The Small Appliance You Didn't Know You'd Want Attached To Your Couch

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Couches are a focal point in many living rooms, so investing in nice, chic, long-lasting pieces can be a way to level up your home decor. Plus, they make for great spacial hacks: you can use a couch to make a small living room feel bigger or opt for a couch with built-in storage to reduce clutter and enlarge the space. But now, people are adding features to their sofas that make them more than just a simple place to sit or store things. The newest couch hack that you'll want to try is to install a small vacuum into the back of your couch, to make cleaning super easy. 

This DIY hack is useful in plenty of common daily circumstances, from needing to quickly wipe down a coffee table or bookshelf, to tackling pet hair on your couch before it starts to build up too much. You can even use the vacuum to clean crumbs off of your own body, should your couch potato snacking take a messy turn. The key to making this happen in your own home is to build it yourself, since there don't seem to be any couches that come with their own pre-installed vacuums (yet). You'll want to build a storage component behind the couch, which can double as a ledge for snacks and drinks, that holds the vacuum in place. You should also be sure to check that there's an outlet nearby, or get an extension cord that blends into your decor. 

If you're wanting to bring this DIY hack to life in your own home, you'll want to first look for a suitable vacuum that has all of the suction power you need for your couch area. The best place to start is by searching for handheld vacuums with long hose attachments. The Dormzie handheld cordless vacuum has a flexible hose that attaches to its body, so you can get a long reach without needing a large, plug-in unit. You can also buy an attachment hose separately if your favorite handheld device isn't long enough for this project.

Then, it's time to build the vacuum into the couch. You can get a head start by buying pre-made storage units to put behind your couch, or you can opt to get your own wooden planks from your local hardware store. You'll want to measure the size of whatever handheld vacuum you've selected, to ensure that the cabinet is the correct width for storing it. Then, if you're DIYing with your own planks, simply build a tall, rectangular box and use hinges to attach a plank on either side. Insert the vacuum and build a small shelf or hinge to hold it at the top of the cabinet. You can drill a hole in the cabinet where the vacuum's power switch lines up, then string the hose attachment through the shelf and drill a small shelving area to store the hose when it's not in use. 

If you want to go for pre-made solutions, another way to get a head start on this project and add a chic, polished flair to your cabinet is by opting for something like the IKEA hack for behind-the-couch storage that doubles as a charging station: using MOSSLANDA shelves as the top of the storage compartment. You can use the shelves as starting points for your couch storage and they'll have more of a modern look than using exposed wood planks, but you can still build the sides with planks or other affordable options. Alternatively, you can opt for wood stains as well as two-in-one primer and spray paint alternatives for wood as a way to level up the look of the basic planks you're using. 

If electrical outlets are a hurdle for you, or you're not excited about building an entire storage cabinet, you can install simple shelves behind your couch, and store a handheld, cordless vacuum without its long hose, like the highly-rated Brigii 3-in-1 handheld vacuum cleaner that we simply cannot put down. This way, instead of relying on the hose attachment to reach spots, you can simply have the whole vacuum within arm's reach. Finally, if you think a simple vacuum insertion isn't quite enough for you, you could also install a compartment to hold stain removers, build in a spot for a paper towel holder, and place a hook in the cabinet to hang a lint roller to create the ultimate cleaning spot.