7 Clever Vacuuming Tricks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

Your vacuum can do a lot more than just clean your carpet and floors.

Vacuuming our homes is one of the essential cleaning tasks we generally can't skip. But, what if you have a unique vacuuming conundrum that requires something beyond what your machine offers? Your vacuum cleaner can play host to a number of tips and tricks that our cleaning experts have figured out, perfected, and are sharing with us now. From picking up tiny, lost items to fixing pesky carpet dents, the pros share these expert-approved tricks for getting the most out of your vacuum cleaner.

Meet Our Expert

• Petya Holevich, house cleaning expert and supervisor at Fantastic Services, a UK-based company of experts helping people with house maintenance matters

• Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean, a company that makes green cleaning products

• Eunario Chacon, professional cleaner with Super Cleaning Service Louisville, a full-service professional cleaning company based Kentucky

Related: The Right Way to Vacuum All of the Floors in Your Home

Use a Sock to Find Small, Lost Items

Have you dropped a small earring in a corner? Or maybe a tiny toy in a shag rug? You can easily snatch these items up by placing a sock over your vacuum hose. "It makes finding small lost items, for example, on a shaggy rug, under the sofa, or deep in a vent or another type of tight spot, very easy," says Petya Holevich, house cleaning expert and supervisor at Fantastic Services. "Besides a sock, you can also use tights, but, in any case, you’ll need to make sure to secure the fabric firmly with a rubber band or hair tie."

Fix Carpet Dents With an Ice Cube and Vacuum

Notice little dents in your carpet from heavy furniture? All you need is an ice cube and your vacuum to fix it. "Just put the ice cubes on the dents, let them melt, and fluff up the wet carpet fibers with your fingers," says Eunario Chacon, a professional cleaner with Super Cleaning Service Louisville. "Then, use your vacuum to lift and reshape the fibers."

Related: 10 Vacuuming Mistakes That Might Actually Be Making Your Floors Dirtier

Use a Toilet Paper Tube as an Attachement

Easily swap in a toilet paper tube as a quick replacement for a crevice attachment. "If you've lost your crevice attachment, use a toilet paper tube and put it over the nozzle to clean narrow spaces," says Chacon. You can pinch the opening to fit whatever shape you need to reach.

Related: How to Clean Your Carpet the Right Way

Add Cinnamon to Scent Your Home

If you're looking for an easy way to disperse a lovely scent throughout your home, consider adding cinnamon to your vacuum bag—a little goes a long way. "If you add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder to your vacuum cleaner bag or cylinder, when you clean, you’ll get a pleasant smell," says Holevich. "Alternatively, you can also use vanilla powder or scented dryer sheets." Holevich notes that this particular cinnamon hack is useful at getting rid of pet smells.

Related: 7 Ways to Make Your Whole House Smell Amazing

Try an Essential Oil Infused Cotton Ball in the Canister

Another easy DIY air freshener trick, grab your favorite essential oil and a cotton ball from your bathroom. "Place a cotton ball infused with a few drops of your preferred essential oil inside the vacuum cleaner bag or canister," says Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean. "As you vacuum, the essential oil will gently release into the air, leaving behind a subtle fragrance that freshens your space."

Use a Seam Cutter to Clean the Brush

Your vacuum brush most likely gets clogged with dust, hair, debris, and threads—before you take scissors or a box cutter to your brush, reach for a seam cutter instead. "You might think that this issue can be easily solved with scissors or a box cutter, but these tools are too sharp, and you’ll risk damaging the attachment’s bristles," says Holevich. "Instead, I’d recommend using a seam cutter, which is a lot more lightweight and has a single sharp and pointy tip that can get through the build-up and dislodge it without causing damage."

Empty the Canister With a Damp Paper Towel

When you're done vacuuming, don't undo all of your hard cleaning work when you empty the vacuum canister. Keep all of that dust and debris in its place with a damp paper towel. "When emptying the dust bin or canister, just grab a damp paper towel and put it over the contents before you throw them away," says Chacon. "This will stop all the dust and dirt from flying around."

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.