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Every vacuum comes with attachments — a crevice tool, an upholstery brush, a dusting brush, maybe a pet tool or a stair tool. They are the parts that make a vacuum useful beyond bare floors. They are also the parts most likely to end up in a junk drawer, under the sink, or lost entirely, because nobody plans where they go. A crevice tool with a cracked tip, a brush with bent bristles, or a pet tool you cannot find when you need it is a small frustration that adds up every time you clean.
This guide covers how to store vacuum attachments so they stay clean, undamaged, and easy to find — whether your vacuum has onboard storage or not, and whether you live in a house with a cleaning closet or an apartment with one hall cupboard.
The Short Answer
Store vacuum attachments clean, dry, and in one dedicated place. Use the vacuum’s onboard storage clips first — they are designed for exactly these tools. If your vacuum has no onboard storage, keep the attachments together in a labeled bin, a hanging organizer, or on wall hooks inside the same closet as the vacuum. Clean each tool before storing it, keep brush heads bristle-up or in a sleeve so the bristles do not bend, and never store a damp attachment in a sealed bag or box, because trapped moisture grows mold and mildew.
Start With the Vacuum’s Own Storage
Before you buy anything, check what your vacuum already offers. Most modern vacuums have onboard storage, and it is the best option because the tools travel with the machine.
- Upright vacuums usually have clips or a caddy on the back or side of the body for the crevice tool, upholstery tool, and dusting brush. The Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away, for example, carries its wide upholstery and crevice tools on the vacuum itself, so they are always within reach.
- Canister vacuums often store tools in a compartment on the canister body or on clips on the wand. The Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction keeps its dusting brush, upholstery nozzle, and crevice nozzle onboard, which is one of the reasons canisters suit homes with lots of stairs and furniture.
- Stick and cordless vacuums usually dock on a wall mount that holds the vacuum and one or two tools. The Dyson V15 Detect ships with a wall dock that stores the machine and keeps its cleaner heads organized in one place.
If your vacuum has onboard clips, use them every time. Tools stored on the vacuum get used; tools stored in a drawer get forgotten.
Clean Every Attachment Before You Store It
Storing a dirty attachment is how tools get ruined. Hair, dust, and debris left on a brush harden, trap moisture, and transfer smells to the next surface you clean.
- Crevice tools: Rinse under warm water with a drop of dish soap, then air-dry completely. Check the narrow tip for clogs.
- Upholstery and dusting brushes: Pull out trapped hair and fibers, then rinse or wipe the bristles. Let them dry bristle-up so the bristles keep their shape.
- Pet and motorized tools: Remove the brushroll or beater bar if it comes out, cut away wrapped hair, and wipe the housing. Never submerge a motorized tool in water.
- Hoses and extension wands: Run warm soapy water through a detachable hose and hang it vertically to drain and dry. Our guide on how to clean vacuum hoses explains which hoses can be washed and which should only be wiped.
Never store an attachment that is still damp. A wet brush in a closed bin grows mildew within days, and a damp hose stored coiled in a closet will smell the next time you use it.
The Four Best Storage Methods
1. Onboard storage (best when available)
Use the clips, caddy, or compartment that came with the vacuum. It costs nothing, the tools are always with the machine, and the clips are shaped to hold each tool without bending bristles or cracking plastic. The only downside is capacity: most vacuums hold two or three tools onboard, so extra specialty tools need another home.
2. A dedicated bin or caddy (best for most homes)
A small plastic bin, a caddy with a handle, or a fabric storage cube kept in the same closet as the vacuum is the simplest system that actually works. Label it “Vacuum Tools” so nobody borrows the bin for something else. Keep the bin upright and do not pile heavy items on top of the brushes. A bin with a lid keeps dust off the tools; a bin without a lid lets damp tools dry. If you use a lidded bin, make sure every tool is fully dry before it goes in.
3. Wall hooks and a pegboard (best for garages and utility rooms)
If your vacuum lives in a garage, laundry room, or utility closet, wall hooks are the most space-efficient option. Hang the crevice tool and wands from hooks, and hang brush heads bristle-out so the bristles do not press against anything. A small pegboard with a few hooks holds an entire attachment set in less than two square feet of wall, and you can see every tool at a glance. Keep hooks at a height where the tools are easy to reach but out of the way of foot traffic.
4. A hanging organizer (best for apartments)
A fabric shoe organizer or a hanging closet organizer with clear pockets works well in small homes. Each pocket holds one tool, the pockets keep brushes separated so bristles do not bend, and the whole organizer hangs on the inside of a closet door. This is the best option when you have no shelf space and no wall to spare.
| Storage Method | Best For | Cost | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onboard clips | Daily use, 2–3 tools | Free | Limited capacity |
| Dedicated bin | Most homes, full sets | Low | Tools must be dry before lidding |
| Wall hooks / pegboard | Garages, utility rooms | Low | Needs wall space |
| Hanging organizer | Apartments, small closets | Low | Pockets must fit long wands |
| Original box | Rarely used specialty tools | Free | Hard to access, easy to lose |
Store Each Tool Type the Right Way
Different attachments fail in different ways, so a little care by type pays off:
- Crevice tools: Store tip-down or hanging. The narrow tip cracks if it is crushed under other tools, and a cracked tip scratches furniture.
- Dusting brushes: Store bristle-up or in a sleeve. Bristles pressed flat against a bin wall stay bent, and a bent dusting brush sheds and scratches.
- Upholstery tools: Wipe the lint strip or fabric pad clean before storing. A dirty upholstery tool transfers pet hair to the next cushion it touches.
- Motorized pet tools: Store with the brushroll removed or locked, and keep them away from moisture. The small motor inside is the most damage-prone part of the attachment set.
- Extension wands: Store vertically or hung from a hook. Wands stored horizontally under heavy items bend, and a bent wand no longer seals properly.
- Hoses: Coil loosely in a wide loop, never a tight kink. A kinked hose cracks at the bend and loses suction.
What Not to Do
- Do not toss attachments loose in a drawer. They bang together, bristles bend, tips crack, and the tool you need is always at the bottom.
- Do not store attachments on top of the vacuum in a damp garage. Moisture and temperature swings warp plastic and grow mildew on brushes.
- Do not store a damp attachment in a sealed container. Trapped moisture is the fastest way to ruin a brush and grow a smell you will notice the next time you clean.
- Do not keep attachments you never use in the same bin as the ones you do. Specialty tools you use twice a year belong in a separate labeled box, so they do not crowd out the daily tools.
- Do not throw away the storage bag or clip that came with the vacuum. It was designed for those exact tools, and replacements are hard to find.
Organizing a Full Attachment Set
If you own more than one vacuum, or a vacuum with a large tool set, a single bin gets messy fast. Try this instead:
- Sort by vacuum. One bin or hook row per vacuum, labeled with the vacuum’s name.
- Sort by frequency. Daily tools (crevice, upholstery, dusting brush) go on the vacuum or in the front of the bin. Specialty tools (mattress tool, pet tool, stair tool) go in the back or in a separate box.
- Keep the manual nearby. The manual lists every attachment and what it is for. Tape a copy of the list inside the closet door so everyone in the house knows which tool does what.
- Do a twice-yearly audit. Every six months, take all the attachments out, clean them, check for cracks and worn bristles, and replace anything damaged. A cracked crevice tool scratches furniture; a worn brush sheds bristles onto the floor.
For the machine itself, the same logic applies: our guide on how to store a carpet cleaner covers draining tanks, drying hoses, and keeping a carpet cleaner ready between uses, and the same dry-and-labeled principles apply to any vacuum.
Products With Smart Attachment Storage
If you are buying a new vacuum and attachment storage matters to you, look for onboard storage and a wall dock in the specs. These models handle it well:
The Dyson V15 Detect comes with a wall dock that stores the vacuum and keeps its cleaner heads and tools organized in one place, so nothing ends up in a drawer. Its laser illumination reveals dust on hard floors, and the machine converts to a handheld for stairs and upholstery with the same tool set.
The Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away is a 1,200-watt upright with a washable HEPA filter and a completely sealed system. It weighs 12.5 pounds and carries its wide upholstery and crevice tools onboard, so the tools you use most are always on the machine. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
The Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction is a bagged canister vacuum with a 1,200-watt motor and six-stage rotary suction control, and it stores its dusting brush, upholstery nozzle, and crevice nozzle onboard. At about 9 pounds it is easy to carry up and down stairs with the tools attached, and the bagged design keeps dust contained when you empty it.
The BISSELL Little Green 1400B is a 9.7-pound portable carpet and upholstery cleaner with a 48-ounce clean-water tank and a 1-year limited warranty. Its specialty tools — the 4-inch tough-stain tool, the HydroRinse self-cleaning tool, and the crevice tool — store on the machine itself, so the whole kit stays together in the closet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to store vacuum attachments?
In the same place as the vacuum, in one dedicated spot — onboard clips first, then a labeled bin, wall hooks, or a hanging organizer in the same closet. Tools stored in a different room from the vacuum rarely get used.
Can I store vacuum attachments in a plastic bag?
Only if they are completely dry. A damp brush or hose in a sealed bag grows mold within days. If you use bags, use breathable fabric bags and make sure every tool is dry first.
How do I keep dusting brush bristles from bending?
Store the brush bristle-up, hanging from a hook, or in its own sleeve or pocket. Never stack heavy items on top of a brush, and never store it bristle-down under other tools.
Do I need to clean attachments before storing them?
Yes. Hair, dust, and debris left on a tool harden and trap moisture. A quick rinse or wipe and a full air-dry before storage keeps tools in good shape and prevents smells.
What should I do with attachments for a vacuum I no longer own?
Check whether they fit your current vacuum — many brands reuse the same fitting sizes. If they do not fit, donate or recycle them rather than keeping a box of useless tools. If you are unsure, our guide on how to clean a stick vacuum covers which stick-vacuum tools are interchangeable and which are model-specific, and our guide on how to clean a canister vacuum covers the same question for canister tools.
How do I store a vacuum hose without kinking it?
Coil it in a wide, loose loop at least 12 inches across, or hang it from a large hook so it drapes in a gentle curve. Never fold a hose sharply or hang it from a narrow nail, which creates a permanent kink.
Final Verdict
Vacuum attachments are small, easy to lose, and expensive to replace one at a time — so give them a home. Use the onboard storage first, keep the rest together in a labeled bin or on wall hooks in the same closet as the vacuum, clean and dry every tool before it goes away, and protect brush bristles and crevice tips from pressure. Do that and the right tool is always where you expect it, in good shape, the next time you clean.