I've spent 250 hours testing vacuums, and this tiny $4 sewing tool is the king of safely removing pesky wrapped hair in seconds

It easily snips wrapped hair without damaging your vacuum

Dining room with built-in wooden shelving and alcoves with glossy metallic Fromental wallpaper, statement chairs and artful decor
(Image credit: Fromental / Navarra Design / KurtManley Photography)

If you have a vacuum, you've probably felt the grossness and frustration of having your brushroll wrapped in hair and being tasked with removing it.

The good news is, you can get this nasty job over and done with in seconds, with one surprising sewing tool reigning supreme. I've spent 250 hours testing vacuums and this tiny $4 seam ripper from Amazon will help you quickly slice through caught-up hair and have you back to cleaning your floors in no time.

Better yet, this regular maintenance task will mean your best vacuum will stay in tip-top shape for longer.

Why a seam ripper is your vacuum cleaner's best friend

Whether you own one of the best vacuums for pet hair to clean up after your beloved animals, or you simply have long hair yourself, you'll be familiar with gross task of cutting hair out of your vacuum's brushroll. It's a task you're also likely also tackle when keeping a house clean with pets.

But instead of taking to the brushroll with a large pair of scissors and risk damaging it (yes, this easily happens), a simple sewing seam ripper is the solution.

It's precise, and the small blade can effortlessly cut through clumps of hair without reaching the vacuum's brushes and bristles that are essential for deep cleaning carpets and floors.

Not doing so can harm your vacuum by putting unnecessary strain on the roller's moving parts, which in turn can overload the vacuum motor. This can cause your vacuum to lose suction power and eventually result in it breaking down sooner than it should.

With your own seam ripper set, you won't have to worry again.

The Ortarco Seam Ripper Set is available for $3.99 at Amazon.

More to shop

Aside from cutting out hair that's gotten tangled up in your vacuum's brushroll, a few other simple maintenance tasks will keep your appliance running at its best and make your life easier when cleaning.

All prices were correct at time of publication.


Next, learn more about the best robot vacuums we've tested to take cleaning chores off your hands.

Dan Fauzi
Home Tech Editor

Dan is the Home Tech Editor for Homes & Gardens, covering all things cleaning, smart home, sound and air treatment across the Solved section. Having worked for Future PLC since July 2023, Dan was previously the Features Editor for Top Ten Reviews and looked after the wide variety of home and outdoor content across the site, but their writing about homes, gardens, tech and products started back in 2021 on brands like BBC Science Focus, YourHomeStyle and Gardens Illustrated.

They have spent more than 200 hours testing and reviewing vacuums for Homes & Gardens, and have even visited Dyson's engineering labs for the full low-down of the ins and outs of our trusty cleaners.

Dan has a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Magazine Journalism. Outside of work, you'll find them at gigs and art galleries, cycling somewhere scenic, or cooking up something good in the kitchen.

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