With special thanks to Katherine Milligan
If any of y'all have a small animal, you 101% know how tough it is to keep your house clean. Those busy bunnies, mischievous mice, rad rats, go-at-it guineas, hilarious hamsters, crazy chins…. you get the picture. They're so worth it, but also SO messy as hay is a small animal diet staple. Fresh, unlimited hay keeps that gut moving… we don’t want GI stasis. What on earth do we do when we find our houses being taken over? There are plenty of options to keep that crib clean. Therefore, we’ve got recommendations for the best vacuum for hay, including shop vacs. Click on the vacuum name for a link to purchase.
Shop vacs are super versatile. But they're bulky, so that may be a downfall for you. However, if you have room to store it, we totally recommend this. Shop vacs are also easy to unclog, which is a plus. And for $90 bucks, ya can’t really go wrong. We have two shop vacs and they’re so handy...and not just for hay.
This bagless guy comes with six extra tools, including the articulating hard floor tool, for removing fine dust and dirt from hard-to-reach places. Clocking in at $599 (you can usually catch a sale, though), it's a pretty penny, but well worth it. Our Dyson is going on 15 years and works as well now as the day my hubby bought it. We recently gave it to my bonus son as Santa brought me a new vac. Dyson also provides a 30-day money back guarantee, so if it's not for you, send it back (free shipping on returns).
This rechargeable vac is an excellent value with a $80 price tag. However, you'll probably have to replace them more often than you would your shop vac or Dyson. But at that price, who cares? And! The difference between regular carpet sweepers and the Shark is that the roller spits hay into a tray: no tubes, pipes, or bags. Once the tray is full, you just empty it. The tray is the length of the sweeper itself, so it's great for picking up long pieces of hay.
This is a really great option if you're looking for a good deal! It's bagless, has a cleanable filter, and the cup is big enough to vacuum without emptying (as long as your house isn't 10,000 square feet). Reviews say it rarely clogs, and you really don't have to do much pre-vacuum hay pickup (BONUS!!!). Suction is fantastic, and this is a versatile vacuum, so you can use it for other tasks, not just hay (a bonus of a non-shop-vac vac).
Santa brought me this last Christmas. Between the reviews and speaking with friends, I made it my top gift request this year. It is a bit more expensive at $290. It has LED lights on the central vac and on the extension. The power cord is really long, and it comes with several tools for different surfaces. It holds a lot and is super easy to clean.
Additionally, when it does clog, it is easy to unclog. My sole complaint is that if the clog ends up in the curved handle area, I have to use a metal hanger that's been straightened to clear the clog. I have to thank the Google for that recommendation.
Above are just a few options for the best vacuum for hay - options that we’ve found pretty helpful, and… they work. Again, price point, storage, bulkiness: you need to find the best vacuum for you and your pets. Hay can be a nightmare, so we totally get it. But go with one of these, and hay, I bet you won't be disappointed!
DISCLAIMER: The links and information are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Small Pet Select of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual.
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