NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You want clean floors? You probably pull out your vacuum and do a quick sweep of your room. What's wrong now with vacuuming?
It's not vacumming. but two specific vacuums. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued urgent safety warnings about these vacuums because they can overheat and cause injuries, damage and even start a fire.
The advice from the CPSC is simple: Stop using the Inse S6P Pro and Inse S6T cordless stick vacuums immediately. The vacuums–powered by lithium-ion batteries–were sold on Amazon for about $170 from May 2020 to this past January.
The warning comes after nearly two dozen reports of the vacuums igniting, melting, smoking, or overheating, with at least 10 reports of fires.
“Despite the warning from the CPSC, the manufacturer has not issued an immediate product recall, which Consumer Reports says is the most effective way to get unsafe products out of people’s homes," said Consumer Reports' Pang-Chieh Ho. "We also think that Amazon should be held accountable for allowing these vacuums to be sold on the marketplace in the first place. So while these two Inse vacuums are no longer appearing on Amazon’s website, the risk remains for consumers who have already bought these vacuums.”
If you own one of these vacuums, do not throw it away with your garbage. You’ll need to follow the hazardous waste disposal rules in your area to dispose of them safely," said Ho. “The appeal of these Inse vacuums and other lesser-known brands is that they can cost hundreds of dollars less than vacuums from more well-known brands.”
Consumer Reports tests found this Shark Stratos is just as impressive on bare floors, getting at dirt in corners, and sucking up pet hair as cordless models that cost twice the price.
If you don’t mind being tethered to a cord, this corded stick vacuum -- also from Shark -- performs nearly as well and for a lot less money.
Even if you don’t own one of the defective cordless vacs, Consumer Reports says if you've got any any device with a lithium-ion battery...you'll want to Store it in a cool, dry place—away from heat and direct sunlight—and always use the charger that came with the product.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
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