Central vacuum cleaning sheets
Fresh air for a stinky appliance
Your central vacuum is not just a major appliance, it’s also a massive pipe system. Only the central power unit of this system is visible. The main piping lays hidden. A central vacuum system may have hundreds of feet of plastic pipe meandering through your walls, attic, crawlspace, basement, and soffits.
Keeping it clean
Central vacuums are really handy. If you have one, it’s likely to be put into service frequently, and will often be used to suck up rather filthy debris. In time, this process will build-up a layer of dirt on the insides of the pipes and leave the entire system smelling, well, dirty.
The solution
Central vacuum cleaning sheets. When suctioned through the hose, these treated sheets rub on the inside of the piping. This action cleans the pipe walls as the sheets travel through the system to the main vacuum unit. Along the way, the sheets will often collide with stuck objects in the tubes. Crayons, nerf balls, batteries, model cars, dried candy, hair-balls, cocoa puffs, and just about anything else will get pushed along by the moving sheets and end up in the main vacuum canister.
How it works
This reason this works is because vacuum cleaning sheets are designed with the perfect balance of size, density and moisture to create suction pressure. The pressure causes the sheets to adhere and scrub on the interior walls of the pipe. As the sheets travel through the pipes they wipe and clean the surfaces.
If the system is old you may want to repeat the process several times. Run sheets through from all the various ports starting with the closest and moving outward to the others.
The powerfully pleasant scent leaves the entire system smelling clean and fresh. Even the exhaust air exiting the main unit is fresher because after passing through the system, the cleaning sheets simply remain in the bin till emptied. I did not find a scent-free version but you may be able to achieve similar results by using unscented dryer sheets for the same purpose.
Can cleaning sheets clog your pipes?
If your system has experienced a tough clog, this product should push it all through. Unfortunately there is a chance it could get stopped up even more. That may turn out to be a good thing as sometimes clogging the pipe can actually help the vacuum build enough pressure to force the mess through.
If not, then the clog was certain to be a problem anyway because something is stuck fast in the piping or hose. If you have something stuck like this, you may need to have your contractor come out and free up the problem. Once the problem is cleared you will be able to use the service sheets again with no issues.
Summary
Cleaning sheets are easy to use if you follow the directions. Simply vacuum a cleaning sheet through the hose at each wall port. Repeat the process after each use thereafter. The product comes in a container with 25 sheets so you may want to get several containers. The result is a cleaner, fresher-smelling system with stronger, uninterrupted air flow. Plus a happier homeowner! I can attest to that…and you can get them here.
