How to Get Hair Off a Vacuum Brush Roll
Wrapped hair is the most common reason a vacuum stops picking things up. The brush can't reach the floor, the motor works harder, and the vacuum may start to smell. Clearing it takes about five minutes.
Before you start
- Turn it off and unplug it, or remove the battery on a cordless vacuum.
- Check the manual. Most brush rolls pop out with a button, a latch or a coin-turn screw.
Step by step
- Remove the brush roll from the floor head if it comes out. It's much easier to clean in your hand.
- Cut along the groove. Many brush rolls have a groove running along their length. Slide small scissors or a seam ripper along it to cut through the wrapped hair. Some vacuums come with a cutting tool for this.
- Pull the cut hair away. It should come off in strips.
- Check the ends. Hair winds into the end caps and bearings, where it does the most damage. Pull the end caps off if they come off, and clear them.
- Wipe the brush housing inside the floor head, and check the air path for clogs.
- Put it back and run the vacuum for a few seconds to check it spins freely.
Never use a sharp blade near the bristles at an angle, or you'll cut them too. Work along the groove.
How often
- Homes with long-haired pets or people: check every week or two.
- Short-haired pets: every few weeks.
- Any time suction drops, the brush stops spinning, or you smell burning.
Make it happen less
- Choose an anti-tangle brush roll. Many newer vacuums use combs, fins or special brush shapes to stop hair wrapping. The Shark PowerPro Reveal Plus has a self-cleaning PowerFins brushroll, for example.
- Use the right tool. On upholstery, a pet tool built to resist tangles works better than the main brush. The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Lite pet tool cuts hair as it picks it up.
- Brush your pet outdoors during heavy shedding. Less hair on the floor means less on the brush.
For five cordless vacuums compared on anti-tangle brushes and filtration, see our cordless vacuum for pet hair comparison.