15 Smart Vacuum Hacks You Need To Know

If you're looking for vacuuming hacks and tricks, you've come to the right place.

Get ready to earn the title "vacuum hacker." (What? Sounds cool to me.)

Keep reading to learn the coolest and most useful tricks you could use while vacuuming.

15 Vacuum Cleaner Tricks & Hacks To Learn Today

1. Perfectly Clean Roller Brush

Roller brushes are notorious for trapping all kinds of critters inside of their bristles. Sometimes, this might be literal.

From the hair of your pets, your family's hair, and general threads that the vacuum comes across, there are too many items capable of getting latched on your vacuum's brush.

For people with carpets, dealing with stuck-on debris can be a nightmare.

Read More: How To Get Slime Out Of Carpets

But even if you have hard floors, you may encounter pet hair or threads picked up from rugs. Trying to pry this out by hand can be a messy and unsanitary process.

On top of this, cleaning with soap and water won't remove anything that's tied in knots.

Scissors, while useful, may result in your cutting portions of the bristles, something you don't want. The easiest way to fit this is through the use of a seam cutter.

Seam cutters are lightweight and have a tip that's small enough to make its way through the heart of those knots.

You won't risk cutting the bristles when using one as the size itself prevents you from doing so, just gently move the cutter around any portion of your brush that has tangled material, it might just be the tool that keeps you from going out and buying a new brush.

Using a seam cutter can also breathe life into old vacuum brushes you may have discarded in the garage.

2. Find A Lost Earring (Or Any Other Tiny Object)

Do you have any old nylon stockings or socks lying around that you don't need? They're great for picking up jewelry when attached to a vacuum hose.

That's right, your vacuum doubles as a great way to find lost jewelry. Think of it as a more physical metal detector, one that can scoop up earrings, rings, or other small precious jewelry that could be hidden behind your mattress and furniture.

To use your vacuum like this is simple. Clean out the hose and debris container.

It doesn't have to be spotless, but just enough so that you don't get the jewelry any dirtier inside if it makes its way past the nylon.

The hack is well-suited for vacuums with bags since jewelry wouldn't become scratched inside. check to see that the nylon has no holes above the hose tip that you place it over.

For this hack, it might be best that you use a circular hose attachment, one without a brush. A crevice tool might be too narrow to pick up any jewelry.

Turn on the vacuum and pass it over the areas where you believe your jewelry may have fallen, such as in between couches, sofas, under the bed, or even at the top of closets that you're too short to reach.

It can save you an enormous amount of time from having to look through every nook and cranny for something, especially when you're certain that your lost jewelry is in a particular spot that you can't see.

3. Fix Your Carpet Indentations

No matter if you have hardwood, carpeted floors, or a bunch of rugs, you've probably come across the issue of seeing stains or indentations in them from the furniture not being moved for a long time.

This is bound to occur at some point. Even while most carpets will raise themselves at these indentation points if you move the furniture around, it can still be an eyesore.

The heavier the piece of furniture, the worse the indentation will be. What can be done to fix this without resorting to waiting days for the problem to fix itself?

The answer might surprise you, but ice cubes are perfectly able to raise indentations. It's very easy to do. Place single ice cubes directly on top of the small holes, then allow the cubes to melt.

After melting, you can blot the indentation with a cleaning cloth or towel. Wait a couple of hours for the strands of fabric to raise themselves, then use the vacuum over the area.

A brush attachment is good for this as well. Once done, the indentation will be nonexistent and make your carpets appear to level in uneven areas.

4. Use A Fork To Make Your Carpet Fluffy Again

Still, having trouble with those indentations, or simply want to raise the fabric of your carpet in areas where it's matted?

You can use a fork alongside a vacuum attachment to pull up the threads in one go.

Be careful to not use them too vigorously, to avoid breaking off any of the threads. A comb is also well suited for this truck, and might be easier for you to hold than a fork.

Be sure to vacuum over the areas that you raise with the fork since you no doubt will be pulling up particles of dirt that are difficult to see with the naked eye.

Another added benefit to this hack is allowing your carpet to breathe again, assisting in stain removal for vacuums with shampooing attachments.

5. Use Natural Ingredients To Keep Bad Odors Away

Did you know that a vacuum can make your home smell worse than it did before you started cleaning?

It can easily happen if you're not regularly cleaning the inside of the unit. But even if you do clean the inside, the smell of the debris that it picks up can also result in some unpleasant odors.

Vacuums are built to take in dry substances, so if you want to freshen up your room while you clean, consider using something fragrant but dry.

One really useful idea involves baking soda. Baking soda is commonly used in kitchen refrigerators and freezers to reduce the smell of old ice and food.

Even while cleaning a cooler is certainly recommended, the use of baking soda makes things more pleasant for you when opening a refrigerator, particularly if you're storing lots of vegetables or meats in the warmer part of the unit. Vacuums work the same way.

Add a bit of baking soda to the interior debris container. You must do this before you begin vacuuming. Another method is to create your scented powder with the use of baking soda.

Add a bit of your favorite citrus zest by grating it or shredding the skins in a blender. Don't worry about adding essential oils since it might result in the powder clumping together.

Sprinkle the material on the floor and vacuum it up. This will freshen up the rooms you clean and prevent what you pick up from creating odors inside the debris container.

6. Use A Dryer Sheet For Extra Freshness

Dryer sheets aren't only good for keeping clean clothes smelling fresh. You can use them for your homes when vacuum cleaning. This is an alternative to using the old-fashioned baking soda method.

Place a couple of dryer sheets into the inside of the vacuum. If your filter is detachable and small enough, you could even wrap it around and allow the dryer sheet to work as its filter.

The sheets you use should be a smell that you enjoy, something that you don't mind your home having the scent of. This might differ from the way you want your clothing to smell. If so, you should separate dryer sheets for your clothes and the vacuum.

Dryer sheets, like baking soda, work two ways. The first is by adding a fresh scent anywhere you vacuum, and the other is reducing or eliminating odor from the filtered and container. The dryer sheet hack works best when you're adding it to a clean vacuum, one that isn't very dirty inside.

7. Leave Your House Smelling Fresh Every Time You Clean

What about vacuum bags? Can they take dryer sheets too?

The answer is yes, most bags are perfectly able to take dryer sheets without any problems. Vacuum bags are arguably even better for keeping your vacuums and rooms smelling good since they can potentially last longer than using one in a bagless container.

Remember, most vacuum bags are fabric, which tends to hold in smells for longer periods than plastic or small filters can.

No matter if you have a disposable or permanent bag, it should be clean before getting started to smell the result better. Dryer sheets in a vacuum bag can make a world of difference in reducing odor.

Would you prefer to use fabric softener beads instead? It's safe for you to do. Add to the bags before you clean, or sprinkle a few on the floor for you to vacuum up later.

Before trying out the latter approach, be sure that it's safe for you to pick up the beads beforehand.

8. Use A Cardboard Tube To Vacuum Tight Spaces

People having trouble cleaning their windows, frames, and around corners that a crevice attachment doesn't seem to work well on will love this hack.

You can wrap a piece of cardboard around your attached hose to pinpoint tiny corners that other attachments don't work well with on their own. To attach the cardboard, you can use tape or zip ties.

The method is useful since you can shape the cardboard to any size that you desire.

As a plus, it's a good way to use other attachments as a makeshift crevice tool if you broke the one that you had, or don't own one yet.

Given that cardboard is very frail, go easy on it when moving the tip around to prevent it from falling off as you clean.

9. Use A Sauce Bottle To Vacuum Your Computer Keyboard

Since you've become a master at the cardboard technique, why stop there? You've probably seen how easily messy your computer's keyboard or rear side can get.

What about your flatscreen TV? Tired of seeing dirt and dust cling to its back like a magnet?

Your vacuum can get all of this up faster than you could with a static dust rag. Take a mustard bottle or one with a pointed hole and clean it thoroughly.

Cut off the bottom end to where it's flush with the hose attachment to your vacuum.

Next, turn on the vacuum and marvel at the amount of dust that you manage to extract from your electronics.

To prevent damages, always move gently over the electronics that you clean and remember to turn them off beforehand.

10. Vacuum Cleaning Tips For A Better Working Vacuum

This is probably the easiest hack. But in all honesty, it's something that everyone with a vacuum would be doing at least twice a year.

Do you notice any icky smells coming from the vacuum bag, the brushes, attachments, or vents? Giving your vacuum a detailed cleaning can help lengthen its life and let it breathe a refreshing smell into your home.

Use plenty of soap and warm water to scrub those pieces down, or allow them to soak for a bit.

Add some fragrance to the soak and let everything dry out well before putting the vacuum back together.

This is the best time to add some essential oils to the filter or bagless container.

11. Put Some Ice On Your Rug After You Vacuum

Dents and indentations work wonders on most rugs, except for shag rugs.

Add ice to the parts that you see have warped in shape from the gravitation stress of your furniture. The thicker the rug's material, the longer you should let the ice sit.

It's fine to wait for it to melt completely if you wish. Vacuum the spot where you placed the ice to pull up the dent back to where it was when you first bought it.

12. Cleaning Play Dough From Your Carpet With This Vacuum Hack

Play Dough is the toy of imagination for children, the item of instant nostalgia for adults, and the stuff of nightmares for adults with children.

The toy has earned itself an infamous reputation for being extremely difficult to clean from rugs and carpets. Let the Play Dough dry itself out, then use a dusting brush to take out what remains on the carpet.

13. Consider Putting Your Vacuum In The Dishwasher

Some vacuums can be cleaned using a dishwasher. However, this only applied to machines that can separate themselves from their electrical components.

Never place the motor or anything attached electronically to the vacuum in your dishwater. But for attachments and containers, it's a great way to get them clean if you're in a hurry.

14. Add Some Masking Tape

Vacuum attachments are useful, but the tips are sometimes pointy and can leave marks on the edges of your wall, especially crevice tools.

The best way to keep this from occurring is to tape a bit of adhesive to the sides of your attachments.

You could probably pull off two or three cleaning sessions before ending to replace the tape again, so buy a tool or two and keep it near the rest of your vacuum's attachments.

15. De-Hair The Roller With A Seam Ripper

The rollers of your vacuums will also come clean with a seam ripper. Rollers could be easier to clean with them than your vacuum's primary brush.

Move it across the brush as you would when cutting a seam. It'll help you pull out the tangled hair better than a comb or scissors can do.

Dyson Vacuum Hacks

For Dyson vacuums, it's all about dryer sheets. You can add your favorite to the inside and watch as your house becomes fresher in scent than any candle, incense, air spray freshener can manage.

Use your favorite scents and place them sideways in your Dyson's debris container.

Roomba Hacks

Go online and it's easy to find people that have tried all kinds of experiments on their Roomba. But the simplest is usually the best. Place a dryer sheet over your Roomba's filter, cutting it with scissors so that it forms the shape of the filters at the bottom.

Wrap what remains around the filter, and place it inside your Roomba as normal. For at least a week, your Roomba will now double as an air freshener and keep the filter from getting dirty too quickly.

Another hack involves velcros and tape. Roombas come with docking stations that sometimes have a hard time sticking to the floor, dragging the station around instead of locking itself in place with it.

The result is the Roomba's battery dying from being unable to properly drive itself to the station. Use Velcro and tape at the bottom of your floor to attach the docking station. This will stick firmly enough to prevent movement when the Roomba is ready to charge itself.

Rainbow Vacuum Hacks

Rainbow vacuum cleaners come with their scented oils, but you could easily make your own with itself you probably have in your kitchen already. Take the rinds of your favorite smelling citrus fruits, such as orange and lemon peels, then grind them down.

Add to the water reservoir. As you move your Rainbow vacuum around, the natural fragrant oil from the rind pieces is released, filling your home with an incredible smell that's long-lasting and invigorating.