13 Things You Should Never, Ever Vacuum

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penniesSHEILA FITZGERALD/SHUTTERSTOCK

Coins and Small Toys

These are things you probably wouldn’t vacuum up on purpose. That’s why it’s extra important for you to check your floors before your hit that power button, especially if you have young kids. Small objects that get sucked up could break into pieces, cut the bag, or wreck the vacuum’s motor—or do all three.

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CARLOS ANDRE SANTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Liquids

Vacuuming up liquids is dangerous, plain and simple. You could be electrocuted. At the very least, the machine will undergo certain damage. Investing in a wet/dry vacuum designed to handle these problems is one solution, but there are plenty of other ways to clean spilled liquid: a mop, almost any Swiffer product, paper towels, regular towels, washcloths—you get the idea. In the event you do break your vacuum, we’ll show you how to repair it yourself.

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cordsGLENN R. SPECHT-GRS PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK

Electrical Cords

It may not seem like a big deal to quickly vacuum over a cord so you can get that hard-to-reach corner, but it is. The vacuum can break apart the cord’s exterior and eventually expose the dangerous wires inside. Cords for vacuums themselves are usually more heavy duty, but they can suffer the same damage.

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