Fleece: hand vac recommendations for cleaning up poop?

[danav]

We've just started using fleece for bedding in our 2x4 cage, and I had been planning to use my old Dustbuster to vacuum up the poop every day - but it turns out that it won't pick up the poop at ALL (it may just be too old to have enough suction left - it's about 15 years old!). My regular vacuum is just too powerful to use on the fleece - it picks up the poop and hay, but tries to suck up the fleece as well.

I keep reading posts that mention vacuuming the fleece, and I was wondering if anyone can recommend a hand-held vacuum that will do the job well?

[Peggysu]

I'm sorry I'm no help. I tried to use a vacuum and it just never worked, so now I used a just a small broom and dust pan.

[wheekers01]

I just use a little hand held broom and dust pan, too.

[lissie]

I use soup spoon to pick up poos. I like it a lot more than using hand vac.

[Pulsepoint129]

Hahaha, well...

My boyfriend and I have been "borrowing" my grandfather's Sears shop vac for the past few months and have somehow managed to completely clog up the hose with what appears to be, (after poking and poking, trying to get through to no avail!) a big, hardened ball of piggie poopies. (In addition to spare pieces of hay.)


...when my grandfather finds out, he will be furious!


I doubt that was the answer you were looking for, but just wanted to share my own personal experience.

[Toadies]

The Dirt Devil Quick Power cordless hand vac will pick up poos and not the fleece. Costs about $15-$20 at WalMart.

Pulsepoint, soak the hose in warm water in the bath tub. Should loosen the poo ball enough to get it out.

[Paula]

I've got several cages and therefore have had the opportunity to try out several hand vacs.

One thing I recommend in addition to any hand vac is that you have something to hold the fleece down, like bricks or clips of some kind.

These are the hand vacs I love and use the most and recommend to others:
Black & Decker 18 Volt Cordless Pivoting Hand Vac
Dirt Devil Extreme Power Wet/Dry Vac
Eureka Quick Up Hand Vac
Black & Decker 14.4 Volt Cyclonic Hand Vac

Like I said, the key, at least in my experience, has been having something to hold the fleece down, not so much the hand vac itself. Good luck!

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by Pulsepoint129

My boyfriend and I have been "borrowing" my grandfather's Sears shop vac for the past few months and have somehow managed to completely clog up the hose with what appears to be, (after poking and poking, trying to get through to no avail!) a big, hardened ball of piggie poopies. (In addition to spare pieces of hay.)

Oh my...your vacuum is impacted!

I agree with Toadies about soaking in water to loosen the poos if they have hardened in there.

I'm wondering if you could also try the opposite if the poos are a big sticky moist ball...you could try some corn starch or something. Here's my reasoning...you know when you make pizza dough too moist and it sticks to the rolling pin and by adding some dry powder ingredient, it doesn't stick anymore? Maybe that would work? (Disclaimer - I haven't actually tried to get anything out of the vacuum hose with this method, but this is what I would try in this situation, which would probably just end up looking like something from the Keystone Cops and I'd be buying my Grandpa a new one).

[Poelitstudent]

I agree with Paula if you keep the fleece down with bricks it is much easier to vac and to sweep also

[danav]

Thanks for all the replies...I ended up finding a good deal online for a Dirt Devil Kone cordless/rechargeable hand vac, so we'll see how well it does when it gets here!