Google searches are not helping much. I can clean the sponge filter, no issues there. But can I clean the HEPA filter or do I need to buy a new one? Anyone still got their manual lying about?

No you can’t clean and in usual circumstances it should last the lif of the machine.

Why do you think you need to clean it?

Edit, some of the most recent ones you can wash.

Which machine do you have?

They make washable and non-washable ones. The washable ones tend to have a picture of a tap on them. You could rinse it out carefully then let it to sit to dry, it’ll be very fragile while its wet. Nothing to lose, though.

I’m not sure, but the ordinary filter and filter holder on ours say “rinse in cold water and leave to dry”.

That doesn’t do much, so if I’m doing a 40C wash, without fabric conditioner, I bung them in and they come out really well. The dyson pulls the carpet off the floor again.

Found this

Mines a cleanable one in fact if you don’t clean my filter every so often (cat hairs) doesn’t seem to clean up as well can’t just think what model mine is but its a ‘pets’ one

Once the standard filter is dry I’ll try the vacuum again (DC08) but it is not sucking like it used to. it is some 7 years old now. Not sure what constitutes ‘lifetime’ of a vacuum in this day and age.

Lifetime – as in “sorry mate, it’s at the end of its life”.

The factory service used to be really good. Virtually a new machine at the end, not sure if they still do that.

You can also strip them down to get at the root cyclones & clean them yourself.
Ours was rather asthmatic at sucking stuff off the floor, but since I replaced the filters and cleared out the root cyclones (which were blocked), it’s like having a new dyson again. 😀

‘The factory service used to be really good. Virtually a new machine at the end, not sure if they still do that.’

It is except they will come to you rather than having to send it back

I stripped down my dyson and must say having seen its innards can confidently say that their ‘exclusive technology’ is all marketing and hype.

As above , only if its the washable type, check the “destructions” on the outside of it.

Mine is and goes in the washer at 40, then as others have said will then suck the a$$ out of a cat

I have come to the conclusion that only the one filter can be cleaned. Will consider stripping the whole caboodle down at the weekend. It wouldn’t be so bad but one cat has that thing where he pulls his hair out so every morning there are new clumps of moggy fluff littering the lounge and the vacuum ain’t picking them up at the moment.

My DC05 has two filters: a washable one that basically looks like a sponge and the non-washable HEPA one that is a concertina of fine hairy papery stuff. From memory the HEPA is on the outflow so it doesn’t really get that dirty. I’ve replaced it once in 10 odd years.

one cat has that thing where he pulls his hair out so every morning

If you decide to get a new HEPA from dyson then check out their pet care kits too!

I stripped down my dyson and must say having seen its innards can confidently say that their ‘exclusive technology’ is all marketing and hype.

I’ve stripped mine too – but I didn’t have a suitable wind tunnel and airflow analysis system to test whether the cyclonic action was genuinely “exclusive” 🙂

One of the tests from the dyson website is to take the platic bin off that the cyclone sits in and put your hand over the tube that goes to the motor (thus removing the cyclone from the equation) and plenty of suction. At a guess the cyclonic action makes a small difference