Where to Store a Shop Vac? (12 Clever Ways!)

A challenge about having a shop vac is to store it. Although shop vac is an important piece of equipment needed by woodworkers and many homeowners, it’s always getting in the way when not in use. It’s large, and one way or another you are always either tripping, stepping, or running over the hose.

It is important, therefore, that you consider storage options especially when you have limited space before adding that shop vac to your cart.

Finding a good spot to store it in the house can be a herculean task. This article will show you the different ways you can store your shop vac to save an unsuspecting person from having a fall.

Where to Store a Shop Vac?

Shop vacs, unlike central vacuums, aren’t fixed and have to carried along while using them. However, storing a shop doesn’t have to be a pain. In fact, it can be a fun activity as you get more and more creative at discovering new places to store it in your little home.

12 Clever Ways to Store a Shop Vac!

Shop vacs are meant to be stored indoors to protect them from rain and outsideweather. The following are 12 ways you can store your shop back to save it from getting in the way.

You should empty and clean that shop vac and let it dry before storing it for the next use.

1- Mount it on the Garage Wall

Free space on the garage wall can be a good place to store your shop vac. You can install wall-mounted storage.

The dock for storage can be installed near the door, behind it in the garage, or in a corner with less movement. This way it is out of the way and still accessible.

Adding a hook or a garden hanger on the wall for the hose would also be a great idea.

2- Shop Vac Storage Rack

One of the ways to store your Shop-Vac is to use a rack. These racks are designed to safely hold shop vacs until you are ready to use them again.

Sometimes they come in layers. There are two layers, three layers, and more. They are easy to install or assemble and always come with a manual.

A Shop-vac rack can be kept anywhere in the house as long as it is not in the way. These racks can really help when there is not enough space in the house.

You can put it in your garage to store not just your shop vac but other accessories and equipment. More so, it helps your space look neat and well arranged.

3- Find a Space in the Garage

Well, the garage is where everything in the house that is not in use goes to. That may not be exactly true. We also throw in things that are not used regularly.

To make the most of your garage, ensure that you properly arrange things. That way, you can get enough room to store your shop vac.

4- Install a Closet in the Space under the Stairs

This is one of the most creative ways of storing your shop vac. Why waste the space under the staircase when it can serve a worthy purpose? You can get a carpenter to construct/carve out a closet.

The shop vac and other accessories can be successfully stored in the closet. Ensure that there is enough room for everything.

You can coil up the hose and hang it on a door rack to create more room for the vacuum.

5- In Any Free Closet in the House

While a closet is a good place to store your shop vac, there is no rule about the particular closet. It must not be the one in the hall, bedroom, or under the staircase. Any free closet in your house is a good space to fit in that store vac and save it from getting in the way.

6- In a Pull Out Rack in a Closet

Well, it sure can be tiring having to unpack accessories and fix everything back on the vacuum whenever you want to use the shop vac.

Storing it in a pull-out rack can save you this stress. All you need to do is to get a rack that fits in your closet and store the vacuum in it.

You can pull out the rack and take out the vac when you need it. This will make your life easier.

7- Create Space in an Empty Corner of Your Kitchen

Does your kitchen have an empty corner? It’s not a waste. Here is how it can serve a purpose. Construct a corner closet to fit in the space.

You can store your shop vac inside this closet. No one would know it’s there until you tell them.

8- In a Utility Cabinet

A utility cabinet can be a good place to house your shop vac. To ensure that this successfully happens, check the size of your utility cabinet before purchasing the shop vac.

This will help you to find the size that fits (except if you have an alternative option). Meanwhile, if you don’t properly arrange your cabinet, a shop vac might not see enough space to fit in.

So put your cabinet in order. You can fit in metal over the door rack where you can safely hang the hose.

9- At a Corner in Your Laundry Room

If your clothes, washing machine, hangers, and other pieces of equipment in your laundry room are properly arranged, there would be room for a shop vac to fit in.

You can find a safe corner to put it there. It would save you the stress of moving a shop vac around the house every day, trying to find a space to keep it temporarily.

10- In the Pantry

What’s wrong with putting the vacuum in the pantry? There is nothing wrong with it. As long as you have enough room where the shop vac can safely stay without getting damaged.

A little space by the corner might be all you need. To save more space, you can install a rack on the wall to hang the hose.

11- A Space in Your Laundry Room Shelf

There would never be a space until you create one. So giving up on complaining about not finding a space to keep it won’t lessen the pain you feel every time your foot hits that shop vac you left in the way.

Does your laundry room have enough space? Is there an open shelf? Create a sizable space. It could be the best home for your shop vac. No shop vac on the way, no pain. It’s a win-win.

12- Construct a Wooden Storage Tower

The garage is a good place to construct a wooden storage tower. It’s where everything goes so why not build something that will make the arrangements easier.

The storage tower is a good idea to store your cleaning supplies including the shop vac. All you need to create a storage station is 2x4s or wood boards. It will save you space and your supplies would not end up on the floor.

How to Store Shop Vac without a Closet?

The closet is one of the best places to store your Shop-Vac. However, whether you have one or not, have one but not enough space for a shop vac, there are alternative means you can store your Shop-Vac.

These include; the garage, pantry room, a space in the kitchen, and so on, as explained above.

There is no hard or fast rule to storing a shop vac. It can be stored anywhere there is space in your house.

If you don’t have enough room you can keep it in a corner of the house and put all the accessories including the hose inside the vacuum. You can build a drawer under a shelf in the garage and put the accessories and hose.

The vacuum can safely stand in a corner. You can drill holes on the side of your cabinet for the pegboard accessories.

As long as it is not in the way, a store vac can be stored in any space. Your linen closet can serve this purpose. Divide the space or create room for it.

Moreover, the size of your shop vac determines how you will store it. To save yourself from stress though, you should consider your space to determine the size of a shop vac to purchase.

How to Hang Shop Vac Hose?

The Shop-Vac Manual does not come with storage instructions. So you need to figure that out yourself or invent some DIY techniques to solve the problem.

Now that you have found a place for your shop vac, what happens to the lengthy fat hose? While you may fold it into the shelve, coil it and put it inside the vac, or push it into the closet with the vac, it’s best to hang it. This way you can easily take it out once you want to clean that space.

There are a couple of ways to hang your hose to keep it nice and clean.

1- Fix It on a Reel

Reels come in handy when finding a good way to hang your hose. For an affordable fee, you can get a wooden or metal reel for your hose. The only challenge is that you cannot use the hose while it’s on the reel. You have to take it out every time.

2- Hang It on a Rack or Hook

Racks are a good place to store a shoe rack. It also has a space where you can hang the hose. You can stand the rack at a corner in the room or fit it in a closet.

Some racks require to be fixed on the wall. Just get the one that it’s your space and can store your vac size. You can also get a plastic hose hanger installed on a wall or door where you hang the hose.

3- Drape It on a Wall Peg

Why shove your shop vac hose to a corner when you can find an alternative better means of storage? It does not have to be difficult.

Instead of shoving it into a shelf you can put a peg on the wall and drape it there. A ladder rung can also serve. Drape the hose over a ladder and it’s out of the way.

4- Hang It on Nails

To hang your hose, you can put two nails on the wall close to where you keep the vac. The nails should be spaced. One to hold the end which connects the hose to the vac, the other to hold the other part of the hose. This way, the hose drops on the wall.

5- Hang It around the Vac Mounted on the Wall

If your shop vac is the type that can be safely mounted on the wall, you can hang your hose around it. It’s simple and easy.

Hang the shop vac after use, then fold the hose to go round as many times as it can go. Sometimes you may not even need to bring down the shop vac to use it.

If the hose is long enough, all you need is to connect it and use it.

6- Hang It under the Stairway

Do you have an empty stairway? It’s good to store a shop vac including the hose. On the underside of the stairs, you can screw a 10’ section of 4” pipe and then slip the hose in nicely.

This saves you the stress of worrying about tripping on the hose always poking out.

Can You Keep a Shop Vac Outside?

No house equipment should be stored outside. A shop Vac should not be either. It might get beaten by the rain.

While this may not cause any damage to the machine (as long as you dry it), it is best to keep it in the house away from the harsh weather.

Conclusion

We have given a lot of options to choose from in determining how to store your shop vac. It’s best to consider all the above-mentioned storage means to figure out what would work for you.

Also, You can try out the various options for shop-vac hose storage.