This tea bag hack can banish smells from your vacuum cleaner

Adding a tea bag to your vacuum cleaner is the latest hack we’ve discovered to deodorise bad smells when cleaning.

There’s nothing worse than that grim vacuum cleaner smell, especially when you’ve invested in one of the best vacuum cleaners. Of course, a machine dedicated to sucking up all our household dirt and grime is bound to smell a little funky from time to time – even if you know how to vacuum. But the last thing you want is for your freshly vacuumed house to smell musty.

This is where the humble tea bag steps in. Adding one bag of black tea can act as a deodoriser, neutralising all the horrible smells. But is this the best method to use?

What’s the hack?

The hack is simple – simply add a black tea bag to your vacuum dust bag or container and let the tea bag do all the work as you continue with your cleaning routine as normal. But it is important that you only use a black tea bag.

‘Black tea acts as a natural deodoriser, absorbing unpleasant smells such as pet odours and musty scents,’ says cleaning expert Matthew Harrison at PriceYourJob.co.uk.

‘The tea bag will gradually release its deodorising properties, leaving your vacuum and your home smelling much fresher.’

A better-smelling hoover could be the key to tackling your floors more often – even the places you’re forgetting to vacuum – especially if it’s not your favourite job to do. But don’t get your hopes up just yet, while this hack works; it’s not going to revolutionise the scent of your home.

‘Let’s be real—if your vacuum smells like a combination of old dog hair and something you’re pretty sure the cat dragged in, that tea bag will have its work cut out. So yes, it helps, but it won’t turn your vacuum into a luxury spa diffuser,’ says Forrest Webber, founder of Bear Brother’s Cleaning.

For optimum results, you should swap out your teabag every few months, but if your vacuum smells really bad, a tea bag just won’t cut it, and it’s time to look at how to clean your vacuum.

Is the hack safe to use?

The hack won’t damage your machine – provided you use a dry tea bag.

‘Tossing a wet tea bag into your vacuum is just asking for trouble. A dry tea bag will freshen things up, but a wet one will have your vacuum smelling like a mouldy English breakfast. A dry tea bag can fit just fine in there, and it won’t gunk up the vacuum’s inner workings,’ says Forrest.

You should also bear in mind that some modern vacuum cleaners, including many of the best Shark vacuum cleaners, come with anti-odour technology and therefore do not need to use this hack. It’s always worth checking your machine to see if it is already designed to beat bad smells.

The method is safe to use, however, please confer with your machine’s manufacturing booklet to ensure proper use and that it won’t affect you appliances warranty.

Are there better methods to use?

As mentioned, the tea bag method is a temporary fix and will mask bad vacuum smells rather than prevent them.

‘If you want an even more pleasant scent, you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the tea bag,’ Matthew recommends if you want to boost the effectiveness of the tea bag.

However if you’re looking for something stronger than a tea bag, Forrest has these recommendations.

• Baking soda (£3.40 at Amazon): Sprinkle a little on the carpet before vacuuming, and it’ll tackle those bad smells head-on.
• Vacuum Freshener Beads (£3.69 at Amazon): Grab some vacuum freshener beads if you’re feeling fancy. They’re made for this exact purpose, and instead of making your house smell like you had an impromptu tea party, they’ll have your rooms smelling more like fresh linen or lavender fields.
• Change the Bag or Clean the Canister: Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best. Changing the bag or giving the canister a good wash can do wonders.

There’s nothing worse than a stinky vacuum cleaner, and if you don’t have anti-odour technology, this tea bag hack is a cheap and quick way to bansih bad smells.