ARE YOU CLEANING YOUR DUST COLLECTOR FILTER WRONG?
That crank on your dust collector’s filter? Use it too often, and you’re grinding tiny holes that let fine dust back into your shop. Here’s the smarter way to clean your filter so it lasts longer and keeps your air cleaner.
We’ve made quite a few dust collection tutorials over the years, so I get a lot of comments and questions about dust collection filters. You can find some great videos here on this subject.
One question I see from time to time really perplexes me. Not because people ask it—that makes perfect sense. I actually find it confusing myself. What I don’t understand is why some filters come with internal agitators for cleaning.
This just seems like a bad idea.
Maybe I’m missing something, and some filter company will come along and explain it to me. But it’s going to be a hard sell, because these paddle-style “beater-cleaners” seem to defy common sense.
Are You Rubbing Holes in Your Filter?
A pleated canister filter is made from paper. Durable paper, sure—sometimes marketed as a synthetic fiber weave—but at the end of the day, it’s still essentially paper. So what do you think will happen if you aggressively rub something across those thin pleats?
With frequent cleanings, you’re bound to wear it out prematurely. The filter media is just too thin and fragile to handle that kind of treatment. You might not notice it right away, but common sense suggests that over time, you’re creating pin-sized holes and tiny tears—just enough to let fine dust escape into the air.
Maybe if you're really gentle—turning the crank slowly, making only a couple of revolutions—it wouldn’t be so bad. But that’s not what people do. They grab that handle and crank it as fast as they can to get the filter “really clean.” And since it’s so easy to do, they do it frequently. After all, a clean filter is an efficient filter, right?
I’ve never seen independent testing on this, but again, common sense tells me: you’re slowly killing your expensive filter if you’re being aggressive with it. If your system has an internal agitator, I’d suggest using it sparingly—if at all.
How to Clean a Canister Filter Properly
Here’s how to do it the right way.
Wear gloves. The outer mesh can be sharp.
Tap gently all over the outside. You’re just trying to knock loose the worst of the dust caked between the inner pleats. Don’t beat the crap out of it—you don’t want to dent the mesh.
Blow air across the outside. Believe it or not, a leaf blower works surprisingly well for this. Keep the nozzle close and go over the surface a few times.
Use compressed air—if needed. If the leaf blower didn’t get it clean enough, you can use compressed air, but go easy. Turn it down to about 60–80 PSI and hold the nozzle a few inches away.
This is especially important if you have an ultra-fine NANO filter, which contains a secondary inner layer of fibers. You don’t want to delaminate that layer by blasting air too close or at too high a pressure.
I found a flat nozzle on Amazon that works great for this because it fans out the air, covering more surface area. It also makes the process quicker and gentler on the filter media.
Personally, I usually go over the outside of the filter once with compressed air, and two or three times with a leaf blower. I don’t rush, but I also don’t overdo it.
How Often Should You Clean the Filter?
That depends on how often you use your dust collector. I wouldn’t necessarily put it on a strict schedule. Just keep an eye on your system’s performance. If it seems like it’s not sucking up dust as well as it should, it’s probably time to clean the filter.
For most fairly active garage workshops, this might be once or twice a year.
Don’t Have a Canister Filter? Get One.
I know—they’re expensive. But filter bags kill your suction and dump the finest dust right into the air, where you can breathe it in more efficiently. You’ll be amazed how much better a single-stage dust collector performs when you upgrade to a canister filter.
If You Must Use a Filter Bag...
Shake it. Vigorously. But don’t take it off the collector and bang it out. And definitely do not wash it. Washing will remove the coating from the cloth, destroying its ability to filter fine particles.
In fact, you don’t want a bag filter to be too clean. A bit of dust cake actually helps trap more fine dust, improving filtration.
A clean filter is important—but so is a smart cleaning method. Treat your filter right, and it’ll last longer, work better, and keep your air cleaner.
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