Vacuum cleaners are one of the most essential appliances that help us in keeping our home or space free from dust and debris. They are usually used in cleaning floors, rugs, and carpets. But aside from those, vacuum cleaners are also versatile tools because you can use them for a variety of household chores. Meaning, you don’t really need a closet full of cleaning gadgets to keep your home clean if you have a vacuum cleaner and the right accessories to get the job done.
Vacuums usually come with different accessories or attachments that are used for different types of household chores or in cleaning different parts of your home. For example, most vacuums include standard attachments like an extension wand or upholstery tool, which can help you in cleaning hard-to-reach spots or smaller nooks in your home. But there are more vacuum attachments that are very useful aside from those.
Today, we are giving you a guide to the different vacuum attachments. Knowing these attachments will enable you to clean more efficiently using your vacuum.
The Four Basic Vacuum Attachments
Here are the four basic attachments that most vacuums come with. These four can handle a host of chores.
Extension Wand
This vacuum attachment will give you more reach and it can nab specks of dust that are dangling from high ceilings as well. You can also use it to reach dust in corners or those buried deep behind appliances. Aside from that, it can also be used to get dropped coins or jewelry between the couch cushions. How? You just simply stretch a piece of nylon pantyhose over its opening to suck up small items without getting them stuck in your vacuum cleaner.
An extension wand can usually add 18 inches to an upright vacuum’s hose. Therefore, when you attach it to your vacuum, you will be able to reach light fixtures, high fan blades, and tall furniture without the need for a ladder. It also keeps your arms close to your body, preventing them from fatigue and strain when cleaning.
Crevice Tool
The crevice tool vacuum attachment features a skinny shape and angled tip. It will help you in getting into tight spots such as corners, along baseboards, between sofa cushions, and more. It can also be used to clean your refrigerator’s coils or to clean the inner workings of your dryer.
The crevice tool also suctions out smaller spots. It can clean dusty from a doorjamb, cobwebs from corners, crumbs from car seats, or dirt from a window track. This vacuum attachment is usually 8 to 12 inches long.
Upholstery Tool
The upholstery tool vacuum attachment is usually four to six inches wide. It directs a band of suction over upholstery fibers. Most of them have red microfiber strips at the edges which help draw out lint. It is a perfect vacuum attachment to use when you are cleaning dust from sofas, chairs, mattresses, and cushions.
Dusting Brush
The dusting brush is a round vacuum attachment that features inch-long bristles which surrounds its opening. It provides gentle abrasion to dislodge dust particles from baseboards, window screens, window treatments, bookcases, blinds, and as well as lampshades without scratching them. Aside from that, you can also use it to dust air vents and refrigerator coils, and as well as the inset panels of doors and cabinets.
Attachments Exclusive for Canister Vacuums
Canister vacuums are typically more equipped than upright vacuums and they often come with these attachments.
Bare Floor Brush
This is a wide narrow attachment that has short and soft bristles. It is usually used to remove fine dust and grit from tiles and hardwood floors.
Motorized Brush Head
This attachment is also sometimes called the power nozzle. It is a large vacuum attachment that features a rotating brush so you can clean carpets more line an upright vacuum with your canister vacuum. Some will also give you the option to turn off its rotation, allowing you to use it on bare floors as well.
Add-On Vacuum Attachments
These are some helpful vacuum attachments that do not usually come with vacuum cleaners. Meaning, you have to buy them separately from the vacuum manufacturer.
Radiator Brush
This attachment is a stiff-bristle piece that fits over the crevice tool and it is usually for Miele vacuums. This brush is thin enough to wedge between home radiator fins so that you can clean them fast and more effectively. This attachment can also be used to run over refrigerator coils and vent slats. Its bristles can make a quick work of stubborn buildup.
Fan Blade Duster
This attachment can be affixed to the extension wand. It will help you reach each fan blade easily. You can start at the fan’s core and then pull the duster toward the end of the blade. The broom head of this attachment will sweep the bottom, then a micro-fiber cloth will brush from the top. The debris that the duster will get will be sucked into the hose via the bristles. It can also be used to conquer cobwebs in high corners using the same method.
Car Cleaning Nozzle
This car cleaning nozzle attachment is a four-inch wedge-shaped tool that can be affixed to the hose of a wet-dry vacuum. It provides targeted suction on carpeted car mats. It can grab and suck every bit of crackers or sand. You can also try using this on patio furniture because it can be more precise than hosing, giving you a more detailed clean.
Floor Sweeper
This is a 12-inch-wide floor brush vacuum attachment that you can use to vacuum wood and tile floors in overlapping rows. It has soft, half-inch bristles that are combined with the suction the vacuum which picks up more dirt quickly compared to a dustpan and broom. You can also use it on low-pile rigs to clean them without the risk of sucking the rug material.
Mattress Refresher
This mattress refresher attachment is used to pick up lint, dirt, and as well as allergens from a mattress surface. Simply move it in short strokes, section by section. This also doubles as an upholstery tool for larger furniture such as daybeds and sofas.
Multi-Angle Brush
This is a curved hose that features a pivoting head with a soft-bristled brush. It will help you in maneuvering into the challenging nooks of sliding closet tracks, light fixtures, and even in car door compartments. You can also use this multi-angle brush vacuum attachment to capture grime on blinds and baseboards.
Power Brush
This is a great vacuum attachment for those with carpeted stairs. It is a mini motorized tool that features a rotating brush roll that can suck up dust in seconds, step by step. Aside from carpeted stairs, this power brush can also clear dirt and dust from other tight spaces such as the floor of a small closet or a powder room.
Other Vacuum Attachments
There are also vacuum attachments that may seem more novelty than necessity. But these attachments can also be very helpful to certain people and for specialized jobs as well.
Drain Unclogger
Yes, there’s a vacuum attachment that will help you unclog your drain. It is a simple rubber suction cup that you can add to a wet-dry vacuum. It will be able to help pull up stubborn gunk and as well as other items that are dropped accidentally from a sink, shower, or a tub drain.
Computer Cleaner
There are also vacuum attachments for computers that you can use to clean the grime from keyboards such as a 36-inch long hose, a mini extension wand, brush tools, and a crevice attachment. These can also be used to clean the interior of a sewing machine
Pet Groomer
If you have a pet at home with lots of hair to spare, then this vacuum attachment is perfect for you. It is a grooming tool that sucks up fur, preventing the hair of your pet to gunk up your brush or your sofa.
Vacuums indeed have lots of useful attachments aside from the ones that most of us are familiar with. All of these attachments will be able to help you with doing house chores. With just your vacuum cleaner, you will be able to finish most of the cleaning tasks you have with the use of different vacuum attachments. If you are also interested in vacuums that will help you manage pet hair in your home, you can check out our list of the Best Vacuums for Pet Hair for options.