Need to clean your Vax Blade 4’s brush bar? Here’s a simple method for removing hair and cleaning the brush of this popular cordless vacuum cleaner.
The Vax Blade 4 doesn’t have anti-hair technology, so it’s normal for long fibres to get caught around the brush bar. The brush bar can also get clogged with dirt and other debris over time.
Unfortunately, tangles and clogging can cause your Vax to perform worse than it should.
This is because wrapped hair prevents the brush fibres from agitating the carpet, which worsens carpet pickup. Severe clogging can even cause the vacuum’s brush bar to stop turning.
For these reasons, it’s important to maintain your Vax vacuum brush bar. The good news is that it’s easy to remove the Vax Blade 4’s brush bar for cleaning. Here’s a guide to doing just that – and it only takes a few minutes!
Note: This method should also work for the Vax Blade 2 and 3. You can use a similar method for the Vax Blade Pro 32V, although you should check for any differences in the manual instructions.
What You’ll Need
- Coin to unlock the brush bar
- Scissors
Note: Do not use water, a wet cloth, or any cleaning products for the process below.
Step 1: Remove The Floorhead
Before you start trying to clean the Vax Blade 4 brush bar, it’s best to remove the floorhead from the machine. You can do this by pressing the blue button at the bottom of the wand.
There are two reasons for this:
- It’s much easier to work with the floorhead when it’s not attached to the main vacuum.
- Removing the floorhead means there’s no chance of accidentally switching the vacuum on while cleaning the brush, which could cause injury.
Step 2: Remove The Brush Bar
Use a coin to turn the lock at the end of the Vax Blade 4 brush bar. You should then be able to slide out the brush bar from the floorhead, which makes it much easier to clean.
On a side note, it’s great that Vax makes it so simple to remove the brush bar from the Blade 4’s floorhead. Maintenance is often overlooked when buying a vacuum cleaner, but it’s much easier to clean the Blade 4’s brush bar than many other models.
Step 3: Cut Away Tangled Hair Or Carpet Fibres
Now it’s time to cut away hair and other fibres that have become caught around the brush bar.
Slide the scissors along the groove in the brush bar, as this makes it easier to get the scissors underneath the fibres. Be careful not to cut any of the bristles on the brush, as this could affect performance.
Vax doesn’t recommend using water to clean the brush bar. Instead, just cut caught fibres and use a dry cloth to remove debris build-up.
Step 4: Wipe The Floorhead Interior
With the brush bar removed, this is a good time to clean inside the floorhead itself. Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe down the inside to remove any loose debris. Do not use water for this.
You should also check the air outlet in the floorhead for any blockages or clogging. Even a partial blockage here will reduce airflow, leading to reduced suction power.
Step 5: Re-Fit The Brush Bar
The final step is to replace the brush bar inside the floorhead. As we haven’t used any moisture to clean the brush bar or floorhead, this can be done immediately without needing to wait for it to dry.
Slide the brush bar into the floorhead. You’ll need to ensure that the bar is correctly aligned with the spindle on the other end of the floorhead.
Once re-fitted, use a coin to turn the lock back into the correct position. And you’re done!
Summary
The Vax Blade 4 is a cordless stick vacuum that’s at the lower end of the price spectrum. It performs decently for the price, making it a popular option for people who don’t want to spend a fortune on a Dyson or Miele cordless.
When hair becomes tangled around the brush bar, it can prevent the bristles from digging into carpet fibres. This reduces performance and makes your Vax less effective on carpets.
For this reason, it’s important to regularly remove caught fibres using the method outlined above. Here’s a quick recap:
- Always make sure the vacuum is switched off before performing any maintenance.
- Remove the floorhead from the vacuum.
- Use a coin to unlock the brush bar and slide it out of the floorhead.
- Run scissors along the groove in the brush bar and cut away tangled hair.
- Use a dry cloth to wipe the inside of the floorhead. Check for any blockages at the outlet.
- Slide the brush bar back into position and return the end cap to a locked position.
We hope this article has helped you to remove hair from your Vax Blade’s brush bar. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below. You may also want to read our guide to cleaning the Vax Blade 4’s filter.