The Shark brand of vacuum cleaners are some of the most effective and efficient on the market. They excel at cleaning some of the worst messes off carpets, wood floors, linoleum, and other surfaces. Even the best vacuum cleaner, though, can only operate at peak performance if you take care of it.
If you find that your Shark vacuum cleaner is failing to pick up debris as well as it once did, the air draw for the suction is probably being impeded by a full dust bin. Fortunately, the solution to this problem is quite simple: emptying the bin should allow the air to flow freely once more and you’ll be vacuuming again in no time.
How exactly to empty your Shark vacuum’s dust bin, however, depends on the precise model or version that you have. The following tutorial walks through how to open and empty some of the most popular models of Shark vacuum cleaners.
What you will need to follow this tutorial:
- Shark brand vacuum cleaner.
- Trash can.
- Dust pan and broom.
- Sink and clean towels or paper towels.
Step by step instructions
Broadly speaking, all models of Shark vacuum cleaners will follow the same general process for emptying the dust bin:
- Turn off the vacuum cleaner and unplug the cord from the wall outlet.
- Take hold of the handle on the vacuum cleaner’s dust bin.
- Press the release on the dust bin and lift the bin out of the vacuum cleaner’s body.
- Holding the bin over your trash, press the release button—which is usually located next to or on the dust bin—and empty the contents of the bin into the trash.
- If a film of dirt has built up inside the canister, put it in the sink and rinse it clean with water, then thoroughly dry it with clean towels or paper towels.
- Close the bottom of the dust bin and re-insert the bin into your vacuum cleaner.
- Use a dust pan and broom to sweep up any dust or debris that spilled while you were emptying the bin.
The different models of Shark vacuum cleaners, however, do have some slight variations on these steps. For example, some Shark vacuum cleaners come equipped with a pre-motor filter or a HEP filter that may need to be removed and cleaned or replaced in order to prevent the airflow from becoming constricted.
Here are instructions for emptying the dust bin on five of the most popular models of Shark vacuum cleaners.
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum Cleaner
- Turn off the power and disconnect the vacuum cleaner’s power cord from the electrical outlet.
- Slide the dust bin release tabs located at the top of the dust bin.
- Remove the dust bin from the body of the vacuum cleaner.
- Hold the dust bin over the trash can and press the lower release tab to open the bottom door and drop the debris out the bottom of the dust bin.
- To fully empty the dust bin, press the upper release tab to release the top lid and turn the dust bin upside down over the trash, tapping it gently to release any remaining dust or debris.
- Once the dust bin is empty, close the top lid and bottom door and reinsert the dust bin into the vacuum cleaner.
Shark Rotator Lift-Away
- Turn off the power and disconnect the vacuum cleaner’s power cord from the electrical outlet.
- Remove the dust bin from the body of the vacuum cleaner by either pulling upward on the dust bin release latch or depressing the dust bin release button (this varies depending on the precise version of this model). Both the latch and the button can be found near the top of the dust bin.
- Hold the dust bin over the trash can and push the bottom door release latch, which is found on the front of the dust bin.
- To fully empty the dust bin, press the upper release tab to release the top lid and turn the dust bin upside down over the trash, tapping it gently to release any remaining dust or debris.
- Once the dust bin is empty, close the top lid and bottom door and reinsert the dust bin into the vacuum cleaner.
SharkFLEX Vacuum Cleaner
- Turn off the power and disconnect the vacuum cleaner’s power cord from the electrical outlet.
- Either detach the hand vacuum portion of the machine from the vacuum cleaner’s wand portion or detach the dust bin itself directly from the hand vacuum portion.
- Remove the dust bin from the body of the vacuum cleaner.
- Hold the dust bin over the trash can and press the release tab to open the bottom door and drop the debris out the bottom of the dust bin.
- Once the dust bin is empty, close the bottom door and reinsert the dust bin into the vacuum cleaner.
Shark APEX DuoClean
- Turn off the power and disconnect the vacuum cleaner’s power cord from the electrical outlet.
- Remove the dust bin from the main body of the vacuum cleaner by pressing on the release button that can be found near the hand wand, adjacent to the top of the dust bin.
- Hold the dust bin over the trash can and push the bottom door release latch, which is found on the front of the dust bin.
- To fully empty the dust bin, press the upper release tab to release the top lid and turn the dust bin upside down over the trash, tapping it gently to release any remaining dust or debris.
- Once the dust bin is empty, close the top lid and bottom door and reinsert the dust bin into the vacuum cleaner.
Shark ION Cordless, Shark IONFlex Cordless, and Shark ION Rocket Cordless Vacuum Cleaners
- Turn off the power and remove the vacuum cleaner’s rechargeable battery.
- Press the release button in order to detach the hand vacuum cleaner from the wand.
- Remove the dust bin compartment from the vacuum’s body.
- While holding the dust bin over the trash can, press the release button to open the dust bin’s bottom door.
- Once the dust bin is empty, close the top lid and bottom door and reinsert the dust bin into the vacuum cleaner.
Like all household appliances, your Shark vacuum cleaner must be cleaned and care for in order to provide you with its best possible performance. Neglecting upkeep by not emptying the dust bin on a regular basis will shorten the functional life of the vacuum cleaner and greatly reduce its cleaning capacity.
I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and that it has helped you navigate the process of emptying out your Shark vacuum cleaner, no matter which model you happen to own. Let me know what you think by posting in the comments section below. And if you found this tutorial helpful, or know of other people who might find it helpful, please do share it.
