The vacuum cleaner may seem like a quick fix for cleaning up every type of mess. But some things are not meant for vacuuming. If you do this, it may cause damage to your appliance or the stuff you need to clean may remain dirty.
So, here in this blog, we will let you familiarize yourself with the things you should never vacuum and why; so that you can enhance the life of your vacuum cleaner.
1. Paperclips, Coins, or Other Small Items
First of all, you need to be very careful while vacuuming floors. There could be small things like paper clips, small toys, coins, safety pins, etc. These tiny objects could disrupt, or maybe they can damage the motor. Just because your vacuum cleaner can suck up small bits, it doesn’t mean it should pick hard and pointy things. In fact, anything sharp can damage the insides. Hence, you should pick up these things yourself before vacuuming.
2. Sticky Things
If your child makes crafts, it is common for glitter, glue, or any sticky mess to fall around. What to do next??? If you think of vacuuming it, it won’t work. The glue or sparkle will also heat up and stick to the vacuum cleaner. Ultimately, it may lead to an interruption in the motor. Sticky stuff makes your vacuum unusable and unsafe.
You can handle this kind of mess with either a damp duster or soapy cloth. Moreover, to wipe out adhesives from the carpet, use distilled white vinegar, and this will certainly be the right way to clean the sticky mess rather than vacuuming.
3. Liquid or Wet Foods
Cleaning liquid mess on floors and surfaces is much easier and safe if you have a dry/wet vacuum. But, regular vacuums can’t do it for you because these are not designed to collect spills and other liquids. If you do this, you may get electrocuted. And eventually, your vacuum cleaner could be damaged, or pipes can clog with wet foods. These will also lead to mold and fungus growth inside the machine, which is not acceptable.
There are other ways to clean messy fluid from the floors. For example, use a mop or paper towels to soak the liquid first and clean it again with a washable microfiber cloth. Remember…absorption is the right way to clean the liquid mess or anything moist, not suction!!! But if you have wet/dry vacuums, you can be sure to use them.
4. Soil and Plant Waste
Thinking of vacuuming the mud or plant remains? Not a good idea…. Topsoil, dust, or even house plant debris can easily block the machine, generally if it is soggy and damp. Many times the outside mud comes into the houses through shoes also. It makes your carpet and rug dirty. So, what to do now?
Instead of vacuuming, use your dustpan & brush and sweep up the visible dirt, soggy mud, and dry leaves to prevent the machine from getting clogged. On the other hand, if you want to get rid of these hassles, you can invest in Best Robot Vacuums which make your job much easier. But make sure it has good customer reviews.
5. Long and Matted Hair
Vacuuming short hair strands or pet hair from different surfaces is totally fine. Make sure to use the pet grooming tool or other specific attachments meant for cleaning pet hair only. But vacuuming a lot of hair, especially long hair, at once is, of course, not good. It spoils your machine as the hair gets stuck very badly, due to which the motor does not work properly, and as a result, the suction performance gets affected. To remove the matted hair, use your hands and sweep them up already from the rug, carpets, and floors before vacuuming.
Check Here: The Best Vacuum Cleaners for Pet Hair – Reviews
6. Fireplace, Construction Dust, or BBQ Ash
How nice it is to barbequing at home. But it isn’t easy to clean the leftover ash. This happens the same with the fireplace ash and sawdust. It is really troubling to clean. Ash vacuum is different, so before cleaning the fireplace ash, make sure it is not your regular vacuum.
Ash consists of tiny particles that stick to the vacuum filter and ultimately block it. It affects the suction also. Investing in a good ash vacuum is the best and best solution for this. It will kill fine dust and tiny particles in your home. Ash vacuums also help in reducing allergens and smoke smells caused by burnt wood fibers.
One handy trick can help, maybe—Moist the ash before sweeping it with a brush or dustpan. Trust me…It will work!!
7. Broken Glasses
Vacuuming broken glass is always harmful. The tiny sharp pieces can get collected in the motor or the hose. It will damage the vacuum. If you use a bagged vacuum, these spikes can tear the bag also. It is better to throw away sharp objects and large pieces of glass with a damp kitchen roll by hand or sweep it up with a brush. As a precautionary, wear thick gloves before cleaning sharp objects.
8. Makeup
Putting on makeup in a hurry, and your makeup fell off by mistake? I don’t think you can vacuum clean it. The makeup could melt inside the device and cause severe damage. The lipstick, foundation, bronzer, blush, or even eye shadow, are not the things you can vacuum clean. Instead, use a paper towel or wet cloth to pick up makeup from surfaces. It’s better to order another makeup kit!!
9. Shredded Paper
What if shredded papers are scattered on the carpet or floors? There is no need to try your vacuum cleaner to clean the mess because heaps of papers quickly clog the machine. And, it also makes the motor useless.
10. Electrical Appliances and Cords
Dirt and dust are common in any electrical appliance. It can’t be cleaned every day. Sometimes a lot of dust accumulates inside the TV, inside the music system, or on the refrigerator’s coils. And you simply cannot clean it with a hand duster. This dust can be removed only by powerful suction. If you plan to vacuum it once, you have to do it very carefully because there is a possibility of their wires opening completely due to strong suction, which can be dangerous.
You have to be very careful before cleaning circuit boards. For example, if there are light wires in the circuit, avoid vacuuming them. Instead, you can do hand dusting on these delicate components.
Above all, if you avoid vacuuming the things mentioned above, your machine will always be ready when you need it and will last long.
Read Next: Common Vacuum Cleaner Problems and How to Fix them?
If you have wood chip walk ways or use a wood fire place don’t vaccum these wood bits with a standard vaccum. They get stuck in the system.