Vacuums - as in the "cleaning the carpets" kind - for cars?

[moparedtn]

The wife has tasked me with finding us (meaning her) a new vacuum cleaner for use in the cars.
She'd had it with the sort of dustbuster type we have now (and I agree); further, cannister types like
shop vacs are out, too.
She basically wants as small a one as possible that is still able to have flexible attachments that get down
into the crevices beside seats and such - and is very maneuverable in a cramped two-car garage.

So - in short, something the size of a soda bottle with the power of the best Electrolux.
Recommendations?

 

[Richard Cranium]

So - in short, something the size of a soda bottle with the power of the best Electrolux.

No such thing as far as I know. They all suck. Pun intended.

We have a central vacuum with hose attachments in both of the garages.

 

[HEMIB]

I use the Dyson omni glide does a good job with a few attachment's once you take all the pipes & attachments off you can use just the main barrel with a basic tool like most dyson units very expensive.

 

[moparedtn]

I use the Dyson omni glide does a good job with a few attachment's once you take all the pipes & attachments off you can use just the main barrel with a basic tool like most dyson units very expensive.

Yeah, sort of - barrel-shaped would work, maybe just not so pricy.

 

[HawkRod]

The wife has tasked me with finding us (meaning her) a new vacuum cleaner for use in the cars.
She'd had it with the sort of dustbuster type we have now (and I agree); further, cannister types like
shop vacs are out, too.
She basically wants as small a one as possible that is still able to have flexible attachments that get down
into the crevices beside seats and such - and is very maneuverable in a cramped two-car garage.

So - in short, something the size of a soda bottle with the power of the best Electrolux.
Recommendations?

Ed, I know you said no shop vacs, but let me just speak my peace, please:

I have found small portable vacuums to be, well, next to useless. They just don't have the sucking power to really clean the carpets well. In addition to that, depending on the unit (like a dust buster), you are holding the vacuum itself, making it big and bulky and hard to get into tight spaces.

My solution is to use my big shop vac with extra hoses so the hose is really long. The hose is necked down to a smaller diameter hose so it is the size of a regular vacuum cleaner. The shop vac stays put, so I don't have to lug it around, and I can easily move the hose wherever needed. AND it has power, so it can get out the stuff that embeds itself into the carpet.

So bottom line: to me, the solution is an extra hose (or two) on a shop vac and everything goes great!

 

[Hey-O]

No such thing as far as I know. They all suck. Pun intended.

We have a central vacuum with hose attachments in both of the garages.

X2

 

[Richard Cranium]

My solution is to use my big shop vac with extra hoses so the hose is really long. The hose is necked down to a smaller diameter hose so it is the size of a regular vacuum cleaner. T

You’ll need these also ……….

 

[RiverRaider]

I have an M18 it works great. Get the 1.5 batteries for lighter weight. The bottom cover swings open for easy trash dumping and filter cleaning.

 

[moparedtn]

So far, I'm liking the extended hoses for the shop vac idea. Wondering if buildup of dirt happens in such
lengthy things though?

 

[Detective D]

I have an M18 it works great. Get the 1.5 batteries for lighter weight. The bottom cover swings open for easy trash dumping and filter cleaning.

View attachment 1709627

These things work. We have the larger box shaped ones at work. The little one you pictured would be best for a car I think though.

We used to have these:

https://www.grainger.com/product/61HV76?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5ea1BhC6ARIsAEOG5pybtTbvpsGelov9vN8RTdK80Rbq1rf-3y8eHjcLI55PTNOebsLQe2UaAuQqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Now, I could vouch for both power and durability 15 years ago. Hard to say what a decade of globalized motor manufacturing has done, but these were super handy and could be had with a 15 foot hose if you wanted. Surprisingly powerful for their size. It's basically a bucket with a hose stuck on the side, as far as size of the unit and ease of moving it around goes. A lot less clunky then a 6.5HP big azz shop vac.
You can probably find alternative brands if you want to shop price/features. I can;t vouch for any other brand though, and only for 20-teens versions of this one, but they pack a punch for their size.

 

[Detective D]

I also want to suggest:
Go on Craigslist or FB market(yuck) and find someone selling a 30 year old Kirby for like $50. Then get the extended hose kit for it. You can still use an old school bag for it(or HEPA even) and an old kirby is powerful enough it might suck the carpet out of your car. Pretty sure they made up to 30' hoses for them too.

You can do this with a big azz shop vac too, and they make adapters you can downsize the fat hose to a 1.5" or even 1" if you want to make it a bit more handy. But then you either have no bag, or you have to deal with what they consider a bag lol.

 

[HawkRod]

So far, I'm liking the extended hoses for the shop vac idea. Wondering if buildup of dirt happens in such
lengthy things though?

Below is my setup. I have occasionally had a little bit of buildup where the hose necks down to a narrower hose, but nothing significant.

This is simple, uses a tool I already have, has great sucking power and is very versatile too. Vacuum up anything you like, including water if that ever were to happen.

 

[khryslerkid]

I've tried several portable vacuums. Nothing beats a shop vac with multiple attachments.

 

[DeltaV]

I use a shop vac, but Ed likes to spend money on Fred.



Mighty 500 Watt Vacuum & Blower

 

[Coelacanth]

Another shop vac vote here. I also like that the flow can be reversed, which comes in handy for blowing the dust/leaves/crap out of engine bays before working in them.