You just used your Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet, and now your dirt tank is full enough where your Suction Indicator is reading red when you go to vacuum. Although vacuums should be simple, it's not too easy cleaning out this vacuum, as the user's guide infers. Fortunately, if you are having trouble cleaning this vacuum and need advice, you've landed at the right place.
Steps
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1Prepare a garbage bag for disposal of the dirt. Make sure to bring your vacuum with you.
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2Turn off and unplug your vacuum cleaner. The red button near the bottom of your vacuum turns off the vacuum, and pulling the plug from the outlet will help you avoid accidental spewing once the dirt tank has been removed. You will want to make this scene as safe as possible and ensure you can't get hurt in the process.
- Although you won't be anywhere near the bottom of the vacuum, if your vacuum is running once you take off the dirt tank, you will send any found dirt underneath the vacuum flying through the air as dust mites pick it up and make it travel throughout the house, making the air you breathe very unpleasant and unclean for your living situation.
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3Remove the dirt tank from the device. Along the front side of the handle just to the right of the suction indicator - in front of/above the carry handle, you'll spot a button that says "tank release." It is written in all lower-case letters, in Bissell's classic style. Press that button, and back out the tank diagonally until the entire tank is free from the vacuum.
- The dirt tank will most likely be heavy, and you'll want to avoid dropping any of its contents.
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4Open a trash bag. A store's plastic bag will likely not be big enough, as the vacuum will likely have picked up plenty more than you'll admit your rooms will have seen over the course of days, weeks, months, or in some cases - years or hours.
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5Hold the dirt tank sideways until you've completed the next step.
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6Locate and press the bottom release button. The button is grey and says "release" on it. Press the top end of the button inwards until the bottom end pulls out and the button stops moving. This button will essentially be found in the back area of the dirt tank, out of the way of eyesight, so prying eyes (young eyes) can't unintentionally try "cleaning your dirt tank out" without permission.
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7Place the garbage bag completely underneath the dirt tank and let the dust and dirt fall into the bag. Pull the dirt tank up until all dirt falls into the bag.
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8Remove the Cyclone - one of the agitators of the dust. If the tank still looks like pieces are left in there after emptying the dirt tank, don't go into the small areas with your fingers. Remove the cyclone agitator and set it aside. Look into the dirt tank, find the agitator, and turn that agitator counter-clockwise (to the left).
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9Remove the vacuum contents from above the Cyclone by tapping it out into the trash bag like you would any other dirt tank without a Cyclone.
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10Rinse the Cyclone. The user's guide advises using warm water and mild detergent (dish soap), but warm water and a paper towel will also do (and washing areas of the Cyclone with mild dish soap).
- Let the Cyclone dry completely before replacing it. You can complete the next step if you'd like, as it dries.
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11Clean the dirt tank, so the dirt doesn't show as dirt, and you can still see into the tank with a clearer view. Use warm water and paper towels along with the outside panel or some disinfectant wipes.
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12Let the dirt tank dry for a little bit. It won't take long to let the dirt tank dry.
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13Replace the Cyclone into the dirt tank. Grab your Cyclone and holding it along the bottom-smaller ring, press the Cyclone up and into the holder, and twist it clockwise (to the right). The Cyclone fits on a circular ring up in the top cavity of the device, just below the motor.
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14Place the tank back onto the vacuum's stick. Place it in diagonally. It is firmly in place when you hear a click.
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15Recognize other troubleshooting steps you can take to remedy a red-colored suction indicator.
- Try clearing your hose after running the vacuum for a minute or so. Pick up the hose from the right side exit location of the stretch hose and force it to pick up suction. If necessary, clear clogs by either pulling out loose pieces piece by piece or pushing a stick into the stretch hose, pushing the pieces further down into the vacuum and motor manually. When the stick stops moving, you've reached the entrance point to the dirt tank and time to stop pushing.
- Clogs from your foot hose can be dealt with just as quickly by unscrewing the foot hose's screw and removing trapped dust/dirt/debris, then tightening up the screw.
- Clogs can also be the result of debris trapped in the air passageway on the bottom of the vacuum and should be cleared after removing the bottom cover by removing the debris and replacing the cover again - doing this with the utmost care to make sure no power can be supplied.
- Try cleaning out your pre-motor filter. The pre-motor filter can be removed and washed, and replaced into the vacuum. However, keep in mind that while it has a filter and carbon filter, the CleanView model 2252 doesn't have HEPA filters. Once you have the dirt tank removed, open the pre-motor lid's button marked "filter" and an arrow pointing downward, pry open the top by pulling the top backward, removing and setting aside the foam filter, grabbing the pre-motor filter, and washing it in warm water with mild dish detergent.
- Be very careful. These will often be very dirty and shouldn't be washed in any sink you are already actively using.
- Once the filter is done drying, place the filter back in so that the foam filter is placed below the carbon filter (with the carbon filter on top).
Advertisement - Try clearing your hose after running the vacuum for a minute or so. Pick up the hose from the right side exit location of the stretch hose and force it to pick up suction. If necessary, clear clogs by either pulling out loose pieces piece by piece or pushing a stick into the stretch hose, pushing the pieces further down into the vacuum and motor manually. When the stick stops moving, you've reached the entrance point to the dirt tank and time to stop pushing.
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Tips
- The $99 CleanView Swivel model 2252 does an adequate job for a $99 vacuum. However, without a HEPA filter, some may argue both ways on the need for this vacuum to provide "real" cleaning power.
- Bissell makes a $139-$159 CleanView model that comes with a retractable cord. While it's essentially another CleanView Swivel, the only difference is the retractable cord - the emptying procedure doesn't differ from what's mentioned here.
Thanks
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Warnings
- Never try to reach into the rectangular hole to remove dirt pieces piece-by-piece, however convincing it may look your first time cleaning out the tank. Follow the advice above, unless a Bissell mechanic tells you it's okay to do, and you know what you are getting yourself into.Thanks
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