A good cleaning will make it more efficient and effective to use.
When cleaning your vacuum cleaner or other appliance, it’s a good idea to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid doing anything unnecessary. Even if you got rid of them years ago, you can still find instructions and user manuals by searching online.
Today, we will focus on cleaning stick vacuums with canisters (as opposed to those that use bags or robots). The basic steps are as follows.
- Turn off the vacuum cleaner (unplug it, remove the battery pack, etc.).
- Empty the canister and wipe it with a dry cloth or paper towel.
- Remove attachments (including extensions, such as sticks and hoses).
- Use scissors to cut off hairs, threads and attachments with small bristles that are tangled in the rotating brush.
- Use a household brush, an old comb or tweezers to remove hair and fibers that have become entangled in other attachments.
- Remove and empty the vacuum cleaner’s lint trap or reusable filter.
- Disassemble the vacuum cleaner and remove everything from the motor section (if it is not already there).
- Fill the tub or basin with warm, soapy water (dishwashing detergent is fine) and wash each part of the vacuum cleaner (not the motor or any electrical parts), using a sponge, brush or other cleaning tool if necessary.
- Rinse each part with clean, warm water.
- Leave the vacuum cleaner parts on a towel for a few hours, or as long as they are completely dry naturally.
- Wipe the outside of the vacuum cleaner, maybe even dirty it while cleaning the inside.
Then assemble your vacuum cleaner and be amazed at how well it works.
What essentials do I need to clean my vacuum cleaner?
Before you start cleaning your vacuum cleaner, gather the following supplies
- If your vacuum cleaner uses a new bag
- A new filter if your vacuum cleaner uses disposable filters
- Scissors or a cutting knife for cutting brush roll hairs
- Compressed air for dust removal
- Hose cleaners to reach hard to clean areas
- A cloth to wipe down the vacuum cleaner
- Spray cleaner or dish detergent
- Broom handle for unclogging hoses
- Gloves to keep hands clean
- Wearing a mask to avoid breathing in dust
How do I clean the vacuum cleaner?
Empty the bag or canister. Cleaning a vacuum cleaner starts with emptying the bag or canister. Never overfill a vacuum cleaner bag or canister with waste, as this can cause the vacuum cleaner to clog and the waste to end up back in the room. If you are using a vacuum cleaner without a bag, make it a habit to empty it after each use. If you are using a vacuum cleaner with a bag, empty the bag before it is full. If the suction power of the vacuum cleaner decreases, this is an indication that the bag needs to be emptied.
Clean the filter. If the vacuum cleaner’s filter is disposable, replace it as is. If it is reusable, usually rinse it gently with cold water, but check the instructions first. Let it dry. Your vacuum cleaner will have several filters, including one that cleans the air before it reaches the motor and one that filters exhaust air.
Clean the roller brush. Check the brushes on the head of the vacuum cleaner for tangled debris, such as hair or string. Use scissors or a knife to cut off stubborn tangles.
Check for clogs. Straighten the vacuum cleaner hose and gently push it into the broom handle to clear the clog. Do not use sharp objects at this point, as they may puncture the hose. You should also check the delivery section of the vacuum cleaner, such as the area where the vacuum cleaner head sucks in debris, and the area between the vacuum cleaner rod and the dust bin to make sure they are not clogged. Use compressed air or a duct cleaner to clean these areas.
The extra cloth is to see how it reacts to different detergents. If you want to keep your clothes in top condition, they recommend testing the material with detergent before washing to avoid ruining your new clothes. This is a practical idea that we wouldn’t have thought of.
Are you using too much toothpaste?
When you watch toothpaste commercials, you see people using toothpaste for long periods of time, making it go all the way to the tip of the brush. However, this type of toothpaste use can damage your teeth.
In fact, the amount of toothpaste needed to clean your teeth is about the size of a pea. Advertisers use a lot of it for aesthetic reasons, but using too much toothpaste can wear down tooth enamel, leading to sensitivity and long-term problems.
Wooden hangers are the best way to hang clothes
When we see people using wooden hangers in their closets, we always think it’s for aesthetic reasons, but we don’t realize it’s for clothes. Wooden hangers are made for a specific purpose and are a great option for your closet.
Wooden hangers are made from specific types of wood that keep moths and other pests that can damage clothes at bay. They also prevent clothes from wrinkling in the closet. Say goodbye to wire hangers and invest in these sturdy hangers.
The arrow next to the gasoline icon means something.
Have you ever gotten into a new car and didn’t know which side the gas tank was on? When you fill up at the gas station, you have to get out of the car to check which side is which, which wastes time. However, every car has a device that tells you where the gas tank is located.
The next time you get into your car, look at the gas icon on the dashboard behind the steering wheel. The small arrow pointing in that direction is the location of the gas tank. This makes it easy to find and lets you know which side you should go to when you get to the gas station.
The rings on the grocery cart are there for a reason.
When you go shopping at a large grocery store, it can be difficult to fit all the fresh groceries into your cart without crushing them. Soft fruits and eggs are always carefully placed on top of other groceries, but there’s always a chance they’ll fall out of the pile and break on the floor.
Create space for yourself by using the loops on the sides and back of your shopping trolley to hang your bags. This will also make it easier for fragile items to stay upright. This is also a good idea when bringing things into your home.
Use your microwave more efficiently
Microwaves are small and can only hold one item at a time, which can be inconvenient. If you have people coming over for dinner and you want to heat something up, you have to do one thing at a time. But in doing so, while the other person is waiting for their meal, the other dish gets cold.
It’s easier if you can prepare two dishes at the same time, and I found a way to do that: heat both dishes at the same time, put the first dish away, pick up the mug, turn it upside down, and use it as a platform for the second dish. This gives you more room for two plates and reduces the wait time.
Chill your beer in minutes
On a hot summer day, nothing tastes better than a perfectly chilled beer. However, you don’t want to wait an hour for your beer to chill because you forgot to put it in the fridge beforehand. Instead of waiting, there are ways to chill your beer in five to ten minutes.
Take a wet paper towel, wrap your beer in it, and stick it in the fridge. Be sure to set the time to 10 minutes, because if you leave it in there too long, the beer will explode and you’ll have to clean up afterwards.
Tic-tac containers with easy dispensers
The problem with tic-tacs is that you can only have one at a time. Not because they come out of the container too fast, but because they’re like any other tasty snack. If you have self-control, there is an easy way to take one tic-tac at a time without shaking the box too much.
Tic-tac containers have a simple dispenser.
The seal on the lid allows you to take out one at a time, and you can prepare one at a time by turning the lid upside down and opening the container horizontally. Alternatively, you can remove the white plastic part and throw the whole box in your mouth.
When you have to leave your computer, try not to fall asleep.
It can be frustrating when you have to leave your computer for a few minutes and when you come back it is in sleep mode. You can turn it back on by entering your password or shaking your mouse, but some people want to keep it unlocked no matter what.
