How To Clean Tight Spaces With Your Vacuum Cleaner

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Reaching into tight spaces and removing dirt and debris from those places is a huge hassle. From getting the right tool and knowing how to maneuver, everything needs some skills and experience.

The first challenge is obviously your cleaning tool, which is usually designed for a huge area instead. You may need some extra money for a special attachment or need to hold your vacuum for a prolonged period to get the job done. To make sure that cleaning a tight space isn't a headache anymore, follow these tips and recommendations.

What Are Tight Spaces?

What we mean by saying “tight spaces” is the areas that don't provide the cleaner with enough freedom to operate. Some obstacles can be on the way, preventing you from reaching the dirt, or the spaces can be too high for your vacuum to reach.

Narrow spaces between or under furniture are also common issues. The attachment and hose of your vacuum can be too big to fit into them.

The most common tight spaces in households include corners next to furniture and other fixtures, areas between window tracks, sliding tracks of a door, crevices in seats or armrests of a car, areas between tables or desks and the wall, and spaces between the cushions of a sofa.



Why You Should Vacuum Those Tight Spaces

As cleaning tight spaces with a vacuum can be a real challenge, there must be good reasons for you to do so.

Note: If you don’t know where to shop around for a vacuum, check out this guide, “What’s the best vacuum store near me: How to choose the right one”.

Make Your Home Look Better

Small and narrow areas are a paradise of debris, dirt, and foodstuffs like crumbs. When they get stuck into the cushions of your sofa, they make an eyesore.

It isn't easy to ignore those debris and food particles, even if you want to. They can ruin the whole look of your room, even when you have cleaned everything else perfectly.

Cleaning them, preferably with a vacuum, can get rid of those items and particles from sight and stop them from bothering you.

Improve Air Quality

It isn't just about the look, but dust buildup in tight spaces can lead to serious health problems too. It usually accumulates quickly in those overlooked places, where we often don't put as much effort into cleaning them.

Over time, the amount of dust gets bigger, and any activity can make the small particles airborne. You will be surprised by how much dust can be released from those tight areas. They reduce the air quality of your room, and if you keep breathing them in, the dust can lead to allergies and other respiratory problems, especially lung diseases.

Stop Mold Growth

There is usually limited airflow and high humidity levels in tight areas, which are perfect for mold to grow. Mold spores settle on those areas, and when left untouched, divide and grow quickly.

It usually takes mold spores one or two days to fully establish a colony. Vacuuming is a simple method to remove mold spores from every surface in your home, especially when there are water leaks or the levels of humidity in your house are fairly high. Prefer a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Get Rid Of Smells

Foodstuffs can decompose when getting stuck and give off horrible odors. The problem is accelerated when there is any liquid in them, which encourages rotting as well.

Keep checking narrow spaces where you often eat. Vacuum and remove foodstuffs before they have a chance to decompose. Don't wait until it is too late and you learn that something is making your room stink.

How To Vacuum Tight Spaces

Take Advantage Of The Crevice Tool

Most vacuum cleaners come with a crevice tool. It is among the most basic attachments you can have with a vacuum cleaner. But don't underestimate the importance and capabilities of this simple tool.

Crevice tools are your best friend when it comes to narrow and hard-to-reach spaces. Check out the “Vacuum cleaner stores near me” guide and pick up a model with a crevice tool.

They typically have a narrow end, allowing for easy access to tight areas. You should have any problem fitting them under your furniture or between the spaces behind your fridge, for example.

These tools also feature a hole whose job is to let the suction suck dirt in. This hole is wide enough to direct the suction power of your vacuum and allows it to pick up dirt and debris in blind spots more effectively.

Use The Extension Wand

As its name implies, this attachment provides a simple solution to extend the reach of your vacuum.

Attach it to a handheld vacuum cleaner, and you can reach narrow spaces with ease, even if they are obstructed by corners or furniture.

These tight spaces are simply out of the question with full-sized vacuums with a regular hose. But an extension wand makes this possible, especially when you use it in conjunction with similar attachments like a crevice tool.



Make A Cardboard Tube

When you have no suitable attachments, cardboard tubes can be a brilliant workaround. This is a cheap and fast DIY solution that you can adjust to any area, no matter how small or tight.

When fitting a long cardboard tube into your vacuum's hose, be careful not to block it. Secure this homemade attachment with tape.

Moving Furniture

When it is time for a big spring clean, don't hesitate to move and rearrange the furniture around your room to give it a thorough clean.

Even a highly maneuverable vacuum and well-designed attachments can miss a lot of areas. Getting the furniture out of the way is sometimes the only sure way to find those spots and clean them, even temporarily.

For instance, the area between the wall and your sofa is often a dead space no tool can reach. Dust can accumulate a lot there without anyone noticing. Moving the sofa away from the room and into the middle of the room allows you to clean the area, even if you use a regular vacuum.

Moving furniture around is something no one can do regularly. But you should still try to do it once in a while. You don't have to move your items all the way from their original positions either. Just some distance is already enough for a crevice tool or a handheld vacuum to do its job.

If you have chosen a vacuum yet, have a look at these recommendations, “Best vacuum for pet hair and hardwood floors - The complete review”.