I use my little alligator a lot so I empty the dust bag often. I usually vacuum the dirty side of the filter with another vacuum for about a minute and restore the small alligator filter to like-new condition. After about 100-120 shots it's time for a new filter. You can't just vacuum up one of those little filters and reuse it forever when it's used heavily for cleaning dirt, dust, and pet hair. Many times you'll buy a vacuum cleaner replacement part and end up with something of inferior quality, but this filter won't let you down. Buy with confidence.