There's nothing more satisfying than a freshly vacuumed carpet, other than perhaps dumping all the dust and gunk into the garbage when you're done — but one thing that can put a damper on this household chore is a vacuum cleaner that smells bad. You'll know your vacuum is due for a clean if it begins to smell musty (or even smells like your dog) once you turn it on, and that's most likely due to old, stagnant dirt that's been sitting in the dust bin and filter.
Luckily, TikTok creator Mai Zimmy recently shared a hack that will keep your vacuum smelling fresh every time you use it, and all you need is a cotton ball and some aromatherapy essential oil.
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First things first, in order to have a fresh-smelling vacuum, you've got to clean it. In Zimmy's TikTok, the creator begins by cutting through mounds of hair caught in the brush bar. They then wash the cleaner head in the sink, followed by the dirt bin. After a quick scrub with soap and water, they pat the vacuum parts dry.
After, Zimmy dabs a cotton round with a few drops of essential oil. A caption pops up that reads, "Essential oil on a cotton round in the dirt bin will make vacuuming smell therapeutic." Brilliant! The cotton round is tossed into the freshly cleaned dirt bin, and the TikTok ends with the creator washing the brush bar and assembling the vacuum back together.
A cotton round with essential oil in your dirt bin will pump out the oil scent as you vacuum, thanks to the device's air flow, which will keep it smelling fresh and will no doubt make the vacuuming process more enjoyable. If you don't already have essential oils on hand, you can find them at Target and on Amazon. Now excuse us as we add lavender essential oil to our list of spring cleaning must-haves.