cabin filter: washable?

The instructions in the owners manual (hint, hint ) say to blow it clean with compressed air.

After 15K miles mine was so dirty that compressed air wasn't going to do much. Cleaning with water doesn't seem an option, given the fabric/construction. I just bought a new one.

 

Toyota recommends cleaning the filter with air. I cleaned mine for the second time with air but could not remove the dark gray film that was on the intake side of the filter.

The local auto parts store did not have a filter listed for the 2010 Prius and the dealership was closed so I decided to try to wash out the filter to see what would happen. The washing removed the dark gray film but I thought I had ruined the filter. I let it dry though and it appears to be working fine.

 

I've washed mine many times with no problems. I just hold it under the tap to loosen most of the dirt, rub it gently with some soap, and rinse it off. I let it dry before putting it back in.

Frequent vacuuming helps keep it cleaner - I usually look at the filter whenever I wash the car, and more often than that in Winter.

 

I 2nd hyo_silver, I've washed mine with warm water and dish soap no problems.

 

It's not like it's your engine air cleaner. Wash it gently like others have said. After it drys if you can't see any holes in it and air passes freely through it, you're good to go.

I haven't cleaned mine yet, but think they are similar to the filter in my wife's bagless vacuum cleaner and I have washed it several times.

If you scrubbed it, you might mash the filter media enough to make it restrictive, so be gentle.

 

tried it. even made a post about it. but after soaking it in soap and water, it seemed thin compared to a new one. so it seemed like it wont do a good job. i just bought the fram fresh breeze and it popped right in. buy a new one when its really black.http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/72043-so-i-cleaned-my-original-cabin-air-filter.html

 

Agreed. It won't last forever. If it's ripped, punctured, mouldy, full of mouse poop, or so dirty it won't come clean, then by all means get a new one. But there's no reason to throw it out just because it's dusty. Extending the filter's life by three or four times is easy, without sacrificing air quality.

 

Agreed, I washed my Gen. 2s filter several times between replacements. Seemed to work fine, Toyota is rather proud of that filter, price wise.