Canstar Blue research this year showed 18% of New Zealanders have accidentally vacuumed up something valuable, like jewellery, and lost it. But there are ways to get back what the vacuum has claimed. And the vacuum can even be used to find other things that you’ve dropped around the house.
Rescuing your valuables from the vacuum
Check the brush and the roller on the vacuum nozzle first. You never know, it might not have gone all the way in.
Bagless vacuums are obviously easier when you’ve accidentally sucked up something important, as you can easily open them up and pull out the item without pulling out all of the dust and dirt.
But it’s not impossible to save your valuables from a bag vacuum. Nordstrom has been famous since 2011 for the story of its employees who voluntarily opened up and searched through their store vacuum cleaner. They were searching for the diamond that had dropped out of a customer’s wedding ring while she was trying on clothes in the store – and they found it, to her great delight. They used this story to show their dedication to customer service at that year’s shareholder meetings, and the YouTube video has received over 27,000 views.
Finding lost things using the vacuum
If you drop something small and you want to get it back straight away, put a stocking or other nylon pantihose over the end of the vacuum hose and vacuum around where you think it might have fallen or bounced. Whether it’s a priceless heirloom like your wedding ring or just a pill you don’t want your toddler to pick up and swallow, the vacuum should pick it up while the pantihose stops it from being sucked into the bag or barrel.
It’s worth a try!
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