading so we can give you more tips on how to clean your Bosch HEPA filter. We'll also tell you how you can determine that your HEPA filter is already dirty.

This article will also answer how long HEPA filters last and if they can make you sick. Let's get this started!

HEPA filters, How To Clean A Bosch HEPA Filter

Can you wash Bosch HEPA filter?

Nowadays, it's not just enough to vacuum different portions of your house to keep it clean. The kind of vacuum used also matters. Particularly, the filter used is important because it's responsible for trapping the pollutants residing in your home.

HEPA filters, which stands for "High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance or High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing," have passed the US Department of Energy's strict standards when it comes to removing harmful particles in your surroundings.

These filters are expected to remove 99.97% of pollutants by trapping them in their fine mesh of fiberglass fibers. They can catch dust, dust mites, mold, mold spores, pet dander, pollens, smoke, and other unwanted particles as long as their size is at least 0.3 microns in diameter.

Bosch offers different vacuum types with HEPA filters. They are guaranteed to work hard to make your home cleaner and healthier. But as they do their job, more dirt and debris are stuck in the filters.

Unless you replace or clean the filters, they won't be able to get the job done properly.

Good thing Bosch vacuum cleaners' HEPA filters are all washable! You can clean the filters and reuse them. This means you get to save on having to buy replacement filters in the meantime.

Broom Vacuum Cleaner Bosch BCH6ZOOO ProAnimal, Bagless

Here's how to do it.

Cleaning Your Bosch Vacuum Cleaner HEPA Filter

  1. Make sure the vacuum cleaner is turned off and unplugged for safety purposes.
  2. Release the dirt container from the main body of the vacuum cleaner.
  3. Disassemble the filters.
  4. Shake off the filter in your trash bin to remove loose dirt particles.
  5. Place the filter on the sink and let tap water run through it until all the dirt is gone.
  6. Leave the filter and its parts on the dish rack to dry.
  7. Wait for 24 hours to be sure it is completely dry before reassembling the filter components and putting them back in your vacuum cleaner.

That's it! You can now reuse your HEPA filter. Since it is clean again, it can go back to its work of effectively capturing dust, dirt, and other pollutants in your home.

Remember, do not use anything else to clean your Bosch HEPA filters, not even mild soap. These filters are fragile. You might tear or ruin the fine mesh. When this happens, your HEPA filter will no longer be effective in sucking 99.97% of microscopic particles in your surroundings.

Here's a video on how to clean your Bosch vacuum cleaner's HEPA filter for your reference.

How do I know if my HEPA filter is dirty?

Air purifier filter for pollutants and micro organisms before and after use for a month

As mentioned above, HEPA filters are sensitive. It is not recommended to keep washing them all the time. This could possibly damage the mesh fibers that are responsible for trapping microscopic particles in your surroundings.

But of course, there comes a time when you have no other choice but to clean the HEPA filters. When dirt and dust have accumulated on its surface, they'll clog the filter, and it would no longer be capable of trapping more dirt.

There are two ways to determine if your HEPA filters need cleaning or replacement already.

Check The Filter

You can remove the filter from the vacuum cleaner and check to see if it's dirty. If it is color black, it means it is full of pollutants already and it's time to remove them.

Lower Indoor Air Quality

When you notice that your indoor air quality is suffering, it is an indication that your HEPA filter is no longer doing its job efficiently. It might trigger your allergies or asthma attacks more frequently, or you experience allergy-like symptoms such as sneezing, skin itchiness, sinus headache, and difficulty in breathing.

These are the signs that you need to check regularly, so that you can optimize the use of your HEPA filters.

How long does the HEPA filter last?

A hepa filter

HEPA filters are workhorses. They trap so many pollutants in their dense mesh which is why the air quality is much better. But because they can catch many airborne particles from those microscopic to bigger ones, they can easily get clogged due to the accumulation of too much dirt in their fiberglass fibers.

The washable and permanent types can be cleaned and reused so that they would be back to their original state, which can trap 99.97% of pollutants in their surroundings. But even as you do this, the quality of the HEPA filters deteriorates.

Wear and tear will eventually catch up with the filters, considering their huge task of removing contaminants in the air.

In other words, there will come a time when cleaning will no longer work. You would need to have the HEPA filter replaced altogether so that the vacuum cleaner can live up to its purpose of making your home cleaner and healthier.

For residential vacuum cleaners, their HEPA filters are expected to last between 24 and 36 months. The lifespan for commercial cleaners is shorter. But of course, it will still depend on how you use it and how well you take care of your filters.

If there are many sources of pollutants in your surroundings, such as pets and smoking, then your vacuum cleaner would suck in more dirt, and the filter will be filled in a shorter amount of time.

If you don't clean your filters properly, you would need to have them replaced earlier than their expected lifespan suggests.

Can HEPA filters make you sick?

2 New clean hepa filter

There have been some concerns regarding the use of HEPA filters. These are made of very fine fiberglass fibers which are shed and released in the air when you use your vacuum cleaners or air purifiers.

Fiberglass inhalation can irritate your lungs, and fiberglass can even settle in your lungs permanently.

However, studies have already refuted this idea saying that the fine particles that HEPA filters shed into the air aren't nuisance dust and won't significantly affect one's health negatively.

These filters also stop shedding over time, so there's reduced exposure to fiberglass particles in the air.

One way that HEPA filters can make you sick, though, is if you don't use them properly. For example, you didn't follow the instructions to clean them gently. You rubbed the mesh fibers vigorously.

When you use the filters again, chances are there are tears and holes in the mesh already.

This means the filters won't be effective in catching microscopic particles and won't be able to clean your surroundings effectively. As such, you could experience shortness of breath and other allergy-like symptoms more often.

You should also wear a face mask when cleaning or disposing of your HEPA filters. Moving them around would cause them to release pollutants into the air. It's good to have a mask to protect yourself from inhaling these fine dust particles and other contaminants that can irritate your lungs.

Make sure you use your HEPA filter properly so that you won't get sick and you can maximize its benefits and enjoy cleaner and healthier air quality inside your home.

Final Thoughts

HEPA filters

Bosch HEPA filters are washable. You can clean them by gently running tap water over their surface so you can get rid of all the accumulated dust and dirt on their surface.

Once the filters are completely dry, you can put them back in the vacuum cleaner so that they can help make your home healthier.

You may also visit the following posts for more related reading:

Can You Wash And Reuse HEPA Filters?

Do HEPA Filters Remove Mold?

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