Shark Air Purifiers – Cleaning, Care And Maintenance

Written by Theresa Orr in Air Purifier

To clean the interior of your Shark Air Purifier, remove the filter cover, take out the filter and then use a vacuum to clean off the dust. Do not use any detergents or harsh chemicals. To clean the exterior, use a microfiber cloth to wipe off any dust particles, then use a damp microfiber cloth to sanitize the visible surfaces.

Shark™ is known for its range of quality home appliances designed for keeping your house clean. Shark Air purifiers are particularly popular due to their handy features, quiet action, and affordabilty. However, to keep your Shark Air Purifier working properly, it’s important that you regularly clean it.

In this guide, we explain how you to clean and maintain your Shark Air Purifier, with specific examples for models of the HE600 and HE400 series. We also provide some useful tips on how you can use and reset your Shark air purifier, and how to clean and replace the filter.

How to Clean a Shark Air Purifier

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Cleaning a Shark Air Purifier is a simple and quick process that shouldn’t take you longer than 10 minutes.

Follow these instructions and you’ll be done in no time:

Cleaning The Exterior

  1. Unplug your air purifier from its power supply.
  2. Use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe off dust. (A microfiber cloth is a special type of fabric specially designed to clean and absorb moisture/dirt. You can easily find it in most supermarkets.)
  3. Then, get another small piece of microfiber cloth and make it damp with soapy water. 
  4. Rinse and dry the cloth so that it remains damp, but is not wet. 
  5. Gently wipe the surface of the device to sanitize it.

Cleaning the Interior

  1. Unplug the air purifier from its power supply.
  2. Remove the filter cover. For this, gently press on the tabs on top of the filter cover, and pull it towards you.
  3. Take out the filter by pressing on the tabs located on both the top and the bottom of your filter, and pull it towards you.
  4. Use a gentle microfiber cloth to remove dust and debris from the interior of your device.
  5. Do NOT use a damp fabric or any harsh chemicals/soaps on the interior of your device.

Please note that these instructions apply for both the HE400 models (including HE401 and HE402) and the HE600 models (including the popular HE601 and HE602). These purifiers are also known as Shark Air Purifier 4 and 6.

How to clean a Shark Air Purifier Filter

Before you decide to clean your Shark Air Purifier’s filter, take a look at the ‘Filter Life’ indicator on the control panel of your device. If this light is blinking, you will need to replace your filter entirely, and cleaning alone will not suffice.  

To clean the filter:

  1. Unplug your air purifier.
  2. Remove the filter cover by pressing on the tabs at the top of the cover, and gently pulling it towards you.
  3. Remove the filter similarly by pressing on the tabs present at the top and the bottom of the filter.
  4. Use a vacuum cleaner (or a gentle blower) to remove any dust or debris covering the filter.
  5. Do NOT wash your filter. Shark’s air purifiers do not come with washable filters, and doing so may permanently damage your filter. 

How to replace a Shark Air Purifier Filter

Shark Air Purifier replacement filters are easy to install and are readily available from Amazon:

Shark HE600 Anti-Allergen Hepa Filter (compatible with Shark Air purifier 6)

Shark HE400 Anti-Allergen Hepa Filter (compatible with Shark Air purifier 4)

Complete the following steps to replace the filter on your Shark air purifier:

  1. With your purifier turned on, take a look at the control panel on top of your device. The ‘FILTER LIFE” indicator will blink if your filter has zero hours remaining. If not, you don’t need to replace it just yet and cleaning it should improve its performance. 
  2. Remove the filter cover and then the filter by pressing on the tabs present on their top/bottom, and then gently pulling it towards you.
  3. Remove all packaging from your new filter.
  4. Insert the new filter. For this, insert its respective tabs into the slots on your purifier unit. Then, press on the top and the sides of your filter. When done right, you should be able to hear a click as the filter fits into place.
  5. Reinsert the filter cover.
  6. Plug the device in and turn on the power. 
  7. When the device turns on, press and hold the Filter Life button on top of the Shark Air Purifier for 3 seconds to reset the filter timer. When the timer is activated, you will hear a beep. This means you have successfully replaced your filter.

When to clean a Shark Air Purifier

Shark Air Purifiers 4 and 6 or the HE600 and HE400 models, should be cleaned every two months. This includes the filter.

However, depending on the usage frequency, the indoor air quality and how dirty it has become, you can clean your Shark Air Purifier every two to four weeks.

How to use a Shark Air Purifier

To effectively use a Shark Air Purifier, begin by placing the device on a flat surface. Remove the filter cover and all packaging from the filter. Install the filter and connect the power cord to the appliance prior to turning it on. Rotating lights should illuminate on the control panel, and the air purifier’s settings can then be adjusted.

To operate a Shark Air Purifier follow these steps:

  1. Start by selecting a suitable position for your purifier. Shark recommends placing it in the room that you use the most, and at least three inches away from the nearest wall or furniture. 
  2. Now, remove the filter cover. For this, press on the two tabs on top of the filter and pull it gently towards you.
  3. You will then notice that the filter is covered in its original plastic packaging. Pull the filter out along with its packaging. 
  4. Remove the packaging from the filter. Do NOT run the air purifier without doing this step first!
  5. Place the filter and its cover back on the unit.
  6. With the filter now re-assembled, place it on the location you previously selected. Make sure the surface you have placed it on is flat and level. You also need to ensure that no direct sunlight falls on it, and also be careful to not let any heat (from nearby heaters or radiators) fall on the unit.
  7. Plug the device in. 
  8. Turn the purifier on. For this, you can use the power button on the control panel of your device, or on the remote provided with the unit. 
  9. After you have turned it on, you will notice rotating lights on the panel, which means the purifier is assessing the air in your room. It will automatically start working now. 
  10. Use the control panel to adjust the fan speeds, the brightness, the working mode, or to set a timer. 

How to use the remote control

Your Shark Air Purifier comes with a remote that you can use to control it from distances of up to 15 feet, giving you considerable freedom in adjusting your purifier’s settings without having to move from your seat.

To use this remote, simply point the remote towards the device and press the buttons. 

You will find the following buttons on your remote:

  1. On/Off: This button can turn your unit on or off.
  2. Air Info: You can use this button to change what is being displayed in your control panel. This could be the air quality, the time remaining to clean the air in your room, or the concentration of particulates of various sizes in your room at the moment.
  3. Auto: Use this button to enable the auto mode, where the unit automatically adjusts the speed settings based on the level of pollution in your room.
  4. Brightness: This button helps adjust the screen brightness.
  5. Fan Speed: This helps you toggle between four different fan speeds. Use the higher speeds if you think your room needs better protection.
  6. Shut Off timer: This button helps you control when your purifier will turn off automatically.

How to reset a Shark Air Purifier

To reset a Shark Air Purifier, locate the ‘Filter Life’ button on the control panel and press and hold for 3 seconds.

A Shark air purifier should be completely reset by following these steps:

  1. Locate the ‘Filter Life’ button on top of the control panel of your device.
  2. When the device is on, press on this button for three seconds.
  3. You should hear a clear beeping noise when done. This means your purifier is now reset and the timer for your filter will start again.

If your air purifier is not working properly, Plentiful Air has a complete troubleshooting guide available here.

Theresa Orr

Theresa Orr holds a PhD in Earth Science and specializes in determining past climates from rocks using geochemistry. Her passion for clean water, soil and air drives her to provide easy to understand information for everyone to read.

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