# Best way to clean a shop vac filter



## KAdams4458

I just put the filter inside of a garbage bag and tap them on the ground to knock most of the dust out before washing them with water. Works fine for the HEPA filters for my Ridgid wet/dry vac. At $30 a pop, I'd be upset if they _weren't _washable. 

The better filters for my previous, much-hated wet/dry vacuum, a Shop-Vac brand unit, were also washable, but definitely don't hold up as well as the filters for my current Ridgid.

Bags? Hated 'em. Awful, dirty, time-consuming.


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## user1007

The bags may seem a pain but you should definitely be using them for drywall dust. It is so fine it will almost instantly clog the regular filter, reduce the airflow/suction, and diminish the performance.


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## Mr Chips

i also use the hepas for fine dust. i clean them just like kAdams does, but i also use my air compressor and shot them from the inside out.

they also sell a pre-filter, that goes over the filter and attaches with a rubber ring, they are easy to use and clean, and seem to help. not sure if that is what you meant by bags....


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## ColorMyWorld

I've cleaned the HEPA filter in my vacuum with water. You have to make sure it's completely dry before you use it again.

However, my shop vac's filter is more like a disposal filter. It came with an extra one. If shaking it and maybe using a soft brush doesn't unclog it, I'd probably just replace it. 

Generally, you only remove the filter when you use it to pick up liquid.


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## firehawkmph

I have been cleaning the filters in my shop vac with water for over twenty years and haven't had a problem. I use the garden hose. Just don't blast them with high pressure and like CMW said, make sure they are dry. With water, there is a lot less mess, no dust flying around. I rinse them in the grass so I don't make a mess in the garage. 
Mike Hawkins


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## Red Squirrel

Actually this may sound crazy but think it would work in the dishwasher? Also wondering about the sanitary implications involved. Probably not recommended I guess. 

I've just been washing it in my laundry tub and that seems to be the best bet. I just let the filter sit and turn the dehumidifier to blow air on it. My industrial fan would maybe work better, think I'll try that next time.


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## Thurman

Believe it or not! I have a 30+ year old Craftsman shop vac that still works just fine, remember when things used to be made better? I remove most of the "stuff" on my filter like the old school erasers, bump the filter against a tree in my yard. Then I use my air hose to blow it out from the inside, then a good hand wash in my shop sink, brushing between the pleats, and let it dry thoroughly. One trick I learned: I made a cage from 1/2" square hardware cloth to just fit inside the canister, then I place a "contractor type" garbage bag into the canister, slip the wire cage into the canister to keep the vacuum from sucking in the bag, and this collects all the stuff and makes clean-up easier on those really dirty/dusty jobs. As far as the dishwasher cleaning-IMO--I would think that water hot enough to clean dishes, along with the spray action _might _tear up a filter. Thanks, David


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## firehawkmph

Red Squirrel said:


> Actually this may sound crazy but think it would work in the dishwasher? Also wondering about the sanitary implications involved. Probably not recommended I guess.
> 
> Red,
> If you use the dw, I think your wife would probably want to do bodily harm to you.:laughing:
> Mike Hawkins


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## chrisn

Believe it or not! I have a 30+ year old Craftsman shop vac that still works just fine, remember when things used to be made better? I remove most of the "stuff" on my filter like the old school erasers, bump the filter against a tree in my yard. 

I believe it, mine just died a couple weeks ago But I have to say I used it a LOT being a contractor, lots and lots of drywall dust was sucked through that machine. I bet I went through 5 or6 filters in it's life.I am going to miss it.


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## DangerMouse

i took two 5 gal. buckets and with some manipulation, turned one of my vacs into a water vac for drywall dust.
works great! no filter needed, but the cleanout is kinda messy......

DM


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## pyper

The hepa filter I just bought says it's wet/dry. Since you can use it to vaccuum water off the floor I don't see why you can't hose it off and/or use it wet.


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## indigo

I just rinse out the "cheapo" ridgid ones (I think they're like 15$ which is way too much) after giving them a good beating into a plastic bag. I'm on my second one 'cause I made the very poor choice of vacuuming up a rather large quantity of small styrofoam pellets that just stuck to every damn thing -- cleaning the filter was hopeless.


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## Haff

I picked up a couple extension hoses, and whenever possible when I'm doing something dusty I run the extension hoses from the exhaust out the window. I dont mind dust getting on the ground outside, and by doing this i can remove the filter alltogether.


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## DangerMouse

hmmm, i'd advise against that.... the filter also keeps the impellers and motor clean....

DM


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## ednorandrewrowe

*Washing pleated paper filter of Brute ( "shop vac" brand)*

Red Squirrel: 

This shows to go ya that there is both a God (and that everything you ever wondered about also, seemingly, can be found on the 'net!)

Just after telling my wife I wanted a "bucket head" shop vac from Home Depot for Christmas this a.m. (it is a power head and hose you attach to an orange $2.75 5 gallon home depot paint bucket), I found a perfectly functional "Brute, by ShopVac" in the dumpster of a mall paint store where I work for the prop. mgmt. co... The hose was full of drywall dust, but the only problem seemed to be that they were running it with the exhaust port covered with a screw-on cap. (they also seem to have omitted an easily fabricated disc that closes the bottom end of the filter just below the ball valve cage: they must've sucked a bunch of dust thru the fan, before they threw it away) But no damage!! In fact, It blows a mighty stream of air with the cap OFF however. But I wanted to really "make it mine" by cleaning their filter.

So, why am I so bold today to also affirm that there is a God? Well, your NAME of course. I'm from WI where squirrels are usually grey, but now from Red State Texas. I love your handle! --I tell everyone that MY Totem animal, if I were a heathen American Indian, would be the SQUIRREL. Because I can see farther down the road than a lot of animals (with the Lord's help) but all I can do is hang up on a branch and scold folks about what's coming. Also, I've planted lots of oaks (and lost lots of acorns) by being what they call, nowdays, "ADD" (hey, its a sign of intelligence in my book. Could Einstein comb his own hair, after all? NO.)

So anyway, off that bunny trail (or is it squirrel trail?) --I had the pleated filter already in the washing machine (its a pretty compact filter on this model) with some cloths, but not yet filled with water, and of course NOT telling the wife, as I'd recommend to the fellow with the dishwasher idea) 

Though the pleated filter LOOKS, and probably IS, exactly like pleated swimming pool cartridges I cleaned for years at a pool I serviced (and stored them submerged between uses in a garbage can full of a dedicated filter cleaner solution) I wondered if I just MIGHT destroy the ShopVac filter 'cause maybe it's cheap paper, and only LOOKS buff like a pool cartridge...

Well, all you folks have convinced me that I won't destroy the thing, so here goes. I really believe in Tide laundry soap. I'll report back after the filter dries completely in the sun. And yes, I'm going to use HOT water and even run some cloths with it since I'm alone here right now! -- But this is only recommended for husbands who are already known and accepted squirrels by their wives of course.:thumbsup:


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## DangerMouse

ednorandrewrowe said:


> Red Squirrel:
> 
> This shows to go ya that there is both a God (and that everything you ever wondered about also, seemingly, can be found on the 'net!)
> 
> Just after telling my wife I wanted a "bucket head" shop vac from Home Depot for Christmas this a.m. (it is a power head and hose you attach to an orange $2.75 5 gallon home depot paint bucket), I found a perfectly functional "Brute, by ShopVac" in the dumpster of a mall paint store where I work for the prop. mgmt. co... The hose was full of drywall dust, but the only problem seemed to be that they were running it with the exhaust port covered with a screw-on cap. (they also seem to have omitted an easily fabricated disc that closes the bottom end of the filter just below the ball valve cage: they must've sucked a bunch of dust thru the fan, before they threw it away) But no damage!! In fact, It blows a mighty stream of air with the cap OFF however. But I wanted to really "make it mine" by cleaning their filter.
> 
> So, why am I so bold today to also affirm that there is a God? Well, your NAME of course. I'm from WI where squirrels are usually grey, but now from Red State Texas. I love your handle! --I tell everyone that MY Totem animal, if I were a heathen American Indian, would be the SQUIRREL. Because I can see farther down the road than a lot of animals (with the Lord's help) but all I can do is hang up on a branch and scold folks about what's coming. Also, I've planted lots of oaks (and lost lots of acorns) by being what they call, nowdays, "ADD" (hey, its a sign of intelligence in my book. Could Einstein comb his own hair, after all? NO.)
> 
> So anyway, off that bunny trail (or is it squirrel trail?) --I had the pleated filter already in the washing machine (its a pretty compact filter on this model) with some cloths, but not yet filled with water, and of course NOT telling the wife, as I'd recommend to the fellow with the dishwasher idea)
> 
> Though the pleated filter LOOKS, and probably IS, exactly like pleated swimming pool cartridges I cleaned for years at a pool I serviced (and stored them submerged between uses in a garbage can full of a dedicated filter cleaner solution) I wondered if I just MIGHT destroy the ShopVac filter 'cause maybe it's cheap paper, and only LOOKS buff like a pool cartridge...
> 
> Well, all you folks have convinced me that I won't destroy the thing, so here goes. I really believe in Tide laundry soap. I'll report back after the filter dries completely in the sun. And yes, I'm going to use HOT water and even run some cloths with it since I'm alone here right now! -- But this is only recommended for husbands who are already known and accepted squirrels by their wives of course.:thumbsup:


I can see YOU'RE going to fit RIGHT in here!
:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:
Welcome to the forum!

DM


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## ednorandrewrowe

DangerMouse said:


> i took two 5 gal. buckets and with some manipulation, turned one of my vacs into a water vac for drywall dust.
> works great! no filter needed, but the cleanout is kinda messy......
> 
> DM


Great idea! Do you have two pipes in lid of bucket, one going down below water level, hooked to vac wand, and the other above water level going to your shop vac? So air is drawn from wand down below water level and bubbles up thru bucket b4 being drawn into your shop vac? But why two buckets? Running two in parallel to get every particle of dust, or some other arrangement I can't picture right now? Sounds like ye olde Rainbow water vac, but hundreds of dollars cheaper, to me! Maybe add some fru fru water to the bucket and scent your exhaust air too! And market it to wives: "Get your hubby a dust free and NICE SMELLING shop vac this Christmas" Smile out Loud


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## DangerMouse

ednorandrewrowe said:


> Great idea! Do you have two pipes in lid of bucket, one going down below water level, hooked to vac wand, and the other above water level going to your shop vac? So air is drawn from wand down below water level and bubbles up thru bucket b4 being drawn into your shop vac? But why two buckets? Running two in parallel to get every particle of dust, or some other arrangement I can't picture right now? Sounds like ye olde Rainbow water vac, but hundreds of dollars cheaper, to me! Maybe add some fru fru water to the bucket and scent your exhaust air too! And market it to wives: "Get your hubby a dust free and NICE SMELLING shop vac this Christmas" Smile out Loud


I tried it with one bucket first, but there was so much suction and splashing the filter was soaked in seconds, therefore, I added the second bucket to block the water and filth from clogging the motor. It worked quite well! To empty it, I just separate the two buckets and dump out in the woods. It came in REAL handy when I was doing all the drywall sanding/cleanup. That powder clogs any other vacuum filter in seconds.....

DM


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## ednorandrewrowe

DangerMouse said:


> I can see YOU'RE going to fit RIGHT in here!
> :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:
> Welcome to the forum!
> 
> DM



Thanks, sir. Another totem animal, and a dangerous mouse I presume, or mouse like Reepicheep (sp?) who is not afraid of danger, and frightens elephants, etc?

I've got to report back on filter soon, but you get the scoop: After 4 minutes, it appeared it WAS paper, not some white polyester felt like the pool filters. In fact two of the pleats where the paper is doubled in construction seemed to be very clean but slightly swelling after 4 miin. of sloshing in tide with the clothes, so I began to worry it might tear. SO:

Took it out; then all day in 70's F. sun DIDN'T dry it; set it by furnace intake (cold night) and it was fairly dry by morning, but I don't have the patience for THAT, so next time, shake / tap it, and if suction of unit ever seems to reduce, buy myself reusable cloth filter disks online 3 for $6, and foam sleeve from Shop Vac, still cheaper together than ONE new paper cartridge!

Thanks again. I feel welcomed. I'm a micro biz, Google / Bing "outdoor janitorial, Georgetown" if ya car to see what this squirrel does 4 a living.


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## monkeyperson

*to clean dusty filters, try a leaf blower*

Leaf blowers work much better than banging them on something.


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## SeniorSitizen

I vacuum my shop vac filter with the central vac.


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## vincemadonia

*Best way to clean a shop vac filter cleaner.*

_The very best way to clean a shop vac filter with out damage to the filter, and without polluting the air.:thumbup: Please copy and past. carpentrybizz.com/filter-cleaner.html_


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## funflyer

monkeyperson said:


> Leaf blowers work much better than banging them on something.


That's exactly how I clean them. Where I live the wind is usually blowing so I set the vac at the end of the driveway, stand up wind and let the leaf blower do it's job. You guys think drywall dust is bad, just try to clean out an ash vacuum, the leaf bower is the only way to keep from becoming Al Jolson.


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## Ron6519

DangerMouse said:


> i took two 5 gal. buckets and with some manipulation, turned one of my vacs into a water vac for drywall dust.
> works great! no filter needed, but the cleanout is kinda messy......
> 
> DM


Home depot used to sell those devices for about $36.00. I forget what they were called. I just dumped the water down the toilet and rinsed the bucket out.


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## Windstang

I buy those knee-high panty hose things at the dollar store and pull them down over the filter. Not good for drywall dust but it keeps most other debris out of the filter pleats and makes the filter easier to clean. I've tried washing the filters but I think the water turns the dust to a thick muck (like cement) in the filter media and that plugs the pores in the filter. I prefer to blow out from the inside with an air hose. Those filters are ridiculously expensive.


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