Let’s talk about all the unsafe items you should keep out of your vacuum!
Trust me, I completely understand how tempting it might be to get your vacuum out and quickly tidy up the mess when one of your dear potted plants or a delicious glass of wine suddenly falls to the floor and breaks.
One thing that I learned the hard way was that there are some unsafe items you should keep out of your vacuum. I didn’t know that, and I managed to break my vacuum cleaner, and until I got a new one, I had to use the broom to clean my carpets. I hated every single second of this.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did, because you don’t want to get another gadget just because you didn’t pay attention for a second. Before we get deeper into this subject, there’s one thing you should know: you should never vacuum small objects because you risk hammering your beater bar or vacuum hose. These tiny items can get lodged in your appliance’s beater bar, melt, and then break the belt.
If you don’t want to invest in another gadget, don’t worry; I’ve got you! I’ve compiled a list of all those unsafe items you should keep out of your vacuum, so if you want to learn how to protect your appliance, keep reading!
1. Fine dust
One of the first items you should keep out of your vacuum is fine dust. While it might be tempting and easy to take your vacuum cleaner out and remove all the dust from a recent construction site or home remodeling project, I strongly recommend you not do that.
Your device is going to get this job done, but that stubborn fine dust can clog the filters of your appliance, which will make it useless the next time you need it.
2. Lots of hair
Your hair falls, especially when the season’s changing and it has to adapt to the new weather. While it’s convenient to take your appliance and clean the carpets in a few minutes, hair is one of the items you should keep out of your vacuum. Or at least lots of it.
There’s no problem with vacuuming small amounts of hair every once in a while, but too much of it can be dangerous for the health of your device because it can get tangled in your brush roll and clog up the brush.
You can avoid a potential mess by sweeping the floors and using a brush to scrub the carpets, so you make things easier for your vacuum cleaner.
3. A liquid spill
Unless you don’t have a wet or dry vacuum cleaner, don’t even think of using your regular device to get rid of any liquid spills or sticky messes, because you could do more harm than good.
Since your appliance needs electricity to function and the water is, well, water, you shouldn’t be mixing those two together. You can make your home sparkle again with a paper towel or a sponge, and it will only take a few minutes to be done.
If you want a wet and dry vacuum cleaner that is easy to use and gets the job done like nobody’s business, making your home sparkle and be magazine-worthy, I recommend you get this one from Amazon!
My friend tested it when she had flooding problems in her apartment, and she said it saved her! So take a look at it, and if you like it, get it, because it’s amazing!
4. Glass
If you don’t want to ruin your device, then glass is one of the items you should keep out of your vacuum. The reason why you don’t want to vacuum broken glass is because it can easily puncture the inside of your device, mostly the vacuum bag.
So the best way to get rid of this sharp mess is by sweeping out any broken glass shards and putting them directly in the trash so that no one gets in contact with them and gets hurt.
5. Small items
How many times have you vacuumed a tiny thing, like a coin, kids’ toys, bobby pins, or paperclips, just because you didn’t pick them up when you cleaned your home?
I’ve done this too, but these are small items you should keep out of your vacuum because they could damage the rotating brush on the inside. A new appliance isn’t exactly cheap, so make sure you take care of the one you have!
Keep reading to discover other items you should keep out of your vacuum!
6. Plants and dead leaves
Dead leaves and plants don’t seem like they can make a huge mess or cause damage to your cleaning appliances, right? Well, try it for yourself and see how your gadget will perform after that because there’s a big chance you’re not going to like it (I’m kidding, don’t do that; read this instead!).
Plants, dead leaves, or any other part that has fallen off a plant are among the items you should keep out of your vacuum because they can clog your device and then cause additional issues that are quite expensive to make. You could save yourself some trouble and cash by sweeping these dead parts instead.
7. Fireplace ashes
Do you remember what we talked about with fine dust at the beginning of this article? Well, let’s go back to that idea because fireplace ashes are also some of the items you should keep out of your vacuum.
They can clog your appliance and damage it so badly that you might not be able to use it afterward. Instead of this, you should wait for the ashes to cool down, then sweep them up and toss them into your trash can. Simple as that.
8. Wet food
Whether we talk about pet food, eggs, grapes, soggy cereal, blueberries, potatoes, veggies, or beans, don’t even think about using a vacuum to clean up the mess behind these things. As you can probably tell, these are other items you should keep out of your vacuum because they can be the start of an appliance disaster.
While these wet foods can seem inoffensive, they can become stuck in your vacuum cleaner, clog the machine, and wrench the motor of your trusted gadget. In this case, a broom is your best friend.
9. Coffee grounds
Wet coffee grounds fall into the “wet food” category above, but coffee grounds in general can become such a problem that I had to give them their own spot in this article about items you should keep out of your vacuum.
Using your trusted device to get rid of this flavorful mess might clog up the appliance’s parts because they can leave organic matter behind, which can lead to mildew and mold, and it will force the motor to work and work and work, meaning burnout in the long run.
10. Shredded paper
Just like clumps of hair can clog up your vacuum cleaner and even burn out the motor, large piles of shredded paper can do the same. Spare your appliance from this mess, take your trusted broom, and sweep that shredded paper out of the way.
What do you think about these items you should keep out of your vacuum? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Do you know any other items you should keep out of your vacuum? If you find this article helpful, we have plenty more that are just as useful. Check this one next: 10 Kitchen Cleaning Tips That Will Save You A Ton of Time
