Laundering cloth DC bags?

[Jon Grider]

Has anyone done this, and did it help restore the 'suck' in your system? I'm thinking the fine 'cake' has diminished the suction on my system. I tried shaking them out[outside of course] but that didn't seem to help as much as I'd hoped. Think I'll destroy the bag or shrink it so it won't fit anymore if I run it through our front loader before my wife gets home?

[Jamie Buxton]

I've done, and the bags survived. Your survival if your wife catches you -- well only you can gauge that.

The trade-off is that the cake on the inside actually helps keep the really fine sawdust particles inside the bag. So with laundering you get more airflow, but poorer filtering.

[Callan Campbell]

Has anyone done this, and did it help restore the 'suck' in your system? I'm thinking the fine 'cake' has diminished the suction on my system. I tried shaking them out[outside of course] but that didn't seem to help as much as I'd hoped. Think I'll destroy the bag or shrink it so it won't fit anymore if I run it through our front loader before my wife gets home?

When I was washing my older Jet bags out, I soaked them in a bucket with a tiny amount of laundry detergent, sloshed the bag around, rinsed it and dried it by air drying. As the other poster stated, you lose the "cake" as its known inside the bag that helps with the finest dust, but you get back your airflow by cleaning the bags from time to time.

[Paul Atkins]

Isn't that what washing machines are for? I could make Prestologs from the lint trap around here.

[Clarence Miller]

I have done this but air dry them do not put them in the dryer, they'll shrink. Also use a laundromat's equipment, it's much safer than using the tools of the one you live with. I experimented with mold making and tried to use the oven for a slow kiln, I still catch grief for that once and awhile

[Callan Campbell]

Isn't that what washing machines are for? I could make Prestologs from the lint trap around here.

By handing washing the filter bags, you avoid any trouble with washing machine problems and spouses that claim the machines as their own. I'd use a gentle cycle and very little detergent if I was going to use a machine for this.

[Steve Jenkins]

I turned them inside out, layed them on the floor and used a vacumn cleaner.

[Ken Shoemaker]

John,
I had exactly the same problem with a Delta 5-850. I went to Ebay and found a cyclone that for $220.00 I used the same motor and impeller to super charge my system. I think I could put golf balls thru the thing now. http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=133177 Check out this thread for pics.

I LOVE this thing!!! Not affiliated with the seller in any manner... Just satisfied.

Ken

[Larry Edgerton]

I do mine at the laundrymat.