05/31/2026
🪛 Want to service your own vacuum?
I swear, I don’t have any special skills. Just a handful of cheap tools and some free time.
Here’s what I use:
Big old towel on a table as a workspace
This keeps screws from rolling onto the floor if they fall out and makes cleanup easier. Shake the towel off outside and toss it in the wash.
Junk rags, microfiber rags
I cut up old towels, but ACE also sells recycled rag bags.
Cheap screwdriver set
(Cheap tool bin near checkout at ACE)
Comes with an assortment of sized star, flathead, and Phillips head bits. Also includes a standard handle and a T driver.
Long-neck Phillips screwdriver
Not sure of the exact size of the head, but it seems to be a commonly used one. If you get a magnetized one, that would be ideal, but mine isn’t.
Long tweezers
(Pet store, meant for feeding reptiles)
Pulls junk out of deep clogs.
Standard-size needle nose tweezers
Helps pull junk out of small spaces and also helps extract screws. Mine came in an iFixit kit (Pierson’s), but pretty much any drug store carries these.
A tray or cup for screws
Vacuum Brush Roll Cleaning Tool (Amazon)
Has a blade to cut hair wrapped around the brush and a tooth comb to help pull it off.
Drain line brush (Pierson’s)
Clears dust, debris, and loose clogs from hoses.
Compact hand blower
The photo is a budget one from Harbor Freight (battery sold separately), but my partner already had a Makita one. The nozzle fits right into the hoses to flush dirt and dust out. It also blasts dust out crevices better than canned air, as well as helps push water out of hoses and canisters to speed up drying.
Not pictured:
Nitrile mechanic gloves and a dust mask.
I use Gloveworks disposable black gloves (ACE) because they don’t tear easily like others I’ve used.
2 buckets
One to soak removable parts in soap and one to catch dirt and trash.
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds liquid soap (ENF)
To degrease and clean removable parts. Dawn dish soap also works.
Seventh Generation Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant Spray Cleaner — Fragrance Free (ENF)
To clean the body and any vacuum parts that aren’t removable. Lysol 0% Bleach Hydrogen Peroxide Spray Disinfectant also works.
TIPS:
99% of vacuums I get are just super clogged and dirty. Many modern vacuums won’t power on or will stop brush rolling/suction if there’s a clog. This helps prevent the motor from burning up.
Shark uprights are some of the easiest to replace parts on because they’re usually modular with button snaps and few (if any) screws.
Broken part? Find the vacuum model number on the label and look it up on the manufacturer’s website. Find the corresponding broken part and its part number. Search the part name + part number on Amazon or eBay. You can usually find cheap aftermarket replacements, even when the manufacturer has discontinued it. Same goes for washable filters.
Can’t find the washable filters anymore? Try felt pads and upholstery foam from the craft store. Use the originals as a template to cut the correct size and shape.
Never reassemble the vacuum until it’s completely dry. That includes washable filters. If you run it with moisture inside, water gets pulled into the motor and then it’s cooked.
