13 Things You Should Never Vacuum

You should never vacuum these 13 things!

Whenever a mess happens, most people first reach for their vacuum cleaner, but this is not always the right thing to do!

There are a handful of things that you should not vacuum, even if you have the most powerful vacuum on the earth.

So, keep reading and I'll tell you the things you should never vacuum up, and why.

You'll thank yourself for reading on when you save your vacuum cleaner from damage, which could cause you to have to replace your machine entirely.

Let's get started!

13 Things To Never Vacuum!

Here are 13 things you should always avoid vacuuming.

1. Used Coffee Grounds

Many people can't get through their day without at least one cup of coffee, but what happens when an accident happens when changing out their filter?

Some people immediately go to their closet and grab their vacuum cleaner, which is their got to cleaning machine. What's wrong with that?

If coffee grounds are dry, they are nice and grainy, which means that they can easily be picked up, but when coffee gets wet, it becomes gummy.

This can be harmful to your machine because it can easily clog up the pipes inside of your vacuum cleaner, and it could even damage the vacuum cleaner's motor, which is difficult to replace.

Due to the coffee being wet, this could also cause mildew growth inside of the vacuum cleaner.

This can defeat the purpose of cleaning with the machine because it could release the spores from the mildew into your home, which can be harmful to your health.

2. Plant Debris

What do we mean by plant debris?

This could be anything from dead flowers and leaves that could be tracked in from outside or even fall from your houseplants.

Why shouldn't you vacuum these?

This type of debris doesn't fully fall apart, which means that parts of the debris will stay intact.

Due to this reason, they could very easily clog up most types of vacuum cleaners.

This might not seem important because vacuum cleaners can get clogged periodically.

However, you run the risk of hard removing clogs by vacuuming up this type of debris.

If you see any plant debris on your floor before vacuuming, you should pick them up by hand first and then vacuum the floor.

This will help to avoid some hassle when cleaning in the future.

3. Fireplace Ash

Believe it or not, some people have thought that cleaning out their fireplace with their vacuum was a good way to get rid of all the fireplace ash, but this is inaccurate.

Fireplace ash is made up of extremely small particles.

Due to this, the particles could easily be blown back out into the air from your machine because they do not always get pulled into the machine because of their size.

Don't worry though. Just because you can't use your vacuum cleaner on fireplace ash there is still an easy remedy you can use to clean it up.

If you take wet coffee grounds, you can sprinkle them onto the fireplace ash and then sweep them up together.

Due to the ashes being such small particles, the wet coffee grounds absorb them quickly, and then you don't have to worry about clogging up your vacuum cleaner or inhaling any of the ashes, which can be harmful.

4. Construction Dust

If you are planning on renovating your home, it is important to consider the cleanup process because it can be extremely messy.

The dust that comes from construction can clog up your vacuum cleaner and damage the inside of the vacuum to the point that it will have to be replaced.

The construction dust is known for burning out motors when it gets caught in the vacuum cleaner.

It can even be thrown back up into the air.

The best way to get this type of debris cleaned up is by sweeping it up to not only keep your vacuum cleaner safe but you as well.

5. Wet Foods

Just like with coffee grounds and plant debris, wet foods tend to clog vacuum cleaners easier.

Plus, they tend to get stuck and mess up the motors of a vacuum cleaner.

Even if you have a wet/dry shop vacuum, you should still not try and vacuum up wet foods.

It is more likely to clog up your vacuum cleaner, and you could cause your vacuum to break down entirely, which would not be ideal.

So, whenever you are attempting to pick up wet food, you should never pull out your vacuum cleaner, even if it is considered to be a wet/dry vacuum cleaner.

These types of vacuums can still have the same issues as a regular vacuum cleaner.

6. Coins And Small Toys

Whenever you go to vacuum a room, it is important to ensure you do one thing.

You should always pick up any large objects like coins or small toys that could be picked up by the vacuum cleaner.

These types of things can cause damage to the inside of the vacuum cleaner that is hard to fix, and they could even cause you to have to purchase a new vacuum cleaner.

To avoid this, it is important to always pick up coins and other small toys before starting your vacuuming.

In the long run, this will help you avoid any mishaps or unforeseen issues with your vacuum cleaner.

7. Liquids

Vacuuming up liquids is not only bad for the longevity of your vacuum cleaner, but it could be dangerous to yourself.

You can electrocute yourself by vacuuming up liquids, especially if your machine is already damaged in some way.

Even if it doesn't electrocute you, it could cause damage to your vacuum that you will not be able to repair.

This means that you would have to replace your vacuum. If you want to be able to vacuum up liquids, there is one solution.

You could invest in a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, which is designed to pick up these types of messes.

However, it could be easier to simply use a mop, Swiffer product, or paper towel to clean up these sorts of messes.

8. Electrical Cords

In general, most people do not think about vacuuming electrical cords, and although it isn't something that you think of, it can happen.

Usually, this will happen by accident.

So, if you are planning on vacuuming, you should always make sure that any electrical cords in the area are picked up off of the floor so it doesn't get caught in the vacuum cleaner.

Not only cause the electrical cords mess up your vacuum's brush or motor, but they could also mess up the object that the cord is connected to.

This means you would not only have to replace your vacuum but also the item that the cord was connected too.

This can all be avoided by paying attention and moving the cords a little beforehand.

9. Makeup

Many people have experienced the mishap of the makeup spill, but they often don't realize that makeup is one type of substance that shouldn't be picked up with a vacuum cleaner.

Even though most make is made up of power substances, they are still capable of melting.

Unfortunately, vacuum cleaners cause a lot of heat, and therefore, the makeup can melt inside of the machine causing damage that would cause you to have to replace your vacuum cleaner.

10. Hair

Hair is one of the worst things that you can pick up with your vacuum cleaner.

Whether it is human or pet hair, it has the capability of clogging up your vacuum cleaner, and longer hair can burn out your vacuum's motor or cause damage to the brush on the vacuum cleaner.

There are special attachments that can be placed on some vacuum cleaners for these types of situations, but you must use the correct attachment to avoid potential damage to your vacuum cleaner.

11. Large Pieces Of Glass

Whenever you have to deal with broken glass, it can be difficult to clean it up safely.

You have to worry about it cutting you or someone else in the area, but pulling out the vacuum cleaner is never a good idea.

If you have a bagged vacuum, the glass pieces could puncture the bag, but the broken pieces of glass could cause other types of damage to the internal structure of the vacuum cleaner.

12. Shredded Paper

If you were to pick up a stray piece of shredding paper here and there, it might not be a huge issue for your vacuum cleaner.

However, if you have to pick up heaps of shredded paper, it could easily clog your machine and even mess up the motor.

On top of that, if the shredded paper is wet, it could even wrap around the belt or brush of your vacuum cleaner.

It is recommended to use a broom to clean up this type of mess, but if it happens on your carpet, you would be better off using your hands to pick up the shredded paper than trying to vacuum it up with your vacuum cleaner.

13. Soil

Soil can be brought in by your family's shoes or you might even have a mishap with one of your houseplants, which might urge you to pull out your vacuum cleaner.

This would not be a good idea. While trying to get rid of the soil, you could cause it to stain your carpet flooring, and it could even embed the soil deeper into the carpet, which will make it difficult to get it out.

Finally, if the soil is wet, it could cause even more issues, like disrupting the motor of the vacuum cleaner.

Therefore, you should always avoid using your vacuum cleaner when cleaning up a soiled mess regardless of whether the soil is dry or wet to avoid larger cleaning mishaps in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are still up in the air and have questions about things you shouldn't vacuum, the following are a few frequently asked questions that you might still have about the subject.

Is it safe to vacuum salt?

As long as the salt grains are dry, it is entirely safe to vacuum up salt with your vacuum cleaner.

However, if it gets wet, you might want to consider getting the salt up a different way.

Can you vacuum up dust?

Believe it or not, most vacuum cleaners are not designed to pick up fine particles, like dust.

This means that small particles like dust might get picked up by the vacuum cleaner, but it could cause them to throw the dust back into the air.

So, it is not recommended to vacuum just for the dust to ensure that it doesn't get thrown back up.

Can I vacuum rice?

Regardless of whether the rice is cooked or uncooked, it is recommended that you never use your vacuum cleaner to pick it up.

Rice grains can easily clog up the filters in a vacuum cleaner, which will cause it to throw dirt and dust back out of the vacuum cleaner, which makes cleaning a mote point if this happens.

It is better to just sweep up rice instead of using a vacuum cleaner.

Can I vacuum my dog?

Although the answer to the question is yes, you can vacuum your dog. It doesn't mean that you should.

Some vacuum cleaners come with specific dog attachments that will make it safe to do so without harming your dog, but you shouldn't do it with a straight vacuum cleaner.

Using a regular vacuum cleaner on your dog can cause harm to your dog. So, you should be sure that if you choose to use it you are using the proper attachments.

Is it safe to use a vacuum on yourself?

Although vacuuming yourself might not cause deadly injuries, it is still not recommended to use a vacuum cleaner on yourself.

The suction from the vacuum cleaner can cause bruising to your skin, and it can even cause some of the smaller blood vessels in your asking to break, which is a condition called telangiectasia.