We’ve all done it… you’re happily vacuuming away when suddenly you realise you’ve sucked a stray sock into the machine and now the brushes won’t turn anymore. What to do next? We have all the right ideas to get you cleaning again… “Your machine is working perfectly and it’s a ‘good cleaning day.’ Then you hear a strange sound and your machine sounds as though it is getting louder and making a rattling sound. What on earth has happened? You switch off and realise that you’ve pulled something into the front of the machine. The first thing to do is unplug your machine and then, if obvious, carefully pull the offending item out. Then, turn your machine back on and look downwards; is the brushbar rotating again? If it is, great, you can continue with your cleaning, but do be aware of stray socks and crafty curtains next time you vacuum! It’s always a good idea before you start to go around the room and pick up any large items that may cause this sort of problem.

Tassels on rugs or curtains can cause the same issue, so make sure you give them a wide berth. Brushes no long rotating? The next step will depend on the style of upright vacuum cleaner you own. Traditional upright models feature a consumable drive belt which may need to be checked and replaced, but others allow you to attempt to ‘reset’ the brushes and resume cleaning immediately. Now is the time to dig out that user guide and look at the troubleshooting section! Modern upright vacuum cleaners feature a ‘reset’ system for their brushbars, meaning no more changing belts! With the machine unplugged, check for any material trapped across the brushbar and remove, for example carefully cutting away wrapped threads with scissors. Then, turn the machine back on and press the brushbar reset button. You may then have to separately turn the brushbar on again. Check the user guide for the specific steps for your model. If your cleaner has a traditional drive belt, your user guide will explain how to check and change the belt.

Usually, this involves removing a number of screws from the base. The drive belt is designed to fail if too much tension occurs, helping protect the motor of your cleaner from lasting damage, so can happen even after a small amount of use. It’s a very good idea to buy a spare drive belt for such models to keep in your cupboard on standby, as it’s a real pain for this accident to happen when you don’t have a spare at hand. Broken belts or ‘tripped’ reset systems are the most common reasons for a brushbar not turning, but there are some other less common reasons too. If your brushbar is still not working after following the above steps, then you should contact your vacuum cleaner’s manufacturer for further assistance. How helpful did you find our tips? Do you have a system for avoiding obstructions when vacuuming? Leave a comment and let us know! Vax 1500 Watt Steam cleaner VRS16S Vax Bare Floor Pro Steam Mop S2S-1 Vax Steam Mop Bare Floor Pro With Detergent S2S-1