Today’s weather forecast (Melbourne CBD, 3000): min - 17°C, max - 25°C. 25% chance of at least 1mm

  • melbaboutown
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    7 days ago

    I’m disappointed in my Kmart cordless stick vac. It seemed to work well at first and I liked that it was relatively quiet but it doesn’t pick up anything… or maybe it just struggles with larger particles like tracked paper cat litter pellets. But that’s what I got it for!

    The Big W corded stick was literally half the cost, crevice tool is broken and the thing is kind of falling apart in half but still it puts the fancier model to shame. Sucks large stuff up no problem.

    Unfortunately it’s incredibly loud, requiring me to wear ear protection and scares the cat. So it’s not easy to vacuum

    • CEOofmyhouse56
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      7 days ago

      You need to regularly clean the filters on these. I use a paint brush to get a good clean on both the hepa filter and the foam like cover.

      • melbaboutown
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        7 days ago

        Yeah, I checked that nothing was blocked but will have to check again

        • CEOofmyhouse56
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          7 days ago

          You’ve got the barrel right. Watch it and when the shit stops spinning, empty it. Then after every third empty, pull it apart and clean the filters with a stiff paint brush. Tap the shit out of them over a bin. No need to wash them.

          spoiler

          Put them back together and see if there’s better suction.

          • melbaboutown
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            7 days ago

            This one doesn’t have a barrel like that, it’s a plastic canister with holes in it with a small fabric bag inside. I’ll see if rinsing or washing helps

            The Big W one does have a barrel like the top bit and I frequently scrape everything out of the creases with a toothpick

            • CEOofmyhouse56
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              7 days ago

              Tbh. Without a pic I can’t advise what to do but washing it is only gonna create mud. If it’s anything like a dust buster then turn the bag inside out and brush out as much as you can.

              • melbaboutown
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                7 days ago

                It’s this stick vac

                Filter:

                Top

                Side

                Inner non-woven fabric bag

                It does look a bit coated with dust so I could try to tap it a lot but don’t want sacrifice a paintbrush. I’m not sure if it’s too delicate to rinse.

                Perhaps I might be able to find an equivalent or close enough spare part

                Edit: Dry unused toothbrush of a disliked type to the rescue

                  • melbaboutown
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                    7 days ago

                    Thanks! Dry brushed that and the sponge disc, removed all hair from the sweepers - then I found a hidden clog that I hadn’t seen or been able to reach. It was wayyy up there (Morty). The opening was also pretty small.

                    I sent a drain snake brush through because it was a narrow rigid hooked bend too long for a pipe cleaner - then realised it was detachable. Doh!

                    It’s still kind of just ok and was never really that strong. Probably either a stick thing, cordless, or Kmart.

                    But it’s now picking up something rather than nothing and it’s useful to know about the bottleneck. It doesn’t tend to handle even tiny torn pieces of cardboard from Melbcat’s scratching piece, so that will be the first thing I check in future.

    • TheWitchofThornbury
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      7 days ago

      Um, have you washed the filter? Not just emptied the bag - the filter screen needs to be rinsed and dried too. Also the rollers might be full up with floof and need to be combed free. Failing that, there might be blockage in the tube that connects the bag to the business end - poking with a chopstick from the underside might help a bit.

      • melbaboutown
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        7 days ago

        I should try that. It was much weaker from the start and there doesn’t seem to be a blockage but I haven’t washed the filter yet

    • StudSpud The Starchy
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      7 days ago

      I need a new vac, so I won’t be getting the Kmart one lol. I have a hand-me-down phat-ass Dyson, but the bucket clip is broken, so I have to hold the bottom until it’s over a trash bag to empty it. I think half the apartments dust particles make it up my nose each time lol. I just wish I could fix the bucket because I like the Dyson, I’m very grateful I was given it, even though it was used for years beforehand.

      I wonder if there is such a thing as a GOOD cheap vac sigh

      • melbaboutown
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        7 days ago

        I don’t think there is. I always want to get a proper vac and not cheap junk but finances