3 easy tasks for wet and dry vacuum cleaners that can break an ordinary vacuum

Content supplied by Kärcher

If you’ve been working on a self build, renovation or home improvement project then you will likely have a lot of debris to be cleared. But using an ordinary vacuum cleaner for certain materials could make you regret it later. 

Many indoor vacuum cleaners are able to suck up materials which can harm them, but you won’t initially see the effects of this. Some materials can clog up your machine, or in some cases they can cause electrical failures. 

This is why wet and dry vacuum cleaners can be so beneficial. They generally use a two bucket system where liquids are stored separately from solids, and they can be as effective cleaning up DIY mess as they are when blasting away dirt from your driveway. They can also make light work of materials which could otherwise break standard vacuum cleaners.

These are 3 tasks which you should avoid taking on with an ordinary vacuum cleaner.

1. Dust

Dust can be a pain to clean up on home improvement projects, but normal household vacuums are not designed to handle dust particles, especially the fine dust found in sawdust or ash. 

Fine dust will clog the filters inside your vacuum and reduce its suction, and the dust can sometimes be blown right back into the air. 

You could instead sweep it up, but this isn’t an ideal option as sweeping dust into the air could irritate your lungs. A Wet and Dry vacuum cleaner, on the other hand, can easily remove dust in large volumes, making it an essential asset during a building project. 

2. Soil and plant debris

We’ve likely all been tempted to use our vacuum cleaners to clean up soil and mulch brought in by our shoes or pets, but this can make the situation worse on two fronts.

Firstly, the push force and weight of an indoor vacuum could push the dirt deeper into your carpet and leave a stain behind. Secondly, plant debris (particularly moist debris) could end up clogging your machine. 

Wet and dry vacuum cleaners not only have the ability to clean both wet and dry debris, but they can do it simultaneously, making it a quick and simple job. 

3. Liquids

There’s an abundance of reasons not to vacuum up liquids with an ordinary vacuum. Not only will it clog your machine - and potentially create a dirty, damp mess inside your dust bin - but you run the risk of electrocuting yourself. 

Wet dry vacuum cleaner vacuum cleaners are specially designed to pick up water and other spills, meaning no more having to mop up liquids with a kitchen towel, cloth or mop.