I learned this one a long time ago (from somewhere?!) and it really does work. I do this before the vacuum arrives in my sewing room with my DH attached to the handle :-) so the pins and the threads won't ruin my vacuum.

I keep a small, carry-around shop vac in my sewing room. I use a rolling chair to sew in and if I don't keep the threads and stuff cleaned up, it gets into the wheels and locks them up. It's way easier to vacuum than to pick that mass of stuff out of the wheels!

never thought about the threads getting caught in the beater bars...doesn't happen to my vacuum for some reason....

for light jobs, one of those lint rollers work marvelously though!

I have hardwood floors and use a shop vac when I vacuum.

I have wood flooring in my sewing room and I just sweep it and get all the PINS and threads up with dust pan.

I use a stick/hand vac.no beater bars to clean threads off of. Works great....looking to get laminate flooring for whole house soon...the carpet is very worn and creates so much dust (Ihate to dust). I just hope the "wood" floors won't be too cold, but I can wear slippers or shoes so feet don't get too cold...lol

I too have central vacuum system. Does a wonderful job picking up all those little pieces. I keep a small Fuller Brush power maid vacuum under my sewing table, with a special attachment to suck out lent in sewing machine. The central vac is to powerful to use for that. Would probably suck out the sewing machines innards :shock:

You are supposed to vacuum? Is that like cleaning?

My sewing room is the only room with carpet. I prefer carpet, the threads, pins stay where you drop them, not move all under and in hard to get places. I bought a inexpensive small bagless floor vacuum from Walmart and keep it in my sewing room closet. It works great and I don't care if it picks up pins or gets thread wound all in the rollers. The one I have now has lasted over two years, even the cheap ones get better and better.

I put down ceramic tile in my sewing studio so I can use a swiffer most of the time and a shop vac when I deep clean

I use an Oreck hand vac that my husband gave me. It is absolutely perfect for when I cut threads and drop them on the floor. (I save dog ears!). Edie

I first pick up the bigger stuff by hand and then use a regular vacume cleaner but mine has a hose so it can go any where. Also I am pretty consistent about putting snipped threads in a little baggie or the trash. this helps alot. sometimes when I have friends they just make it all go air born and I noticed that adds tremendously to the mesh. I guess I am more consisten about putting it in a baggie since I need to clean it up. LOL I have wood flooring and big area rugs.

I bought a Roomba, robot vacuum cleaner on CraigsList to try on our carpets and hard floors.

It isn't perfect but, as my DH says "Anything IT picks up is better than nothing."

I start it on its cleaning mission each day, when I leave the house. I runs until the battery runs down. I empty it and recharge it when I return.

I too have wood floors in my new place, so I just roll the new cheapy bagless Bissell in and take the narrow crevice tool and whisk the mess up, take it out and let the breezes take it to where the birdies can pick it for their nests. They are great American Pickers, doncha know.

That sounds like a great idea. Dollar Store here I come

I was actually responding to the toilet brush idea

I haven't tried this yet but I think I found this tip here on the board. To cut the threads off your beater bar...use a seam ripper. Sounds like the perfect tool for the job!

I took the carpet out of one bedroom, so I have tile. I just use a dust mop. Sew easy.

My brother gave me a small "Devil Ray" vacuum which is small and cleans up the scraps from a day's sewing. Then once a week the big vacuum to get everything the little one missed.

I love the big Shop Vac specially when there's a new dust bag in there...so
much lighter to move around. Came in very handy when our basement
flooded. :D

2 years ago when we added on the addition that became my sewing room, one of the first decisions I made was NO CARPET!!, so just a dust mop for me.

I have hardwood floors,,,walking around in my sock feet works well!! :-D :-D :-D :XD:

I love this. It made me laugh. By the time I get to the end of a project, that's the way my floor looks too. Definitely backhoe material!

I have wood floors and I hardly ever have to do anything. Most of it sticks to the dog or my socks or the legs of my sweat pants (wardrobe of choice when quilting)

This is what I do also! Vacuum! LOL! It is an alien machine in my sewing room! :)

I use my lint roller too! love it.

Vacuum.....are your actually supposed to clean your sewing room?????

I don't I just use a broom -I am afraid I will vaccum up more than I want!

I have hardly any space to walk in my sewing room, so usually a quick dust mop will do. I just have to tell you all what a smart man I married. This morning, he was helping me get a top ready for the frame,in another room, and I turned over my safety pin box. In the bottom were a million straight pins. I have no idea where they came from but they were getting in the grooves of my hardwood floors, and I was panicking. DH went to the refrigerator and got a magnet from the fridge and got them all up. No need to go hunt my pin magnet!

Hmmm, what do I use to vacuum my sewing room... oh,
I know, my husband!

just got a shop-vac. so far Im liking it.

who vacuums? I just walk around in my socks and the threads stick to my feet! also the pins stick in my socks (ouch)

Oh, gosh, your supposed to "clean" the floor? grin, just kidding. My floor is tile so it just sweeps and wipes with a damp mop to get the threads.

I use the attachments on my machine to suck up the worst areas, then go over w/out them.

I have an inexpensive vacuum I use in the sewing room.- and really trying hard to put the threads and small pieces in a bag by the machine.

Ruby the Quilter

Me too. I have a dust mop that makes the thread cling. I run a magnetic wand over the floor first to pick up the pins.

Shop vac. I just got a new one that has a leaf blower on it. Hmmmmmm....haven't tried that yet.

Same here....several area/throw rugs but not in my sewing room

I don't have carpet in my sewing room which makes it a lot easier to vacuum up. I also use a swifter vacuum just to get the thread and lint up when in a hurry.

cement floor in basement, easy to sweep and an area rug just vac with our Orek