Hemostat to Fix Jammed Vacuum Beater Bar

Hemostats can be used for so many things around the house! If you have a nurse that can get them for you from the disposable packs they now use in cath lab, ICU, Radiology special procedures, and ER, for example. All these are literally thrown away! Once sterilized they are perfectly good to use around the house! I use them for so many things around the house, literally every other day!

Here's the tip:

Use the hemostats to remove hair, frays of rugs, twine, cords, etc. that get wrapped around the beater bar of the vacuum. If it is hard to hold onto, due to arthritis or limitations in hand, the hemostats can be locked and this makes it easier to pull, without having to pinch or squeeze at the same time. It can be extremely tight, when there is a lot of cord like things or hair wrapped around the bar. If this is the case here is a couple tips I do to loosen, so I can finish by pulling with the hemostats.

I will take an X-acto knife, box cutter razor blade, or scissors, whatever you can do to begin the first cut and loosen. Sometimes I will just cut all the way down to the bar itself, then making it easier to pull it all out in chunks, if I have really made a mess of a frayed rug! :) Just be careful not to cut so deep that you cut into the rubber beater bar itself.

FYI: There are 2 types of hemostats. "Straights", which is self explanatory or the Kelly's (which are curved at the tip). Each lends their pros and cons, depending on what application you are using for, one might work better than another. Either will work for this purpose.

These can ALSO be purchased at Nursing supply and clothing stores, or even magazines. Someone had mentioned you had to know a nurse, but that is not the case. Although it would be cheaper!:) lol! I listed the frequently used departments that carry and toss these kits, so if you happen to know of any that work in those areas, hit them up and have them scavenge for them:) Just make sure and clean them well!

ANOTHER IDEA if you are unable to get the hemostats, then needle nose pliers will do in a "pinch":) get it? :) However, hemostats have much smaller tip and makes it easier to get into smaller places where a needle nose may not fit. You can also lock hemos, when pliers cannot. So there it is in a nut shell!

Hope this helps! Later!

By Kelly from Fairfield, IL