Cleaning Your Cordless Vacuum's Shroud Restores Suction Fast

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What to Shop

Like any appliance, cordless vacuums require regular maintenance to run at their optimal performance. Most users only tap out the bin and clean the filter, but actually, dust and hair build up in the floorhead shroud, limiting performance.

This is the part covering the rotating brushroll. It's one of the first parts of the vacuum to come into contact with dust and dirt, and it needs to be unobstructed for air to flow through freely. If left uncleaned, accumulated dust will drastically reduce suction power.

Cleaning the Floorhead Shroud Will Restore Your Cordless Vacuum's Suction

Dyson V15 Detect Digital Motorbar floorhead with no hair wrapped around the brushroll in Bristol Animal Rescue Centre — If the shroud is covered in dust, it won't clean as effectively.

The 'floorhead' is the part of the vacuum cleaner responsible for picking up your household's mess. Naturally, if its cover is obstructed, the spinning roller won't be able to clean as effectively, limiting how freely dust particles can move.

I know this first-hand, as I've spent 400 hours testing, taking apart, and cleaning vacuum cleaners over the past two years. My knowledge of these appliances has become so comprehensive that I've even serviced my family's vacuums when they start to lose performance.

Luckily, this is one of the simpler vacuum maintenance steps and takes just two minutes. It can drastically improve your vacuum's performance, helping to restore it to its out-of-the-box glory. It only takes a few tools, many of which you likely have at home already.

First, remove the brushroll to gain access. Consult instruction manuals at Dyson, Shark, and Bissell to find out how for your model, but typically, there's a small opening on the side that you twist to pull out the roller.

Then, wipe down the interior with a damp, soapy cloth, such as these $9.89 microfiber cloths at Walmart. As this plastic part is not connected to any electrical components, it's safe to use moisture, but make sure to avoid getting any other vacuum parts wet.

If it hasn't been cleaned for a while, you may need to use a bristled brush or even some seam rippers to remove any trapped dirt or hair. This $4 seam ripper set at Amazon is perfect, and will help remove any tangled hair after regular weekly vacuuming sessions, too.

Before reassembly, make sure that every component is completely dry by waiting 48 hours, as moisture will irreversibly damage your vacuum cleaner.

What to Shop

To maintain your appliance's performance, I would recommend cleaning your vacuum's floorhead in its entirety, which includes rinsing the roller and clearing the inlet valve. Here is a selection of tools that will prove useful.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

12 pack

MR.SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

Microfiber cloths are perfect for wiping down the marks and removing any trapped dirt from your floorhead shroud, paired with soapy water. There are plenty of other ways to use microfiber cloths around the house, too.

Gentle cleaning

Dawn Platinum Plus

Use some dish soap and warm water with a microfiber cloth to clean dust and hair from your floorhead shroud.

For stubborn dirt

GENKENT Bamboo Toothbrushes

If the shroud hasn't been cleaned in a while, there will most likely be some stubborn dirt trapped between the plastic ridges. These non-toxic bamboo toothbrushes are slim, ideal for getting into the tight gaps, and you can use the rest of the 12-pack as a sustainable bathroom swap.

Cut out hair

Ortarco Seam Ripper and Thread Remover Kit

This seam ripper set is highly effective at precisely cutting out hair without damaging your vacuum's parts.

Easier to maintain

Dyson V15 Detect

Some vacuums are easier to maintain than others, and Dysons are famously easy to take apart and clean. I use the Dyson V15 Detect at home, and cleaning every part from top to bottom takes under an hour, and its lifetime filter is washable. Read more in my five-star Dyson V15 Detect review.

Never wraps with hair

eufy Omni S1 Pro

A robot vacuum will help to minimize how often you have to maintain your regular vacuum and how often you have to do maintenance steps such as this. This eufy model is the best we've tested on pet hair, too, and we've never had to cut hair out of its spinning roller. Read more in our full eufy Omni S1 Pro review.

Next, see which vacuums top our guides of the best vacuums for pet hair and the best Dyson alternatives after our rigorous testing sessions.

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Dan is the Home Tech Editor for Homes & Gardens, covering all things cleaning, sound, smart home, and air treatment across the Solved section.

Having worked for Future PLC since July 2023, Dan was previously the Features Editor for Top Ten Reviews and looked after the wide variety of home and outdoor content across the site, but their writing about homes, gardens, tech and products started back in 2021 on brands like BBC Science Focus, YourHomeStyle and Gardens Illustrated.

They have spent more than 400 hours testing and reviewing vacuums, soundbars and air purifiers for Homes & Gardens.

Dan has a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Magazine Journalism. Outside of work, you'll find them at gigs and art galleries, cycling somewhere scenic, or cooking up something good in the kitchen.