With a Dyson air purifier you can keep the air quality in order and remove unpleasant odors in the home. But a fresh and clean feeling in your home can quickly fade if the Dysoon air purifier itself starts to smell. A strange smelling Dyson purifier is a common problem.
In this article we consider why a Dyson air purifier can start to smell, how you can solve this and how you can prevent strange odors in the future. Let’s go!
Why does a Dyson air purifier smells bad?
A Dyson air purifier works just like any other air purifier: air in the room is sucked up by the air purifier, after which it is passed through a filter. The filter ensures that polluted particles are filtered out of the air, after which the purified air is blown back into the room.
It is possible that the air that is blown out can smell. There can be several reasons for this. I list the most common causes:
- Clogged or dirty filter: If a filter is clogged or heavily soiled, the air purifier cannot filter the air properly. Dirty, smelly air is therefore blown back into the house.
- Not replacing the filter on time: you have to replace the Dyson filter regularly. This is necessary, because the filter deteriorates over time. Also the active carbon filter, which ensures that unpleasant odors can be removed from the air.
- Air cleaner housing is dirty: not only the filter can get dirty, but also the air cleaner itself. If the housing is dirty, the exhaust air will pass through it and give off a foul smell.
- Dyson filter has been washed: cleaning a Dyson air purifier filter is not possible: it is a non-washable filter. If the filter has become wet, the filter can mold and smell.
Strange Dyson air purifier smells
Every now and then I get questions about smelly Dyson air purifiers. Before I give advice on how to solve this problem, I always ask if people can describe the strange smells. A list of descriptions of the weird Dyson air purifier that can be experienced:
- Cooking smells
- Dog
- Pet odors
- Kitchen odors
- Rotten eggs
Please note: if a Dyson air purifier has a burning smell (burnt), there may be a mechanical problem. I recommend switching off the purifier immediately and contacting Dyson.
Step-by-step plan: let the Dyson air purifier smell nice again
Time to make those strange smells disappear as soon as possible. Before we get started, it is important to emphasize that you should not use cleaning agents for the maintenance of a Dyson air purifier. This can damage the device.
Follow the steps below:
- Turn off the Dyson purifier
- Remove the plug from the socket
- Remove the filter from the Dyson purifier
- Dust the housing with a soft microfiber cloth
- Check the Dyson for blockages
- Check whether the filter needs to be replaced*
- If necessary: replace the filter (see the manual for a Dyson air purifier filter replacement)
- Put the filter back in the air cleaner in the same way
* You can easily check the life of the Dyson air purifier filter via the MyDyson app. This can also be viewed on the display of the air purifier. When you replace a Dyson filter, it is important to reset the lifespan.
Avoid a smelly Dyson air purifier
Now that we know how to fix a smelly Dyson air purifier, it is of course also important to prevent this in the future. It’s smart to clean your air purifier regularly, even if you don’t see visible dirt with the eye. I have made an extensive guide on how to clean a Dyson purifier from A to Z.
Does your Dyson air purifier continue to smell, even after a thorough cleaning? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page so I can take a look with you.
Bram Tigchelaar
Bram is the co-founder of Purifiertester.com. Together with his brother, he gives advice for cleaner air quality in your home. He combines decades of experience in the world of air quality products with a passion for product testing. Questions about his approach? Feel free to send him a message!
