Vent: A customer asked if I could sweep their fireplace with a vacuum cleaner

I had to explain that soot and ashes need more than a household vacuum to avoid a mess.

3 comments

3 Comments

Not all vacuums will make a mess with ashes. Many shop vacuums are designed to handle fine particles like soot. The customer might have a point if they own the right gear.

the_thomas9h ago

Exactly! And even with a shop vac, most people don't realize how badly that fine dust can mess up a regular home vacuum's filter.

ward.julia9m ago

Come on, even the right shop vac isn't a magic fix. Those fine ash particles are a nightmare and they get everywhere, no matter what. The filter might be better, but it still clogs up way faster than with normal dirt. Most people don't clean or change those filters as often as they should anyway. So you're still gonna end up with a mess or a broken vacuum eventually. That super fine powder just ruins everything.