My first year I used a shop vac for everything, even the soot.

Thought it was smart. Saved time. Then one Tuesday in October, I'm cleaning a flue in a 1920s house. The filter clogs. Soot cloud fills the living room. Client's white cat turned gray. Took me 4 hours to clean their curtains. Bought a proper soot vacuum the next day, a HEPA model. Anyone else have a 'this is a terrible idea' moment that finally made you upgrade your gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa6711mo ago

Used to think any vacuum could handle soot. That gray cat story is exactly why I was wrong. Good gear isn't a cost, it's just part of the job.

sagelane25d ago

Ugh, tell me about it. I once tried to vacuum up glitter with a cheap dustbuster. My place looked like a disco threw up for a month.

davidh901mo ago

Honestly, my version of that was trying to use a regular shop vac for drywall dust. Ngl, I'm pretty sure I'm still finding that fine white powder in my truck years later.