Entries Tagged as 'Vacuum'

Bagless Vacuums, the Dirty Secret

July 9th, 2008 16 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,
I admit, I was one of those – a bagless vacuum cleaner! What an amazing idea! No thought was given to what I was going to do with the container full of dust and debris. I’ve figured out that one – dumping out the junk is fairly easy although many people including myself dislike the cloud of who-knows-what that comes from dumping days’ worth of stuff sitting in the canister.  What I can’t figure out, nor find online, is how the heck to clean the filter.  Everything says, “clean the filter,” but then i see, “don’t touch the filter.” How does one clean the filter of a bagless vac? I’m pretty confident I’m getting lower performance because the filter is, um, gross. (The same can be said for my handvac but I’ll be satisfied today with knowing how to clean the filter on my less-than-a-year-old hoover.)
So i turn to the experts – how do I clean the filter on a bagless vac?
Signed,
Could Be Cleaner
Heather says:
After emptying the canister, pull the cartridge filter out.   Bang it carefully on the inside of your trashbin.  (This will help contain some of the dust that is going to fly out).  Be sure to only tap the rubber gasket portion of your filter. If you hit the paper portion it may be damaged by the impact.  This should loosen most of the debris.  If you have access to an air compressor, once the loose debris has been removed, blow any stubborn dust away. Using a rag or paper towel wipe out any lingering dirt and debris from your dust cup before replacing the filter.
With care these filters can last for quite a while, but they must be replaced on occasion.  Before ordering a new filter inspect your vacuum carefully, occasionally small toys, change, or string can lodge in a tube or hose and reduce the suction.   Don’t forget to examine the agitator and belt while you are down there.  A beater bar full of hair will certainly reduce your machine’s capability.  Use a box cutter or scissors to carefully cut away tangled hair and string.  Hopefully you’ll be back to Hoovering the floor in no time.
On a side noteI suckered talked Mr. Heather into a refurbished Dyson four* years ago.   It’s still going strong, and I still love it.  There, yet another shameless plug for a company not currently sponsoring us.
*Hey refurbished was half the price of new.
Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

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Vacuuming Practices

November 29th, 2007 4 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I’m curious to know what’s the best vacuum for someone with long hair and a cat that has short hair. I’ve got a nice Kenmore canister vac, but my hair bogs up the roller constantly. And I ain’t cuttin’ my hair.

Signed,

Lovely With Long Hair

retrochick.JPGIvy says:

Back when I had really long hair, I had the same problem.  I have several suggestions, perhaps one of them will work best for you. What I did when I had this problem was to sweep the floor with a broom first before vacuuming to get most of the hair up. Sure, it’s a pain, but it really works to keep the long hair out of the vacuum cleaner.

If that’s too much of a pain and you have fairly deep pockets, you can buy a vacuum cleaner that has a stainless steel brush roller instead of the standard wood or plastic that comes with most models today. You will need to look into commercial vacuums to find this, generally. They’re expensive, but you may find it is worth it.

I’d also consider using something like a Swiffer Carpet Flick to run over the carpet before vacuuming. I don’t have one, so I can’t say whether or not it would work well, but I’d probably give it a try before shelling out the bucks for an expensive vacuum.

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Cleaning refrigerator coils: A tutorial

July 24th, 2007 3 Comments

Heather says:

Ivy recently reminded us to clean our fridge coils to keep our refrigerators running efficiently. However, some have asked “Just how do I do that?” Here is a step by step guide to removing the dust and dirt to ensure your fridge is operating in peak condition.

  • To reduce the risk of shock, either unplug the fridge or flip the circuit breaker.
  • The location of your appliance’s coils will depend on the age of your fridge. On many older models the coils can be reached by removing the kickplate just beneath the doors. This may either snap out of place or may be secured with screws. Once this is removed, I take it outside and spray it down with the hose. If yours is particularly grimy, use degreaser to help break up the film.
  • Using the wand attachment to your vacuum and carefully suck out all the grime. Some companies sell specialized attachments that have bristles solely for this purpose, but I believe it to be unnecessary. Replace the kick plate when you have finished.
  • There are two other possible locations for the coils. If they are not located beneath the doors, carefully pull the fridge away from the wall. Always move the fridge straight in and straight out to minimize damage to the flooring. The coils will either be exposed on the back of the appliance or behind a kick plate. If the coils are exposed simply vacuum of any dust with the vacuum’s soft bristle attachment. Alternatively, if the coils are extremely grimy, use a rag dampened with degreaser or white vinegar.
  • If the coils are not exposed, use a wrench or screwdriver to remove the screws. Just so you don’t think I know everything, I had to look up what these screws are called – hex headed screws.
  • Once the plate has been removed, use the soft bristled vacuum tool to remove any built up dust. Replace the cover, sweep or vacuum up any debris, and carefully push the appliance back into place, being sure not to pinch any electrical cords or water lines.
  • Restore power to the unit by either resetting the breaker or plugging it in.
  • This project should take less than ten minutes start to finish, if it is performed on a regular basis. However, if neglected it may take longer.

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Answers to some of life’s questions

March 13th, 2007 3 Comments

stripey-shirt.JPGIvy says:

Kathy T over at Where’s the Mute Button asked us some questions. We at Home-Ec 101 are here to help, so here’s where I answer those questions. Kathy’s questions are in bold:

1. How to clean up *shart-stains.

In case anyone was unaware, shart stains are those brown stains that mysteriously appear in one’s underwear when one gets a bit too exhuberant with their gas expulsions. According to Kathy, this is not a problem for her. Sure, Kathy, we believe you. Spray N Wash is the best way to deal with this embarassing issue.

2. Can you vacuum out your fireplace without ruining your vacuum cleaner?

Not really. If you’re talking about cleaning the actual chimney, this is one of those times I’d probably go ahead and spend the money to have a professional clean it. I remember my mom and dad cleaning the chimney themselves when I was a kid, and it was so nasty. This is one of the reasons I don’t have a fireplace. As far as cleaning out the fireplace after you have a fire, you’re going to need to use a broom to get all the ashes out. Possibly Heather has some chimney/fireplace cleaning suggestions she can add to this post .

3. Cleaning your duct work.

Shop vac with a long cord and a long hose.

4. Attack of the lady bugs… is it murder to annihilate those devils?

Ladybugs are attracted to light colored houses, so paint your house black. If you can’t bear a black house, try burning a lemon scented candle, I’ve heard that works. I have a friend whose granny would use a shop vac and vacuum up those suckers. That’s probably the most humane way. I’m with you on the ladybugs, I tend to get hordes of them. Man, they’re annoying.

5. How to make fancy ice cubes (if lady bugs were edible, we could freeze them in the middle and that’d look pretty).

Buy fancy ice cube trays, of course.

Little known Ivy fact: I don’t keep ice in my house. I never use ice, so I don’t waste space in my freezer on it. If I need ice, I run down to the gas station and buy some.

6. How to clearly mark you pillow so your husband doesn’t want to steal it.

My mom and dad used Sharpies to write their names on their pillows. There’s nothing more amusing than seeing pillows marked “Mystery Lady X” and “St. Mark”. Of course, if your husband is an active pillow thief, try wiping boogers on your pillow. That should stop him.

7. Is once every three years enough when cleaning stuff on the inside of curio cabinets?

Martha would not approve, but as far as I’m concerned, if you can’t actively see the dust, you’re golden.

8. What to do with those leftover Christmas decorations you find around the house throughout the year to keep from climbing up into the attic.

Throw ‘em away.

9. Giant inflatable rabbits. Help us convince the world how wrong those are.

I can’t even begin to start on the wrongness of giant inflatable rabbits. Save the vinyl! Don’t buy giant inflatable rabbits!

10. Invasion of moths. WTF is that all about? I’ve never seen more moths in my life than what we have here. I guess mothballs is the simple answer, but they smell so bad.

bug-zapper.jpgBug Zappers aren’t just great for killing bugs- they are fun entertainment for the entire family!

As you can see, we even answer stupid questions! Send your stupid questions to us today, by using the “send us email” button in the sidebar!

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