How to Clean Your Levoit Air Purifier

Levoit is one of the top brands of air purification appliances on the market today.

The brand is so reliable and creates excellent air purifiers that I needed a little convincing to get one myself (I own the Levoit 300s).

I immediately put it to use the door the second I got my unit through the door.

Within hours, it made a massive difference to my quality of life by cleaning the air from all irritants that typically trigger my asthma.

After some weeks, I knew it was time to clean it, but I had yet to learn how.

Through trial and error, a few hours browsing the internet, and getting some help from a friend who owns a similar model to mine, I made it happen.

So if you’re wondering how to clean your Levoit air purifier, I will go over everything you need to know in this article.

This includes why you need to clean your unit, how often you should clean it, and how to actually do it.

Why Do I Need to Clean My Air Purifier?

To understand why you need to clean your air purifier, I want to explain how air purifiers work.

The Levoit Core 300s is a fan with an advanced filtration system enclosed in a plastic case.

The fan blows unfiltered air through the filtration system, capturing VOCs, pollutants, dust, and other harmful particles.

This ensures that the air from the air purifier is clean and particle-free.

However, the particles have to go somewhere, which happens to be inside the air purifier.

So, all these particles can build up inside the air purifier over time, affecting its functionality.

For example, suppose the pre-filter has too many particles trapped, and you must clean your air purifier. In that case, you will run into trouble rather quickly.

This is true for all the filters built into the Levoit Core 300s, so you will need to clean the air purifier after some time to ensure the filters work correctly.

And when it comes to cleaning your unit, it doesn’t only include the pre-filter.

You must also wipe down your unit throughout, as dust and other collected particles can build in different areas.

Now that you know why you need to clean your unit, let’s look at how you should actually do it.

How To Clean a Levoit Air Purifier

Most Levoit air purifiers have a similar design, so cleaning them is relatively the same regardless of your model.

Remember that the exact steps to cleaning your Levoit air purifier will vary depending on your model.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to thoroughly clean the Levoit Core 300S.

You can also follow these steps for the Levoit Core 300 and even the 400 models, but make sure to refer to the manual before doing so to be safe.

Do this even if your air purifier differs from the 300 and 400 series.

What You’ll Need

Firstly, we have to discuss the equipment you’ll need to clean the air purifier safely and effectively.

Air purifiers aren’t the most complex appliances, so you will only need a few tools to clean them.

In fact, all you’ll need is a vacuum cleaner and a clean cloth.

You won’t need to use any cleaning agents; at the most, you’ll probably need a bit of water to dampen the cloth.

So, once you have all of that ready, you can proceed to the next step.

Preparation

The first thing you need to do is pick an appropriate place to clean your air purifier.

If the weather allows, do it outside.

When I first cleaned my air purifier, I did it indoors, and half of the dust must have ended up inside my home.

I quickly learned from my mistake; whenever I needed to clean the unit, I did it outdoors.

However, that’s only sometimes possible.

So, you’ll need to be very careful with cleaning the unit or doing it on tiles or vinyl, so the dust doesn’t get stuck in the carpet.

If anyone in the house has respiratory conditions, you will want them to exit the room.

You want them to avoid accidentally inhaling many particles at a time.

With that in mind, it’s also best to wear a protective face mask and gloves when cleaning the air purifier to prevent dust from getting on or in your lungs.

Additionally, you must ensure the air purifier is turned off and unplugged before cleaning it.

This ensures safety while cleaning the air purifier and 

keeps you from accidentally damaging the machine or injuring yourself.

Cleaning the Exterior

The next step to cleaning your air purifier is wiping down the exterior.

Most Levoit air purifiers are white, so they will get dirty over time.

So, once the air purifier is unplugged and turned off, you can start cleaning the exterior by wiping it with a clean cloth.

Most of the time, a simple dry cloth will be enough to remove any marks and dirt from the air purifier’s exterior.

However, if you find that the air purifier has collected a lot of dirt and the clean cloth isn’t doing the job, you can dampen the cloth slightly.

This should loosen all the dirt on your air purifier and clean the exterior.

That said, ensure you don’t use other cleaning agents like soap, which can damage the air purifier.

You should clean the air purifier’s exterior more often than the interior, as it gets dirty much faster, especially if you live in a dusty area.

Cleaning the Filter

One of my favorite features of Levoit air purifiers is that they have cleanable filters.

Most of the time, air purifiers have fully replaceable filters you can’t clean and must replace once they get dirty.

But if you have the Levoit Core 300s or similar, you can remove the filter every couple of months and vacuum it.

This extends its lifespan and reduces the frequency of you having to change the filters yourself.

To clean the filter, all you have to do is remove it from the air purifier.

Levoit air purifiers don’t require you to unscrew anything when removing the filter, which is why you don’t need any special tools to do the job.

Once you’ve removed the filter, you can use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dirt and dust trapped by the filter.

Again, you want to ensure you’re wearing a respiratory mask, as some dust may escape and end up in your lungs.

If you wear an excellent respiratory mask, you won’t have to worry about the dust getting into your lungs.

Make sure you remove as much dust and dirt as possible with the vacuum cleaner before putting it back in the air purifier.

Remember that the pre-filter is the only cleanable filter on the Levoit Core 300s (and most other Levoit units).

You aren’t supposed to clean the carbon and HEPA filters as those need to be replaced after 6-8 months.

Replacing the Filter

While you can easily clean the filter of Levoit air purifiers to extend its lifespan, you still have to eventually replace the filter after some time.

Now, live in a particularly polluted area. You might have to change the filter sooner than people like me living in relatively non-polluted areas.

But luckily, the Levoit Core 300s has a check filter light that reminds you when it might be time to replace your filter.

If it’s time to replace your filter, you can buy Levoit Core 300s replacement filters online, and they’ll arrive at your doorstep in a few days.

From there, replacing the filter is easy.

The Levoit Core 300s’ design allows you to easily remove the entire filtration component and replace it in a matter of seconds.

If you need help, you can always refer to the manual, which will have clear diagrams showing you exactly how to replace the filter.

When replacing the filter, it is also a good time for you to clean up any particles leftover inside the air purifier.

Make sure that you only do this with a vacuum, as using water and other cleaning agents can damage the air purifier.

Once you have the new filter installed, you can plug the air purifier in, turn it on, and it will start working like usual again.

Take It to a Professional

If you’re unsure how to clean your unit or are afraid of damaging it, take it to a professional.

It will be easy to find a local air purifier specialist living in a big city.

To find the nearest expert in your area, you can ask people you trust or do an internet search.

Storage (If Applicable)

You must store it properly if you just finished cleaning the air purifier and don’t plan on using it.

That way, it remains clean and will be ready for action once you need it.

To properly store your air purifier, I recommend wrapping it in plastic to seal it and ensure dirt won’t get in.

From there, it’s essential to store it in a cold and dry area to avoid damaging the electrical components.

Are All Levoit Air Purifiers Cleaned the Same Way?

Unfortunately, since every Levoit air purifier has its own design, the methods for cleaning the appliance might range from model to model.

That said, the cleaning process is pretty similar for most as, at the end of the day, they’re designed by the same company.

Cleaning your unit depends more on the type of folders you have rather than the model itself.

Regarding the model, the biggest challenge you’re likely to face is figuring out how to take your unit apart and reach the filters.

After reading my advice above, refer to your user manual if you’re still struggling with cleaning your filter.

You can also go on YouTube and search for your particular air purifier.

That’s what I did with the Levoit 300s the first time I had to clean it, as I couldn’t figure out how to access the filters.

How Often Do I Need to Clean My Air Purifier?

Some people will have to clean their air purifiers more often than others.

Many factors go into how often you need to clean your air purifier.

Some of these factors include how polluted the air in your area is, how often you use the air purifier, and even your settings.

For example, when I got my air purifier to clean the air in Delhi a few years ago, I had to clean my filters every other week.

This is because the air in India is by far the worst that I have ever experienced, and as a result, the unit got clogged up rather quickly.

Generally speaking, though, Levoit recommends that you clean your air purifier every 2-4 weeks.

However, they only recommend this for the pre-filter, the exterior filter you can vacuum up with a soft brush.

The HEPA and activated carbon filter, which is inside the air purifier, should not be cleaned by you.

Instead, you’re only supposed to replace these filters every 6-8 months, depending on the air quality in your area.

A promising sign that it’s time to change the filters of the air purifier is to check the filter indicator on the interface of your Levoit air purifier.

This is one of many signs that it’s time to clean your air purifier.

Below, I’ll tell you a few other signs you should look out for that will tell you if it’s time to clean your filter.

Other Signs that It’s Time to Clean Your Air Purifier

Many signs indicate that it’s time to clean your air purifier, but here are some of the most common ones:

  • The Levoit red check filter light is blinking
  • Your air purifier is starting to make weird noises
  • The air purifier isn’t cleaning the air as effectively
  • Your air purifier is beginning to release strange odors

Conclusion

While you have to do it every now and then, cleaning a Levoit air purifier is very easy.

In this guide, I used the Core 300S as a baseline, as most other Levoit air purifiers follow the same steps for cleaning.

But before you open up the air purifier for cleaning, check the manual to read the exact steps for your air purifier.

That way, you can clean the air purifier effectively and safely.

You can also watch videos on YouTube from air purifier owners that show you how to clean your exact air purifier.