How To Clean A Shark Air Purifier Filter [Quickly & Easily]

Do you own a Shark air purifier and you're wondering how to clean its filter? We've got you covered! We've researched how to do it the fast and easy way and we're sharing it with you now.

To clean your Shark air purifier, you need to:

Remove the filter.
Clean it using a vacuum or wipe it with a soft microfiber cloth.
Put it back in its place.

Keep on reading to get more tips on how to clean your Shark air purifier properly. We'll also teach you how to replace an old filter and how to tell if your HEPA filter is dirty. This article will also answer how HEPA filters work and if you can leave your air purifier on all the time. Let's begin!

Guide to Cleaning Shark Air Purifier Filters

Air pollution doesn't just happen outdoors. Your indoor air can also be polluted without you knowing it. Countless contaminants are floating inside your house mixed up with the air you breathe. And before you know it, you're suffering from an asthma attack, finding it harder to breathe, or experiencing frequent allergy symptoms.

This could be alleviated with the use of a Shark air purifier. This device catches bacteria, dirt, debris, dander, pollen, mold spores, and other allergens in the air and then traps them inside the unit while releasing cleaner air to your indoors.

Find this product on Amazon.

To do their job effectively, Shark air purifiers use a HEPA filter to catch the air contaminants and contain them inside the unit. This means one side of the air purifier sucks dirty indoor air and then cleaned air is released on the other side with the dirt getting trapped on the filter.

It is no wonder then that this component can easily get dirty and even clogged out by all the contaminants that pass through it. But don't worry because it's very easy to clean your Shark air purifier filter.

Quick and Easy Steps To Clean Your Shark Air Purifier Filter

Cleaning your Shark air purifier is an important part of its maintenance so you can expect it to be at its top performance every time.

Always turn the unit off and unplug it from the power outlet before doing any maintenance work on your air purifier.
Take off the grill cover at the back of your air purifier to access the filter.
Remove the dirty filter.
Use a handheld vacuum to remove the dirt on its surface.
Wipe it with a soft microfiber cloth.
Make sure it is completely dry before you put it back in your air purifier.
Take the time to clean the back and exterior portion of your air purifier by vacuuming or wiping their surfaces as well.
Reattach the filter and back cover.

That's it! You can clean the filter once a month or every two months depending on your situation at home. If you have pets or your place is prone to air contaminants, then you have to clean your filter more frequently since it is expected that it'll be filled with dirt in a short time.

Don't use water, soap, chemical solution, and abrasive material when cleaning the filter. They would damage the tiny fibers that make up the filter's mesh and affect its performance.

How To Change the Filter on Your Shark Air Purifier

The filter of your Shark air purifier has a limited lifespan. You can see the "Filter Life" button on the top panel of your Shark air purifier. This indicates how much life is left for the filter. Your Shark air purifier will also notify you when your filter needs replacing. The "Filter Life" button will blink when there's no more life left in your filter.

The filter is disposable and should be changed every six months to ensure that they are up to the task of making your indoor air cleaner and healthier. But if you have pets at home or live along a busy street, you should adjust your filter replacement schedule accordingly.

Here's how to change your air purifier filter.

Make sure the unit is turned off and unplugged before you do this.
Remove the back cover to access the filter.
Pull out the old filter.
Put it in an airtight bag and dispose of it properly.
Clean the interior of the air purifier using a handheld vacuum and wipe its surface with a soft microfiber cloth.
Remove all packaging from the new filter then insert it inside the air purifier.
Attach the back cover.
Plug and turn on your Shark Air Purifier and wait for it to recalibrate.
Reset the Filter Life Indicator by pressing the button for three seconds.

Here's a video on how to change your Shark air purifier filter for your reference.

There you go! You now have a new filter to help improve the air quality in your house.

Just a reminder, purchase your anti-allergen HEPA filter replacement only from Shark so as not to compromise the quality of the performance and to avoid any issues during installation and operation.

Check out this Shark air purifier HEPA filter replacement on Amazon.

Check the manual and always follow the manufacturer's instructions when it comes to the proper maintenance of your unit. This way, your warranty won't be void should you encounter some issues while using their product.

How do I know if my HEPA filter is dirty?

There are two ways for you to know if your HEPA filter is dirty already.

Visual Inspection

You can open the back side of your Shark air purifier to have access to the filter and see for yourself if it's full of dirt already. It'll have a darker color or you'll see clumps of dust and dirt that have piled up over time.

Indoor Air Quality

If you notice that you frequently get sick or your asthma and allergy attacks are triggered frequently, it could be related to the quality of your indoor air. This means that your air purifier isn't doing its job anymore in filtering the contaminants and it's time to check the filter if it needs cleaning or replacement.

Follow the recommended cleaning or maintenance schedule for your air purifier filter so that you can expect it to be in great condition for a long time. Manually check the filter's condition and pay attention to your indoor air quality so that you can do the necessary maintenance.

Having a clean filter is the key to trapping the air pollutants in your home and you'll have healthier air to breathe.

How do HEPA Filters Work?

HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. This is a type of mechanical filter that traps air contaminants such as dirt, dust, dander, bacteria, mold spores, and other allergens as these particles pass through its surface.

HEPA filters are made up of thousands of fiberglass or polyurethane fibers arranged to make a very fine mesh. They have narrow entryways where air can pass through. At the same time, the pollutants in the air are caught in the fine mesh of fibers.

Mid-sized to large particles are trapped in the mesh due to interception and impaction respectively. Meanwhile, small-sized air contaminants are captured by HEPA filters with the help of diffusion when they collide with gas molecules.

That's how they become effective in trapping most of the dirt in your indoor air.

In the case of Shark air purifiers, they even boast of an anti-allergen HEPA filter that claims to capture up to 99.98% of different particles polluting your indoor air. Their filter can catch pollutants as tiny as 0.1 to 0.2 microns in size! Their HEPA filter is also treated with microban that protects its surface from bacterial growth. This way, it won't contribute to your indoor air pollution.

Can I leave my air purifier on all the time?

The simple answer to this question is yes, you can leave your air purifier on all the time. This product has been designed to be energy-efficient and doesn't consume too much electricity while in use.

But the real reason behind this is that air purifiers are only good at cleaning your indoor air when they're on. If it's off, it won't be able to do its thing, right? In fact, as soon as you turn it off, you're allowing air contaminants to thrive in your home since you don't have any protection against them.

The downside to running your air purifier 24/7 is getting your filters dirty in a relatively short time especially if there are lots of air pollutants in your home. This just means you need to clean or replace it more frequently so that it'll be effective in removing dirt, dust, bacteria, mold, and allergens in your home.

Some air purifiers can also run in "Auto Mode" wherein they'll adjust their fan speed depending on the number of pollutants detected in the air. They have sensors that allow them to do this. This way, the unit is running all the time but it's not always at its peak performance especially when it's not necessary.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning your Shark air purifier is so easy. Just vacuum it or wipe it with a soft microfiber cloth. Clean your air filter regularly to make the air in your home fresher and healthier.

For those with Dyson air purifiers, you can read the following posts:

Does A Dyson Air Purifier Remove Odors?

Does A Dyson Air Purifier Detect Mold?