Vacuum Cleaning Tips: Things You Should Never Ever Vacuum Up While Cleaning

Vacuum cleaners have now become a necessity to remove dust and dirt that is hard to sweep. A vacuum cleaner is a saviour to clean surfaces such as upholstery sofas, beds and chairs with ease. Though a vacuum cleaner is a multifaceted tool that makes home cleaning a lot easier, they also have many limitations - you cannot clean everything using them. This rule is applicable to all regular vacuum cleaners irrespective of whether they have bags or not.  

If you are new to cleaning homes using a vacuum cleaner, here is a list of things you should never try to clean using a vacuum cleaner.  

‍

Broken Pieces of Glass

One of the dangerous things you can ever vacuum up is broken glass. Feeling lazy to clean up glass pieces when they break is understandable, but never use your vacuum cleaner to remove them from floors. It can cause the puncturing of the vacuum cleaner, and you might have to get it repaired to use it again. Not to mention, the repairing can also be expensive. The broken glass pieces can also scratch the inside of the vacuum cleaner or lodge into its hose. Always use a broom to clean broken pieces of glass from the floor.  

Glue and Sticky Things  

Glue and sticky things such as glitter, cello tapes, syrups, and sweets will cause sticking to the vacuum cleaner’s brush or filter. It will cause the jamming of the motor. They also have the potential risk of getting heated up and melting inside the cleaner, thereby causing the breaking of the motor. Your vacuum cleaner will get unsafe to use if you vacuum gluey objects. Using a soapy cloth is a better choice to remove such items. You can also use distilled white vinegar to unstick and remove the glue.  

Sharp and Small Objects

You can use vacuum cleaners to clean small bits and pieces of dirt from your home, but vacuuming slightly big and sharp items is not always a good idea. Do not vacuum sharp items such as clips and coins as they can remain stuck inside the cleaner or cause damage to the vacuum cleaner's interior. Look around the place for such items before you vacuum an area to avoid the accidental suction of such objects into the vacuum cleaner.  

Spills of Water

Never try to pick spills of water using your vacuum cleaner no matter how small the spilling is. Running a regular vacuum cleaner over water spills can cause severe damage to the machine. In worse cases, it can even cause electrocution. In addition to the damage caused, you will also have to deal with the cleaning of the messy wet vacuum bag later. Specially designed dry/wet vacuum cleaners are available in the market that you can use safely to clean water spills without having to worry about causing damage to the machine or electrocution.  

Other Liquids

Just like you cannot vacuum up water, you cannot also vacuum other liquids as they can cause clogging of the tube. Vacuuming liquids can also block the filter of your vacuum cleaner. The liquid will cause the interior of the vacuum to get wet, and it can lead to the build-up of soggy dust and dirt, thereby forming mould. It can also cause short circuits, electric failures, and even fires. Use a mop instead to clean up liquid spills from the floor.  

Hot Ashes

Do not try to clean hot ashes using your vacuum cleaner as they can trap heat and fine particles that can damage the device. Make sure that the ashes cool down before using your vacuum cleaner over the ashes, and make sure to use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to clean the ashes.  

Makeup and Cosmetics

Vacuuming cosmetics and makeup can be tragic as it causes double the problems it solves. You should not clean makeup items such as broken bits of lipsticks, blush and mascara using a vacuum cleaner as its brush can smear makeup into carpets and upholstery while cleaning. It can also melt after reaching the interior of your vacuum cleaner and damage the machine. Hence, avoid vacuuming cosmetics and other makeup items at all costs.  

Large Clumps of Hair

It is okay to vacuum small strands of hair from the floor. However, vacuuming large strands and clumps of hair is not recommended as it can clog the machine. You will need to clean the vacuum completely again for it to work smoothly again.  

Electrical Cords  

It may seem easy to vacuum over the cords to get to all hard-to-reach corners, but vacuuming cords is a big no. It can break the exterior of the cords and expose the thin wires inside. However, vacuum cleaner cords are heavy-duty and can suffer some damage. You can use a rug to clean dust and dirt from hanging cords.  

Soil and Plant Debris

You could get tempted to vacuum the soil inside your home, especially the entrance. But, vacuuming up soil can cause damage to the vacuum cleaner’s motor. Dead leaves and flowers that fall off your indoor plants are likely to cause clogging if you vacuum them up. We recommend picking them up by hand or sweeping and cleaning them using a broom.

If you require vacuuming a room or even your entire house in Singapore and lack the energy to do it, book the cleaning service with the most trusted service provider  - the Sendhelper. Book the service through our website or app and wait for our professionals to show up at your door.  

‍