A clean and tidy home makes for a welcoming experience whether you’re having guests over, or whether you’re coming home from work and looking forward to unwinding for the evening. And one of the most prominent of all the cleaning tools is the central vacuums.

This makes sense, these practical machines are so useful that the majority of your cleaning is done once you’ve completed a thorough round or two on your carpet. However, that doesn’t mean vacuum cleaners are the answer to every mess or blemish in your home. In fact, there are certain things you should never vacuum. And in this article, we will be covering what they are.

5 THINGS YOU CAN’T VACUUM
The utility of a vacuum cleaner often eclipses any faults it may have. It’s important to know what you should steer clear of in regards to your vacuum. Cleaning over the wrong things can compromise its efficiency and even damage it beyond useful application. Here are 5 things you shouldn’t vacuum:

1. MAKE-UP
Attempting to clean a makeup spill via the suction of a vacuum cleaner is a good strategy to make a bad accident worse. The brush within the vacuum will only work to exasperate the stain. And if the makeup itself gets sucked into the machine, it will typically melt — which will ruin the vacuum bag.

Instead, clean up as much of the spilled makeup as possible by hand, and then use a stain remover to clean up the rest.

2. ASH AND DUST
Vacuum cleaners can handle a lot — they are quite durable and robust. However, they have their limitations. And one of those limitations is the ash and fine dust emitted by fireplaces. The reason the specks from this kind of debris are so dangerous to vacuums is that they lack the proper filter. As a result, the ashes and dust particles [once vacuumed] varnish the inside, which consequently, leads to a clogged vacuum.

Alternatively, you may want to use a brush to sweep up the dust, or even better — if the dust is on your carpet — use a wet cloth or towel. Dab the blemished area and the ashes, as well as the dust, will stick to the damp napkin.

3. WET FOOD
Sauces, cereal, soup, or any other type of wet food should be avoided by your vacuum. If you do decide to do it, you may end up cleaning the floor you split your food on, but you will also damage your vacuum cleaner unnecessarily. Do all you can to avoid wet food.

Instead, if you have any microfiber cleaning cloths or towels, use them. They are specifically designed to deal with wet, soggy, and damp messes. Your vacuum, however, is not.

4. WATER
You should not bring your vacuum cleaner near anything remotely wet. This is common sense as a vacuum is an electric device. But the other reason you want to adhere to this tip is that your vacuum is filled with dust, grime, filth, etc. And if you throw water into the mix, it can result in a build-up of mildew.

Cleaning up water is a simple process. It’s much better to use a paper towel sheet or a dry cloth to clear any water spills.

5. SHATTERED GLASS SHARDS
Shattered glass isn’t just a mess, it’s a safety concern. So it makes sense that you’d want to clear it up as quickly and as efficiently as possible, which often means going for the vacuum. But you’ll want to refrain from this idea. Shards of glass can damage your vacuum cleaner, causing tears, rips, and punctures within the bag that can lead to an even bigger mess than just a few broken glass pieces. Even if your vacuum doesn’t have a bag, glass shards can still be damaging. Larger glass pieces can easily get stuck in tubes, pipes, and other crevices and cause the vacuum to malfunction.

A better strategy would be to sweep up the large glass pieces, and safely dispose of them. And then afterward, you’ll be left with the minuscule bits that can be cleaned up using a wet cloth or damp towel.

To Sum it All Up
The effectiveness of the vacuum cleaner has helped us keep our homes clean for over one hundred years. But despite its utility, it’s still important to know what it can and can’t handle.