Shop Vac Filter Hack - Make it Last! 

Stumbled on this video. Tried it, was absolutely stunned at how well this worked. No more compressor blowing out and cleaning the filter! Subscribed for life because of your ingenuity!

I never thought that people would buy a new filter every time one gets covered with dust. And this is a pretty complicated solution to a problem I didn't know existed! I step outside, and use some air from the compressor--cleans the filter in about 30 seconds.

Here's my years of experience. 1. Always use a vacuum bag inside the shopvac. Tape it on with duct tape if you have to. (I've had your model of HD shopvac and I've taped it on many times) 2. Use a cyclone or pre-thing on a 5 gallon bucket to remove most of the heavy stuff. 3. The biggest health risk to you, and your family is the superfine dust you think of as that nice woody shop smell (Because you go in the house with this dust on you, the risk leaves the shop with you. Farmer's wives have a higher incidence of cancer then do their husbands who were spraying the carcinogenic pesticide all day in the field) The super fine particles of dust is in the fine dust on the filter, but it's also the pulverized invisible dust being blown out of the shopvac. ( There's a Chinese documentary that was so good the Communist government banned it within a week about PM2.5 micron dust. The stuff you cough up and snorrrrk! out of your nose is really not a long term health problem. Your body knows how to cough it up. It's the PM2.5 and smaller stuff that gets deep into your lungs that your normal lung functions can't remove. This is the stuff that gives you COPD and emphysema 30 years from now. To deal with this superfine stuff: 1. I always use a respirator even when my vacuum connect to my sander works well 2. You can run an extra hose from your shop vac outside the work space. (The new HDepot vacs don't have an exhaust attachment). I used to do this in my photography darkroom - clearly I would know if this worked or not and 3. Be more careful cleaning out that filter. To clean the filters I just vacuum them trusting that the bag alone will stop most of it, or I vacuum them using a second shopvac. I also do this with all the filters in my house. I do like your spinning method. I'd still suggest vacuuming the pleats. (If you do this through a piece of gauze you'll be able to see if this step is necessary.) And general shop dust collection. I've got some $300 and $400 HEPA air filter units in my house. The one I like best they don't make any more, the $400 one smells like the motor is burning. What has always worked is a HEPA Furnace filter wired to the back of my big floor fan. (The wire holds it when the fan isn't on, the fan alone is enough to keep it in place). For your shop make a hanging unit with a cube of 4-5 HEPA furnace filters duct taped together and a box fan on the 6th side of the cube. (I've run two filters with a box fan for a couple of years without burning out the fan so 4-5 filters? Should last forever. Hung from the ceiling is probably the most effective for your health. One thing we do: we remove our respirators when the dust is gone. That superfine crap is still floating around. (When I used to use cleaning products like windex and an regular vacuum cleaner inside the darkroom - the dust problem was permanent.) Something else I do to clean up my darkrooms, no cleaning products, instead I would wipe surfaces with a paper towel I wetted from the cold water tap. My darkroom in my photostudio was like the operating room in a hospital, but had a permanent dust problem, my last darkroom in a shed in my backyard? Using the methods above near zero dust problem and I'd often have mud and dirt on the floor tracked in from outside. Hope this helps.

Like the idea of running it in a drill. I've used a compressor before outside but its really not ideal, so after watching this i'm going to use an old 12L fence paint container, drill a hole in the centre of the lid to feed my bolt through and try that to see if it works ok. Hopefully the lid on the bucket/paint tub will stop the dust from flying all over the place. Thanks for the idea.

Considering I don't own an air compressor and will probably never be able to buy one, this video was extremely helpful! Not only for attaching the filter to the drill but also for attaching any other object of choice to a drill. I wondered about how people do that, and now I know. Thank you for making this video! 🙂

I've just been beating the filters against a tree or a curb. I clean chimneys, so I pick up a TON of soot, which is just SUPER fine particulate. Thanks for this nifty idea! After I try it, I'll edit this comment to give the results of spinning soot off the filter. Thanks again!

Should be called “The hardest way to clean shop filter” Mine has several years on it by washing with garden hose. Be sure to leave it in the open air to dry or the filter might rot

How much does a new filter weigh? Compare the weight of the cleaned filter with the weight of a new filter to see how "clean" the old filter really is.

Actually, the results monitor is to weigh a new unused filter vs your “clean” one to see how much dust the “procedure” removed.

I've had a Rigid shopvac for years, 8 or so, still using the same filter. Tap the loose particles out of it, outside, then use the shopvac to blow the rest out. Doesn't need to be perfect, if I can remove 90 - 95% of what it's trapped..... bonus!!

Love it! Thanks for being human and hilarious, as well as giving us scientific info and inspiring ideas. Yes, I would have taken that baby outside, lol, and therefore, for 2 seconds, I for once felt really smart : ) I've read that some people use things called pool skimmer socks as a first filter, in place of the paper towels I see mentioned below which I had thought about but haven't yet tried. For those people who say why not "just use canned air?" the way they've been doing for years and say it hasn't cost them a cent, I would like to know where they get the free canned air. I have to pay plenty for mine, and the planet pays more. Centrifugal force IS free. As I'm not an engineer or scientist, I do not know nor do I have a way of measuring how any or all these treatments affect the ability of the filter to do its particular job, which is to capture the extremely fine particles. If I bash my filter about to knock debris off, or use force including air compressors etc., I wonder if, over time, that wouldn't cause some seams to loosen or the fibers to weaken or separate -- thus defeating the safety aspect and reducing this health aid to a general debris filter. As such, it would no doubt last 20 years. But that's not its job. I'm hoping that the methods I want to try to defend it from more of the debris will prolong its specific useful life span. I still think this a great idea and will be trying it (maybe a bit more gently) once the cold monsoons let up. Right now, I'm being wimpy, happy to stay inside. But, wait. Possibly it would be better to do it while it's pouring. It would definitely 'keep the dust down,' as we are fond of saying around here. Another experiment? And yes, I too want to build a dust collector 1st stage. Your vid on that is next up. Dude, I'm sub'd : )

Great idea, just tried it with a cordless drill , I then did it again with an eletric one, the higher rpm got even more dust out, happy days works a treat.

You know I have read other comments and I have to say the same thing I just take mine outside and bring it on the ground. I haven't bought a new filter in years. But hey, that's the way to science the shitt out of it 👍👍

I would have laughed except I was cleaning my filthy, dust filled filter while I watched this. I got my son-in-law to bring in another small shop vac from the garage. I turned it on -- it was on blow, not suck. I'll be cleaning dust out of my den for years. LIve and learn I suppose.

Used nylon hosiery placed over the filter works well too. Can be hosiery can be washed, line dry, and reused, making your regular filter last longer.

I'm going down to my shop now and try your idea that seem to be great...I'll let you know...thanks

I knew watching this that you would have a mess on your hands. I'm in construction and I deal with this a lot. I usually just shake the filter out in a garbage bag, but this is an awesome idea! Stick it in a garbage bag, and hold the top of the bag to the drill so it's sealed and try it. Should be dust free, and all the dust should collect in the bag. Great idea! I'm going to try it Monday when I return to my jobsite!

I just blow them from the inside out using my tornado high pressure air gun. After a couple minutes I’m blowing out clean air and I’m done for another month.

Pretty good idea. I've been tapping my filter on the driveway, then blowing down the filter with air for decades. Probably haven't gone through more than 3 or 4 filters.

I expected more of a box from someone saying “centrifugal force” 😳😂

As my father would say, “going around your head to scratch your a$$.” As you saw, makes way to much dust. Hose it off with a garden hose. Like new, and no dust. Just have two so there is no downtime waiting for the one filter to dry.

"i needed to make a lid for the box."...im here like is outdoors on fire or something?

This is AWESOME!! I was watching videos on shop vac comparisons and this video came up in my recommended. Unfortunately I left my filter out for JUST THIS REASON and blew out the bearings in the motor! ARGH!! So, I guess I'm gonna get a new shop vac! The previous video actually recommended a Craftsman, soooo....YOU have one! Gonna look into it! The vac I have is a basic "no name" brand that I got from a yard sale at a REALLY good price and have had for a few years now, so I guess it's time! Thanks Andrew!

I put a canvas breathable bag on the inlet of my vacuum. I dont have to clean the filter that often. Fyi, i did hardwood floors for a living and i used that canvas sander bags we put on the big machines on the inlet. Works like a dream.

When i worked at an autoshop I would take all the vac filters outside, then throw them straight up in the air a few times with as much spin as possible. Works the same.

Next time you use the 5 gallon bucket drill a hole in the top of the lid put the bolt through to the filters on the inside put it on a bucket close said bucket spin it wait for dust to settle then open it a great idea hopefully this will help for your next time

I stumbled into an easy way to "super" clean a shop vac filter today. I took the filter outside - way outside. I then used a Milwaukee M18 battery powered leaf blower, and this cleaned the filter beyond belief. Hold the filter in one hand. Aim the blower at the filter and work around the filter and once in a while put the blower end inside the filter to help blow out more. In two minutes, you have a filter that is so clean it looks new. Then use the blower to clean yourself off and you and the shop vac filter are clean. Simple. * the Milwaukee blower is very powerful compared to other brands.

I do this all the time but I put it inside a big rolling garbage can with the lid down outside. The only problem is that some dust will come out through the space where my arm goes in. I suppose making a special garbage can with a lid that has a hole drilled into it for the rod to go up through would eliminate this issue

'Or' you can take a stiff bristle brush, brush top to bottom on the filter removing the majority of the gunk from between the filter pleats, and then use your air compressor to spray out the remainder of the gunk and dust. Of course, do in outside so you don't have to clean up your shop after. Been doing this for years and its worked great.

I use this system to clean up my paint roller, I cannibalised an old, cheap, roller. Fixed the round supports onto a threaded rod (securing them with nuts and washers). I then spun out the paint into an old bucket, a quick spin in warm soapy water then another spin into the empty bucket. Watching your vid, I wondered if you couldn't do similar? Simply get a large bucket with tight fitting lid, make a hole in the lid the same dia as your bolt. Attach filter to bolt, bolt through lid, attach drill and firmly fix lid to bucket then spin. You'll still get a tiny amount of dust out of the hole where the bolt passes through but the dust should be mostly contained. You'll probably need to give it a moment for the dust to settle in the bucket. Another thought, if the filter could stand it, could you plunge the filter into water and spin out the debris? The water would contain all the dust particles.

You needed to weigh a new filter. Then weigh it after using it and having it get cloged. Then weigh it after your spinning idea. I personally just toss my filter in the back yard let it hit the grass watch it bounce leaving the filth on the lawn far away from me or my shop. Then repeat a few times finish off by tapping the filter on a tree or a curb. This method gets me a lot longer life out of my filter and I stay clean

I have a 60 gallon air compressor. I clean that filter completely with compressed air and it cleans fast! 🙂

I'm going to try yours next time, my filter is from a sand blast cabinet Eastwood dust collector. Mine weighs 11 pounds before cleaning and 3 pounds afterwards. It's 16" tall so I will use a 5 gallon bucket adding a lid of course and give it a whirl 🙂

That was funny! I kept telling myself, "Surely he's not going to pull the trigger inside the shop!" 😂😅😂😅😂😅😂

Would be nice to know how much a new filter weighs. Also, I just use a disposable bag in my shop vac and don't have to clean the filter. Added cost but why easier. Nice video and good idea.

I can't believe I just wasted 8 minutes of my life watching this video.

Cool video. I just use a blow gun on my air compressor. Blow the large chunks out on the outside, then blow from the inside out, blow off the outside, and blow from the inside again till it's clean. Works great for shop vac filters, small engine air filters, bobcat air filters, car and truck air filters and so forth. If it's a precleaner foam filter, wash it with soap and water. 👍

I have a different approach to doing this. I take the filter out of the shop vac and get my carpet vacuum and put the crevice cleaner attachment on the carpet vacuum cleaner's hose. I run the crevice cleaner in-between all of the pleats and suck out all the dirt. My carpet vacuum cleaner is a bagless cleaner and the dirt accumulates in a plastic canister. I'm not using a usual vacuum cleaner bag and filling it up. Because it's a bagless vacuum cleaner I just empty the canister in the trash. I bought my shop vac many, many years ago. I haven't ever bought another filter for it to this day. I'm using the same filter that came with the shop vac when I bought it.

Been using that technique on filters and paint rollers for 20 +.years. I came across a tool for painters that did just that with paint rollers and brushes. I use it on several things to clean and spin dry.

I knew it would work. I saw this done very well years ago. Here is how to make it work without 'dust clouding' your shop. Take a bigger bucket than your filter. Cut a hole in the bottom center of it and bolt the filter inside the bucket.... GO OUTSIDE, point the bucket so the wind is blowing towards you!!! hahahaha, NO don't do that, point in so the wind is blowing away from you!!! Spin it up and you will see a dust cannon blowing the annoying air flow limiting dust away. Now to add to that add a Dust Buddy from Oneida to capture the dirt and dust in the first place. You will have better collection longer. Yes, it does drop the cfm a bit but not as much as a clogged filter that gets worse over time. You will also have to clean the filter far less.

For about 15 years, I've just knocked the dust off by banging it on the inside of my giant garbage can. That works well, but spinning it is a great idea. Actually, the only two times I had to buy a new one is once I sucked up a lot of dirt and dust and the other was when the debris was too wet. Both times you HAVE TO replace the filter or you'll burn out the motor.

Yeah there's gotta be a method of compressed air from the inside to power it able to spin, so it goes like 10 zillion RPM and has air pushing as well that would be peak effectiveness.

Super cool idea, I will definitely try this next time my filter needs cleaning.

Some use a nylon ankle sock or a Crown royal bag to reduce the amount of particulates from buliding up so quickly.

Awesome man thank you for sharing I am going to do it but on a plastic garbage bag.

I just drop the filter on the concrete outside a few times. If dust is really stuck in, I tap it while slanted around the edge of the filter on the concrete.

I just take my air compressor blow nozzle and blow it out. Outside my shop. Works every time . same filter for 5 years.

Great vid and wonderful video. Am going to Home Depot today to buy those wonderfully cheap parts. Thanks!!!!! se wonderfully cheap parts.

Seems like there is a way you could mount it inside the shopvac like normal, but the frame holding the filter spins freely while you're cleaning so that the dust is thrown inside the canister while you're vacuuming it up. Maybe a rail that the frame fits into but is able to spin on the rail, if that makes any sense. Like a cylindrical skeleton to hold the filter that is rotated by the air pulled into the canister. This is a cool idea. The main thing that kills my filters unfortunately is water so maybe that'd even help with that but I'm not very hopeful. Seems like the water is absorbed into the filter itself instead of like In the little folds or whatever. Good luck!

I’ve been using my compressor since I’ve had a compressor but cool idea to get the bulk off I would do it outside

I have a Craftsman shop vac as well that I bought in the late 70's and It's still going and to top that off I'm still using the original filter all I've ever done is knock the crap off of it by tapping it on the inside wall of the vac and yes it gets lots of use. The only other thing I've done is when It's real bad after I get the bulk of the crap off it I'll take it outside and use my air gun blowing from the inside out which I only have done a handful of times. I think I've washed it out maybe twice.

I have been doing this for years using another shop vac. I just use the small crevice tool and a small paintbrush. It only takes about 20 min to clean the filter. I have been using the same filter for about 2 years.

That doesn't sound very efficient. But do what works. Years ago I took my filters outside and sprayed between each pleat. I had a second filter to use so the washed one would be totally dry when the second one needed cleaning. Worked like a charm for me. No mess in the shop.

great idea. if you dont mind, Id love to add to it. make a box/container with a center free spinning mounted shaft. u can drop the filter in, secure it, spin it and leave it closed till dust settles and retrieve the filter later. also would be interesting if there were one or two flat metal fingers or a simple brush, that would just barely contact the filter pleats, it would sort of flick the paper ribs and knock more off while spinning. just thoughts. love your path tho. keep it up. cheers

Take the box (make it a much larger one) outside, hole on top just big enough to get the filter in. Lay a piece of cardboard, small hole in center for the bolt, cut a slit from one edge to center to slide over the bolt. You may want to tape a couple of (or all) edges, then spin away both Fwd & Reverse.

Very good video, great idea!! Thank you!

We have air filters on cars trucks tractors too. I clean them like the shop vac filter outside with my air compressor.

Thanks. I’m gonna give it a try. Looks fun to do.

Have you tried tapping the filter on the table on its side to get rid of the rest, thanks for your help.

A good idea to help clean your filter better using your method would be to get a 5 gallon bucket and make a small enough hole for the bolt through the lid of the bucket, connect the drill on the other side, seal the bucket shut and then let it rip! that way the bucket get all the dust, the hole would be too small for dust to come out into your workshop and dust would be quicker to settle in the bucket when you clean your filters. You're Weclome! ;-)

Be much easier to assemble if you used a piece of 3/8" all thread, and 3 nuts, 2 fender washers. Set the first 2 nuts at the space needed for the filter, 2 fender washers as well as the final nut. Jam first two nuts together locking them onto each other, and I'm sure you get the rest. You just saved most the time your method using a long bolt actually takes running the nut the full distance both ways. Not too mention that once you get a little build up of the nasty stuff clogging your filter, is now causing you to actually take the nut off plus possibly trying to clean it with shop towel in order to actually get it off. Use a pool skimmer sock that is used for catching all the fine debris picked up from the pool bottom, and suspended in the water itself. Make life easier by working smarter, and not harder to accomplish the same tasks one does daily

That’s good. I use another vacuum cleaner & thin attachment to clean my filter.

I REALLY appreciate the real ness of your demo! I can totally see myself making the same error in judgement! haha! Thank you!

Canadian Zip Tie Approach: wrap some paper towels around the entire filter assembly, daisy chain some zip ties together, and place that around a new filter. Toss and repeat. Challenge: take an old filter, remove the filter medium and use bolts to make a "spool" so that you can just change out the paper towels. You might even be able to take a cloth towel or some such and use this, and then this could either be washed or tossed and be a bit more durable...

I don't know why but my physics professors said "There's no such thing as centrifugal force. It's actually called centripetal force" and goes on to explain the difference. It just seemed to make it needlessly confusing.

Awesome video! made me laugh at first amazing how this works to clean out the filter!!

Just use an air compressor LIGHTLY on all the dust outside. Too hard and it will rip. Also, they make a foam cover that slides over the filter to slow mitigate some of the fine dust. Trust me on this one. I use Nikro Hepa vacs everyday and these things are EXPENSIVE. This truly does work

there are paper pre-filters that you wrap around the main filter to keep the dust from getting to the filter in the first place. In my cabinet shop, I have a horizontal sander that gets used ALL the time and the filter would be clogged pretty quickly. The paper filter can be shaken out and then blown out and reinstalled. this cuts 95% of the dust from getting to the main filter.

Genius. First off - I didn’t realize I had a problem until I watched this video. Then - I realized I had a problem. As I was watching the video - I saw your train wreck coming. I thought about the box to collect the dust before you did it. But I would have sealed it with the bolt sticking out to connect to the drill and then let her rip outside for about 60 seconds. I think I’m going to have one of the kids ride in the back of the ranger while I roll down the street and make a huge dust could. Anyone want to see that?

If you read the side of the filters box, it says that you can extend the life of your filter by washing the filter and letting is dry.

I use the air compressor to force the dust out from the inside. Definitely an outside project and a respirator and eye protection is recommended

Add a pool filter sock to the outside of the filter. All the big stuff falls to the bottom and only the super fines get thru. You can get 40 or so for $10. They can be rinsed off and reused 3-8 times between filter cleanings.

1. Why not just spin the filter outside? 2. Buy a Dust Deputy or similar cyclone separator for shop vac and it will pay for itself pretty quickly in time saved from cleaning / replacing filters.

I never thought to use centrifugal force to clean the dust filter, I did however bump it in order to use Newton's first law of motion, a body in motion will stay in motion, so the dust is moving along with the filter, and then when the filter stops moving the dust continues. But your method is less stressful on the filter, but will mostly only work on round filters, it would work on other flat filters for the more conventional home vacuum cleaners, if there is a way to apply the flat filter in a circular motion with the exterior pointing outward. Hint hint, nudge nudge

Good to know, but two questions: 1) What kind of top did you put on the box or container to keep the dust in? And 2) I would have liked to know what percentage of ALL the dust in the filter was drawn out, so why didn’t you weigh a new, unused filter first, then fully loaded with dust, and finally after the spin cycle?

I like it but if you're not making a video why not just drill a hole in a trash can lid, attach bolt, put the lid on the trash can. VOILA! Good job dude.👍👍👍👍👍

Hello @BurkeMakesStuff Did you check how much a new filter weighs? That may be a better indicator on how effective spinning the filter is? Do you still use that cleaning method and have you improved it, other than doing that spinning outside the home?

Do you use a shop vac dust bag to catch most of the dust before it gets to the filter? That will save you a lot of cleaning as well.

Man that was fun! Just what I needed

Pool filter sock will help you.

Use pool filter socks to cover the shop vac filter and it works well .

Appreciate the science explanation!

so you vacuum up the dust then blow it all over the shop with its, nice job ! I'll take it outside and blow it out with my air compressor like I have for years.

I normally bang it inside my garbage can to shake out the dust, but this has promise. You could also follow up with a wash and spin again to dry it

Poke a hole in the bottom of the box, feed the bolt on the filter through the hole and attach to drill, place box, opening down, into garbage bag. Spin up the filter and when the dust settles, pull the box out, remove the filter, and seal and dump the bag.

I brush the heavy stuff in the garbage can first ,and after put the mask on and blow it with air hose.cleaner than new.

I've always just banged them against the side of my trash bin but I'll give this a shot after tapping again the bin. It it gets more dust off then it's worth it if nothing more comes off I'll stick to the easy method.

Great advice !

I have 3 filters....one gets clogged, I reverse wash it in the sink with the faucet sprayer from the inside out. Put it outside for a few days to dry out. Meantime, I have two others ready to go.

My husband puts the panty of a pair of my old panty hose over the filter it helps filter the finer dust. Also have you tried to use bounty paper towels to make a filter? There is a guy on RU-vid that uses this instead of filters

It's a good fix, and valuable. But the science is inaccurate here. Centrifugal force is a bit of a myth. The force that exists in his fan simulation is actually pulling the nut continuously back toward the fan. The main idea is that things in motion just want to keep going straight. But the nut isn't allowed to go straight anymore as the fan keeps pulling it from falling away from the fan. If the string snaps in the middle of the experiment the nut would go flying across the room. So the force to calculate is actually an inward force towards the center, not outwards.

Here's a thought, If you have an old push broom, scrub brush, etc. You can attach them to the sides of a sturdier box or can or plastic bucket. They must be touching the sides of the filter to loosen more particles during the spin. And don't forget to clean the inside of the spun filter since it will have accumulated dust , which blow out as soon as you turn the vac on. PS: I've tried the expensive "washable " filters and found that they loose considerable permeability after cleaning. For remote work on job sites, I've gone to Festool vacs with throw away filter bags. Expensive, but very reliable protection from dust and noise pollution.

I just take my filter and vacuum it with another vacuum does just as well if not better with no mess.

The real dust removed would be to know how much a Clean new filter weighs. That ratio would be MUCH more impressive and accurate.

WRAP PAPER-TOWEL 🧻 around your filter. And just change the paper towel when full. You can also wash these filters with a garden hose. Leave centrifugal force alone. Leave Newton out of it too. 😌

Hey, how much did the filter weigh when new? It would show how much dust remained after spinning..just saying…

Dude….LOVE THIS

Use an old 5 gallon bucket with a hole in the lid to spin the filter in. That should contain the dust really well.

A cheep pillow cover over the filter works wonders to keep that dust away from the main filter

Cover the other hole! Spinning it makes it a "fan" and the open end will suck up the fines. Where do you go that the dirt doesn't land back on you? I'll stick with the old and tried or a new one. Great comedy sketch you got there.