When you have a big mess that needs to be cleaned up, a vacuum cleaner will help get the job done. However, there are many ways in which a vacuum cleaner can be ruined and not work.
This guide will go over some of the ways in which you should and shouldn’t use your vacuum cleaner.
Things You Should Never To Do Your Vacuum
1. Don’t Leave the Vacuum Cleaner Plugged In
Don’t leave your vacuum plugged in when you are not using it.
If you leave regular vacuum cleaners powered on for too long, there is a chance that the motor will overheat and break. This also means not overcharging your cordless vacuums as they can also run into similar issues.
2. Don’t Vacuum Water
You should never use your vacuum cleaner to suck up any liquids, because this could damage or ruin components in the vacuum. If something spills, you should immediately turn off the vacuum and clean up the spill with paper towels.
3. Don’t Vacuum Upholstery Using the Nozzle Attachment
Some vacuum cleaners have a special nozzle attachment for vacuuming upholstery or curtains, but you should never use this to vacuum any fabric surfaces that are attached directly to the wall, because it could damage your walls. Instead of using the nozzle attachment, you can wrap tape around an old broom handle, tie some cloth onto the end of the broom handle and then use this tool to clean your drapes without damaging your walls.
4. Don’t Use Your Vacuum When It Has a Broken Switch or Cord
It’s always best to and get all repairs made on your vacuum before you start using it again. If any part of your vacuum is damaged or broken, then the rest of the vacuum could become quickly ruined in just one use.
5. Don’t Vacuum Small Objects
If you accidentally drop a piece of jewelry, coins, paperclips or anything else small into your cleaning path while vacuuming, you should immediately turn off the vacuum and pick up these items by hand so that they don’t get sucked into the vacuum cleaner.
6. Don’t Vacuum Gum or Bubblegum
If gum or bubblegum gets stuck to your carpeting when you are vacuuming, it’s important to call someone in to help remove this gum instead of trying to suck it up with your Dyson, Shark or Bissell vacuum cleaner. Trying to suck up something gummy or chewy with a vacuum cleaner can ruin your machine, because it will get stuck in the suction tube and cause the motor to overheat and burn out.
7. Don’t Leave Dirt in Your Vacuum Cleaner Bag for Long Periods of Time
If you leave dirt and dust in your vacuum bag for too long, it could clog your vacuum and damage your machine beyond repair.
We’ve seen this with wet soil and other mess that caused mildew growth inside.
If you remove debris from your bag after each use, this will help keep your vacuum running smoothly for many years to come.
8. Don’t Try to Vacuum Too Large of an Area at Once
You should never try vacuuming all of the flooring in one large area, because this can cause your vacuum to overheat and break. Just prioritize which areas of the room need to be cleaned and do that one area at a time.
9. Don’t Vacuum Without Checking for Anything Caught in Your Path
It’s very important to check your path while vacuuming for things like coins, paperclips or other small objects before you begin vacuuming, because you could easily suck up these things if they are lying on the ground and ruin your vacuum cleaner.
If you come across any items that have been sucked up into your vacuum, turn off the machine immediately and then pick them out with a pair of tweezers or needle-nose pliers.
It’s also important you avoid sucking cables or other electrical components inside your vacuum brush roll. There could be dangerous wires inside and this could lead to electrical failure.
10. Avoid vacuuming broken glass
Vacuuming broken glass can cut up the inside of your vacuum and even cause serious damage to your vacuum’s motor.
Not only this but emptying it out requires thick gloves, because theres a chance for the small glass to cut your fingers.
The fine particles also get everywhere and are very difficult to extract.
11. Avoid fireplace ash
For obvious reasons if you vacuum hot fireplace ash this could be a fire hazard. Fireplace ashes can still ignite even if they look like they are put out.
12. Never vacuum wet coffee grounds
With the growing coffee pods craze, some people accidentally take out their pods and have some spillage. This can leak coffee grounds onto the floor.
Coffee drinkers think this is safe to vacuum, but it can cause a regular vacuum cleaner to become very messy inside. It’s very hard to remove and the smell can stain your vacuum.
13. Don’t vacuum excessive construction debris
Fine dust caused from construction could be dangerous.
Without a HEPA filter inside I would avoid vacuuming potentially harmful dust caused by construction.
14. Avoid vacuuming wet food
Fresh produce which might not smell bad when you initially vacuum it, will start to smell much worse after a few days.
I once vacuumed up some potato salad, which lead to pests and an extremely bad smell, as it can spoil inside.
This made a massive mess and was a hassle to clean.
15. Avoid vacuuming baking soda
I shouldn’t say don’t vacuum baking soda, because it’s fine to vacuum.
The issue is leaving it inside your vacuum which can cause slow long term damage.