A small shop vac is a handy tool for virtually any home. Sturdy, portable, and user-friendly, this machine is a great way to take care of wet and dry spills in a variety of places.
Keep reading to learn how to use a small shop vac, as well as a guide to buying the best one for your needs.
Ways To Use a Small Shop Vac at Home
A small shop vac is truly a jack-of-all-trades in the house, garage, car, basement, and other spaces. It tackles jobs that traditional vacuums usually can’t. For example, you can use a small shop vac to vacuum up liquids from spills and leaks.
You can also use a small shop vac to:
- Clean the inside of a fireplace
- Vacuum the interior of your vehicle
- Unblock a clogged sink with the suction function
- Remove muddy paw prints from the floor
- Clean pet hair off of furniture
Best of all, small shop vacs are lightweight, portable, and easy to clean.
Here are a few of our favorite versatile and powerful small shop vacs that can help clean up messes and spills of all kinds:
The RIDGID 5.0 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac Is Wall-Mounted For Convenience
You don’t always have to store a small shop vac in an already-full closet. For instance, the 5 Gallon Stor-N-Go Wet/Dry Vac from RIDGID attaches to a wall in your garage, workshop, shed, or other space.
To use this small shop vac, simply detach the vacuum from the wall mount, and then take it to wherever the mess awaits.
The RIDGID wet/dry shop vacuum features:
- A 5-gal. tank that’s easy to take apart and clean, even when full
- A 5.0 peak HP motor
- On-board attachment organizers that hold the hose, power cord, and accessories
- A total reach of 21 ft. (7ft. collapsible hose, and a 14 ft. plastic hose)
The RIDGID wall-mounted small shop vac will also convert to a blower for removing leaves and debris outside.
This machine also comes with a full lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship and materials.
The DEWALT 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac Handles Larger Cleanups
Small shop vacs come in a variety of sizes. Take the 6 Gallon 4 HP Wet/Dry Vacuum from DEWALT, which combines a larger collection tank with the convenience of a smaller vac.
The DEWALT wet/dry small shop vac features:
- A 10-ft. power cord with a cord wrap
- Built-in blower port for removing leaves, sawdust, or other debris
- A strong 4 peak horsepower motor
The small shop vacuum also includes rubberized casters for easy moving, and it comes with a variety of cleaning accessories, including:
- 2 extension wands
- Floor nozzle
- Utility nozzle
- Crevice nozzle
- Washable and reusable cartridge filter
- Disposable filter bag
- Mesh accessory storage bag
Another plus is that the DEWALT shop vac is easy to clean, even when the tank is full.
Clean Up To 24 Ft. With the STIHL SE 62 Wet/Dry Vacuum
It can be inconvenient to unplug a small shop vac to move it to a new location. But you can solve this problem with a shop vac that has a long cord that you can plugin once, and use over a big area.
One such option is the STIHL SE 62 Wet/Dry Vacuum, which comes with a 16-ft. electrical cord and an 8-ft. suction tube. This gives you up to 24 ft. of cleaning room from one outlet.
This small shop vac comes with three cleanup accessories:
- Universal tool
- Crevice tool
- Floor tool
These three parts are all stored on the small shop vac so they’re easy to access and organize.
The floor/crevice nozzle lets you clean narrow spaces that regular nozzles can’t access, like hard-to-reach areas, including:
- Your car’s interior
- Under the refrigerator
- In between the washer and dryer
The STIHL shop vac features powerful suction to handle cleaning jobs of all sizes. Plus, its pleated filter traps dust, hair, and other fine debris.
A Small Shop Vac Is a Practical & Useful Tool
Sometimes you don’t realize how much you needed a product until you own it and use it; a small shop vac falls into this category. They are easy to use, lightweight, and portable, and can clean both wet and dry spills throughout the home, garage, and other spaces with ease. Once you use one you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
