How to Take Care of Your Shark Stratos (From Someone Who Works on These Daily)
Hey everybody, Matt here with House of Vacuums. In case you missed the video, I wanted to throw together a quick guide on how to care for and maintain your Shark Stratos. Whether you're trying to keep things running smoothly or troubleshoot a loss in suction, these are the same steps I use every day in the shop—and they’ll help extend the life of your vacuum at home too.
Start with the Nozzle
First thing I always do is separate all the major parts of the machine so we can deal with them one at a time. Let’s talk about the nozzle first.
The Stratos has that odor neutralizer cartridge, which you can twist and remove. Yes, it’s a replaceable part, which I always find a little ironic for a bagless vacuum brand, but here we are. Shark recommends changing it every six months, though if you’ve got pets, I’d say monthly is smarter.
There’s a little button that pops off the fluffy brushroll—super easy. That brushroll is washable, so just rinse it with dish soap, let it dry for 24 hours, and it’s good to go. While you’re down there, keep an eye on the comb area underneath, because that’s where hair tends to gather with the DuoClean system.
Also, even though the brushroll is designed to resist hair wrap, over time you’ll notice the plastic fins can split. Once that happens, hair starts building up in those damaged areas. Just something to keep in mind as the vacuum gets older.
Tracking Down Clogs
If you’re experiencing weak suction, clogs are a likely culprit. Start by checking the air path in the nozzle—you should be able to see through it. I usually stick a finger in there or shine a light. If you don’t see light or movement, it’s time to clear it out.
Then move on to the wand and then the hose. Now, the hose is a bit of a pain because it’s got angled ends, which makes it hard to snake anything through. You can try “back-sucking” the clog with another vacuum (if you’ve got one handy). If not, carefully use a metal coat hanger bent into a hook—but be gentle. It’s vinyl, and it’s easy to poke a hole through if you’re not careful.
Honestly, if you’re nervous about damaging anything, just bring it into a local vacuum shop. We deal with this all the time.
Filter Cleaning—Don’t Skip This
Next up: filter maintenance. You’ve got two pre-motor filters—a fiber one and a foam one. These are super important to keep clean. When they get dirty, you risk dust slipping into the motor and also losing performance.
Now, Shark originally said to clean these every six months, then three months, and now they’ve finally landed on monthly. And that’s what I recommend, too. If you live in a really dusty area, clean them every two weeks.
To clean them, just rinse with water—no soap, because that can leave residue. Personally, I use a degreaser like the purple one from Sam’s Club or Simple Green, which rinses clean. After rinsing, let them dry for at least 24 hours—even if they feel dry to the touch, give them a full day.
Your HEPA filter (post-motor) is also washable. I suggest checking that every six months. Same drill—gentle degreaser, rinse well, and air dry thoroughly.
Don’t Forget the Dust Cup
Lastly, the dust bin. There’s a coarse cylinder filter inside the cup that’s not removable, but it needs to stay clean. A lot of people overlook this, and it definitely affects suction if it gets clogged.
You can wipe it out with a wet microfiber cloth, or vacuum it if you’ve got another machine handy. Thankfully, the Stratos cup is roomy enough that you can actually get your hand inside to clean it—something that wasn’t possible with the Apex or Vertex.
That’s a Wrap
So that’s the full rundown—odor cartridge, brushroll, clogs, filters, and bin maintenance. These are the steps I follow when servicing a Shark Stratos, and they’ll absolutely help you get the most out of yours.
If you found this helpful, don’t forget to give the video a thumbs up. It really helps me out and keeps content like this coming. Thanks for stopping by—and I’ll see you in the next one!
