7 Creative Ways to Use a Wet/Dry Vacuum You Never Thought of
1. Retrieve Lost Items From a Sink Drain
Have you ever dropped a ring down a sink drain? If it didn’t fall to far it could very well have stopped in the drain pipe trap. Close enough for you to retrieve it by using your wet/dry vacuum.
Simply place the hose in the port that sucks in. Then, hold the end of the hose over the drain opening and hold it in place as tightly as possible. Turn your vacuum on and allow the machine to work for a few minutes. Then, turn it off and inspect the contents of the holding tank. Your ring will probably be there!
2. Unclog Difficult Sink Drains
Speaking of sink drains, another creative way to use a wet/dry vac you probably never thought of, is to unclog a sink with it. This time, you’ll need to switch the hose to the port that blows out air. Then, place the end of the hose into the drain as far as possible, and turn the machine on. The force of the air can break up hair, grease and goo that has your drain plugged up, just like a plunger does. Except, the wet/dry vacuum is more powerful and can be more effective.
3. Clean Up Liquid Food Spills
Anytime you accidentally drop an egg on the floor, I bet you reach for the salt shaker, right? Sprinkling salt on a raw egg dries it up so you can then easily sweep it up. Or, maybe you reach for a handful of paper towels to wipe up the gooey mess. Why not use your wet/dry vac instead? You can suck up raw eggs messes, a bowl of cereal and milk that slid off the table- any kind of food mess that can happen at your house!
4. Inflate Pool Toys
How many times have you turned your face purple trying to blow up pool toys for the kids? Use your wet/dry vacuum to do the job instead, and your lungs will thank you! All you need to do is make sure the hose is inserted in the port that blows air out. Then, place the end of the hose over the open valve of the toy, and turn it on! If need be, squeeze the valve open with your finger and thumb while you blow the air inside.
5. Clean Out a Woodstove or Fireplace
Cleaning out the ashes in a woodstove or fireplace can be a messy hassle if you use the traditional sweep-and-scoop method. Instead, simply use your wet/dry vacuum to easily clean up the ashes instead! Just make sure the ashes are completely cool before you use your machine.
Note: Not all wet/dry vacuums are the same. To use yours for this purpose, your machine should have a filtering system that keeps the dust inside the holding tank, instead of letting it blow out the exhaust.
6. Clean Up a Flooded Basement
If you’re lucky enough to own a wet/dry vac that has a drain on the bottom of the holding tank, and you get water in your basement, you’re about to learn another creative use for this machine that you’re going to love! All you need to do is remove the plug on the drain. Then, screw a garden hose onto the drain and run it outside a basement door. Place the hose of your wet/dry vacuum in the water you want to remove, and turn the machine on. The water in your basement will be sucked up into the holding tank, then run back out through the hose outside your house.
7. Remove Snow From Floors, Steps, and Sidewalks
One of the things I used to hate about winter, is when snow gets dragged inside my house. You can grab a dustpan to scoop the icy mess up, but the floor’s still wet. Then, you have to grab an old towel to wipe that up. Instead of going through that hassle, here’s another creative way to use your wet/dry vacuum: use it to clean up snow! You can even remove the snow that’s on your steps and sidewalks with it too!
