The outer vacuum bag stink. We were told it could be washed. Is that true?

Yes as long as you don't mind your next 3 washes of clothes to have fine dust washed into them. Just buy a new outer bag for $10 or hand wash it.

https://www.evacuumbags.com/dirt-devil-plus-503-103-outer-vacuum-bag.aspx

You ARE using the disposable paper bags with it??

https://www.google.com/search?q=dirt+devil+model+103+bags

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Twist the bag emptor left to remove it from the upright then your need a sharp narrow pointy object (like a metal dental pick cost $1 in most stores) push it under the plastic band around the rubber on the bottom of the cloth bag roll it across and take off the plastic tie once off pull the rubber bottom part of the bag emptor take out the inner plastic tube and zip the bag put in the washer by itself and wash with soap and softner and let hang dry you can also wash the inner plastic tube with hot water and fabuloso I recondition kirbys and do it all the time.

Put the outer bag back on the unit. Make sure that you have pushed the outer bag down past a black lip. The piece that holds the inner and outer bag on the vacuum needs to be put on next. The small horseshoe shaped plastic piece goes on with hte open part down. Make sure that the docking station goes behind the lip I told you about. Next put the piece that the inner bag slides into on. This should have the bag back on the vacuum and ensure that it is on properly. If not, then it will pull of pretty easy and blow dirt into the outer bag...not the one that is meant to catch the dirt....I am a manager of an Oreck store.

Hi,

you can wash the bag. However you cannot wash the bag in the wash machine. What you will want to do is look for the screw or depending on the model, untwist the cap down on the rod next to the machine. that entire pole section will come off of the unit below with the bag there.

I recommend if it is warm outside to use the garden hose to spray it and scrub inside the bag with a scrub brush and some dish soap.

I usually throw them into the laundry sink and let soak, scrubbing with soap and water.

To dry the bag, a hairdryer or hang to dry before putting the piece back onto the machine.

Good luck.
Mark

Greetings from GoVacuum,

Actually you can even wash this outer bag in the washing machine under a gentle cycle. It's best however not to put this in the dryer, but instead let it air dry completely before using it again in the vacuum cleaner.

You can remove the outer bag by first unclipping the top of the bag from the handle. If you look up at the top where the vacuum bag and the handle meet, on teh backside you can push the arm that the bag connects up into, allowing the bag to fall down. Then you'll need to remove the boot, or the mini emptor part at the bottom of the bag.

Standing on the side of the vacuum cleaner, with the bag right in front of you, grab the plastic boot part of the bag with both hands, and rotate the boot away from the vacuum cleaner, or counter clockwise until it is released from the vacuum cleaner. It may take some elbow grease, but this boot will come off I promise.

Once you have the outer bag off of the vacuum completely, make sure to remove the inner disposable bag first before washing the outer bag. If you'd rather not throw this into the washing machine, you may also just let the outer bag sit in a sink or tub full of hot water and simple green, then take it outside and use the garden hose to rinse it off. Again VERY IMPORTANT do NOT use the vacuum again until the bag has completely dried.

If you have any questions, or would like some clarification, please email me at [email protected] and I'll be happy to answer any further questions or concerns.

If this was helpful, please rate this repair tip by clicking the 4 Thumbs Up iconds in the top right hand corner of this Solution.

Thanks so much,

Chris Jones
GoVacuum.com

The dusty smell coming from my G4 finally drove me to search out the problem. As it turned out, the fill tube had cracked near the top of the mini emptor (the boot) and dust and crumbs were escaping from the tube and into the cloth bag. I tried to repair the split with duct tape and electrical tape, but to no avail. I finally gave up and ordered a new fill tube online for about $8. This took care of the problem, and the machine works like new with no more dusty smell.

Greetings from GoVacuum.com,

Yes, you certainly can take off the outer bag of your Oreck and wash it in the washing machine. You DO NOT however want to put the bag through the dryer!!!!! Just hang the bag outside, and let it air dry. It is important to make sure that the bag is 100% completely dry before you use the machine again. If the bag is wet, it will cause dirt to turn to mud in the bag, and probably cause a foul odor when you use the bag.

There are 2 different types of bag systems with Oreck vacuums. The one pictured below is the older style that uses a metal clamp to hold the bag in place. The newer docking system, will be a white plastic clamp that holds the outer bag in place. They both will be removed the same way however. Simply take a screwdriver and pry off the clamp;


Once you have removed this clamp, simply pull the outer bag off. Once it has been washed, and the bag is 100% completely dry, put the outer bag back over the bag housing as far as it will go. When you put the clamp back on, it is imperative that the clamp go behind the plastic ridges, to ensure that it is tightly fastened. If the clamp is not put on correctly, this will cause the inner paper bag to fall off during vacuuming. Make sure that the clamp is in the right position when putting the bag back;


If you have any further questions, please feel free to email them to me. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge an passion about vacuum cleaner, and vacuum repairs. We do stock all Oreck parts, so if you need any parts, please let me know.

Chris Jones
GoVacuum.com
[email protected]

yes, you should see a clip inside the bag housing unfasten, can be hard, you will see it when you unzip it

Take the ring from the bag re-move bag and put in a small bucket of water and let soak for about 1 hour and than remove rinse and let dry on a long slim container or counter.

Here is a link to my guide for cleaning the Kirby cloth bag...

 

http://reviews.ebay.com/DEODORIZING-CLEANING-THE-KIRBY-VACUUM-OUTER-CLOTH-BAG_W0QQugidZ10000000003719865

 

It should be helpful. :0)

 

Marci