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Just wanted to re-post what I had written about my shop-vac.
This is the GREATEST desqualoring tool.
When I had a landlord inspection in January, another member of Squalor Survivors came to my house and helped me clean in preparation.
Here is what I posted then:
The biggest godsend (other than the squalor sister who came to help) was the shop vac.
"Shop-Vac" is a trademark name for a "workshop vacuum cleaner" -- a "vacuum cleaner for a carpenter's workshop". This is the type of vacuum cleaner that a construction contractor would use at a job site, to suck up sawdust, nails and other debris.
It is also a "Wet/Dry vacuum cleaner" -- it can suck up liquids during floods.
The name comes from this:
www.shopvac.com/Although "Shop-Vac" is a trademark name, it has become a generic term in everyday speech in the USA for a wet-dry vacuum cleaner. (Like "kleenex" brandname has become a generic term for facial tissues). Many companies manufacture similar items.
I actually have one that is NOT made by the Shop-Vac Corporation. Mine is another brand, but very similar. I have this one:
web.archive.org/web/20130112093521/www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00917066000PI borrowed this same Sears model in the summer, and loved it. I wanted one for myself. So I bought myself one months ago, as a birthday present to myself, but never used it -- never even took it out of the box.
First, before vacuuming, I picked up anything from the floor that was bigger than 3 or 4 inches long. Then I looked at floor for anything left that I wanted to keep. (Picked up important receipts and hair ties). Left all the other crap on the floor, pieces of paper, trash, whatever. If it was smaller than 3 or 4 inches, and I didn't want it, I left it on the floor.
The friend assembled the wet/dry vac (shop vac), and we both used it. WOW WOW WOW WOW. One of the greatest dequaloring tools ever! All that crap on the floor -- gone INSTANTLY. Fast, fast, fast. Miraculous.
This is a great tool for quick cleanups when your dogs have chewed stuff up!
Seriously, I recomend such a machine. Preferable size: 16 gallons or 60 liters.
And ... a week AFTER the inspection, my clothes washing machine flooded all over the floor -- in the middle of the night. Thankfully, I was able to use the shop vac to suck up all the liquid.
(note: Periodically remove filter and shake the dust out of it, then reassemble.
And follow directions as to whether or not to use the filter -- depending on if you are sucking up dry stuff or liquids.).
Note: I am not advocating any particular brand. Just ask at your local lumberyard or home-improvement or hardware store -- ask them what kind professional carpenters/contractors would use. You want it strong, and tolerant of large chunks of stuff. And you want the interior volume to be so big that you can just keep going -- you don't want to have to empty it every 5 minutes.
Some pictures here:
www.shopvac.com/vacs/list.asp?hdnSource=index&Browse=16gal----------
Home Depot "Rigid" brand 16-gallon or 14-gallon wet-dry vaccum
. In one customer review, she said she sucked up all the crabapples from her yard with it!
Note: I haven't tried the Home Depot Rigid models. Just posting them as options.
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NOTE: On the Sears model that I purchased, you can buy a "car uphostery tool attachment. That attachment -- for automotive upholstery -- is GREAT for picking up PET HAIR on your LIVING ROOM CARPET. Seriously miraculous for getting up the hair that's stuck to the rug.
So use the bigger-mouthed generic attachment for picking up large items, and big balls of fur. Then use the car attachment for pulling pet hair out of where it's stuck to the carpet.
Totally love it !
They're loud, but you can buy a "sound muffler" for them.
They blow fine dust back into the room, but you can use a regular vacuum cleaner to clean that up -- after you've sucked up the big stuff with the shop vac.
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