I love this! First, let me state that this is one of the very few commercial products I now use in my home. But I don’t use it the traditional way, but in a way that is more practical, makes a bit more sense (to me) and has actually been pretty awesome!
Our vacuum is over 11 years old and with time it has developed a dusty, musky smell.
BUT…. because this vacuum is 11 years old, runs several times per week over kid junk, food crumbs (I vacuum my pergo floors a lot), dirt and other mysterious items….. it can get a smell!
So I have done two things – vanilla on a cotton ball and essential oils on a cotton ball and placed in the bag.
These methods are natural and good…. but they only last a couple of weeks.
Myself and a few ladies from church were deep cleaning and one friend brought her own vacuum (church vacuums aren’t always the best :)). She started vacuuming and I was thinking to myself, “Wow, her vacuum smells so good… how is that possible?”
So, a few minutes later… she told us what she did…. she just poured a bit of the Downy Unstoppables beads in her vacuum bag.
So I headed home, as I had a sample of this from the mail in my samples pile that had been sitting there forever as I didn’t think my families super sensitive skin would like it on our clothing.
Well, I dumped it in the bag and sure enough…. It masked the dusty, musky scent from my vacuum! I am hooked!
So this last time, I went a bought the smallest bottle of these beads and poured about a half a cup into my bag. I am now just making this habit – each time I need to replace the bag, pour these beads in!
As you can see, even after using a half cup, I still have a huge portion of beads left. I am thinking the small 13.2 oz bottle will last me for over a year!
The best part is that the scent will last for 12 weeks. We were able to smell it the first round until we replaced the bag. Granted, the smell got weaker, but not like my other methods that only included natural sources that lasted a very short time comparatively. Please note, Downy Unstoppables are marketed to last and create that pleasant scent for 12 weeks!
Now I will say, the scent is far too strong for our laundry, environmental allergies and skin sensitivities, but a vacuum…. AH PERFECT!!
We bought ours on Amazon. Here’s why: It’s the same price as Walmart (Walmart $6.97 and Amazon $6.97)
But on Amazon, there are two additional ways to save – the 5-20% Subscribe and Save Discount (the discount is higher the more items you order) and a $1 off coupon! So you can get this for $4.58 shipped free to your door and you don’t have to leave home.
Please note, this is an “add-on” item, which means you need to have a cart total of $25 or more to receive this special pricing! So grab some other super deals on household items or other things you are in need of and add this to get the pricing (think that most everything you would buy from Walmart in the household department is the same price on Amazon, but you get the 5-20% discount and coupons where applicable).
Here’s how to get Downy Unstoppables for $4.58, shipped free!
- Head to Amazon HERE to see the Downy Unstoppables 13.2 oz size on sale for $6.97
- Choose the subscribe and save option on the right and this will save you an additional 5-20% (the more subscribe and save you have done in the past, the bigger the discount) =$5.58 – $6.62
- Then clip the $1.00 off coupon = $4.58 – $5.62 each bottle shipped free!
Even without subscribe and save, the sale price of $6.97 – $1.00 ecoupon for $5.97 total will still save you money over Walmart and Target!
See more Amazon Deals
Please note: the 5-20% discount is for the Subscribe and Save option. Amazon states that you can cancel subscribe and save at any time, including right after the order. So if you do not intend to continue having them automatically delivered, cancel the subscribe and save soon after so you do not forget (wait for your items to ship before canceling as it will cancel your current order)!
Ruby
Very curious about 1 thing. What about those of us with bagless vacuums. Is there any way this would work with those? Maybe using fewer beads each time??
Cassie
Good question Ruby. I am assuming you can throw a few in each time after you dump it! It would at least be worth a try!
cindy
I wonder if you could make a small cotton bag especially for it for the bagless v’s.
Susan
for the bagless vacuums, just take the filter out of the back, and place a fabric sheet around the filter, and place the filter back into the vacuum. I hope this works for you, It works for me. Sometimes, I spray my favorite perfume on a tissue or paper towel, and wrap it around the filter. Especially, after a fight with my husband, because he loves the smell of my perfume, and the fragrance reminds him of happy times, and he forgets about being angry with me.
Wynonah
Another SUPERB Idea – thanks!
Jenn
Yes just open the top where the filter clicks in and pour it inside the filter part.
Sophie Katy Sanderson
Works great i do this all the time
Jessi
Scentsy has ‘washer whiffs’ that I do this with, their scent is stronger so I can use less and because I use them with my laundry also I buy 3-6 bottles at a time to save money and have a variety if scents!
Debi N
I put about 1/8 cup in a small bag and put it in my car for an air freshener!!! Works like a dream and way cheaper than the ones you have to buy!!!
Harriett
I use these as a car freshner also and they last forever and smell wonderful
Jennifer Knouf
Do they melt in the heat?
Mindi
I have a bag less vacuum but am going to try putting beads in a stocking and when emptying canister take out stocking and put back in till smell is gone.
Hillary
You could also use Scentsy’s Washer Whiffs for this. What a great idea! The Washer Whiffs come in 10 different scents and you probably wouldn’t have to use as many. They are $12 for 16 oz. but you can also have them delivered every month, every other month, as part of the Customer Loyalty Program.
Thanks for the tip, and I will surely pass it along to my customers as another way to use their Washer Whiffs.
I am trying this today, by the way !!!! 🙂
eiona southerland
wondering how you would use these beads in a bagless vacuum
janice
My sister gave me some of the cheaper brand of these beads for the wash & I don’t know why I thought to do this but I live in a cold area of the country & I always have water in a big pan to put moisture in the home I added some about 1/4 cup to the water & it made the whole house smell great!! I usually do my own spices in the water But this works great to. But am a little conserned about what its putting in the air. It can’t be anyworse than anything else we breath in I hope. Thanks for the tip I will try it in my vacuum.
Valerie
I was going to get the coupon above but it leads you to where you have to fill out a form to get all kinds of stuff. I’ve tried this before and they never ever sent me anything. I’m not sure if it was this one but after I did it I started getting a lot of trash stuff. People trying to sell me stuff. But never free coupons or samples. How do I know this one is different. Please help. Thank you. Valerie
Denise
I love unstoppables dissolved in hot water for fabreeze and I’ll also mix it with water and put it in my wax warmer. Smells amazing and lasts longer than commercial versions.
Dede
Hey Denise!
Not sure what type of warmer you have but I use scentsy and that’s a big no-no. I’d look at the bottle to see the warnings, but I’ve seen a few posts saying that it’s not meant to be heated up and releases a heap of toxins. I’m not trying to tell you how to do things at all, id just feel bad if I kept moving and didn’t say something.
Denise
Also look up Odoban. A gallon of dilute able solution is about 8 dollars and you only use a little at a time. I use it for scent and virus killing purposes , but it’s green , safe for kids and pets and has a million different uses. Disinfects better and faster than bleach. I found out about it through working in a daycare and now I use it at home.
Wynonah
Why not use a sachet of muslin or an organic tea-pouch and instead of putting the beads INTO the bag, set it next to the bag inside the bag area (we used to put a bar of soap next to the bag – a grandma trick); this would work the same AND you wouldn’t be using nearly as much of the beads.
I have a Dyson, I’m going to try this in a sachet, but not sure where to put it. yet. Thanks for a great blog, and a superb idea!!
Maria
Will this smell perfume the carpet or it’s just for the smell inside the vaccum cleaner?
Cassie
Hi Maria,
It doesn’t make the carpet smell. It’s entirely locked up inside the vacuum back and only freshens the air from the vacuum. Hopefully that helps. 🙂
Debi
I have a Dyson bagless vacuum, and I have actually used the unstoppables to freshen my vac, by sprinkling about 1/4 cup of the beads on the carpet, and then vacuuming them up. The vacuum continues to smell nice until I empty the cup. I only do it occasionally…. usually before company comes, not every time I vac.
Alex Dinwiddie
Since we don’t like artificial chemical smells, I put fresh orange peels in the bag and change the bag every two or three weeks.
Jonathan Telins
I’ll definitely have to give this a try. When I first bought my bagged vacuum it came with these “Febreze bags” which I think did something similar to what these Unstopables do, but it only lasted for the first like two times that I vacuumed. If these can actually last for the entire ~6 weeks that a bag usually lasts me, that would be amazing!
Nancy
vacuum cleaners bags and fragance sticks