Fun trick with cushion, plastic bag, and vacuum cleaner

They make heavy-duty plastic bags that are designed for storing things more compactly this way. They're great for packing a ton of clothes into a small suitcase. As long as the TSA doesn't try to open your bag (although that might be kind of funny...).

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#4 posted by Andy Nonymous , December 3, 2007 4:47 PM

yeah. spacebag. it's at least 10 years old.

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#5 posted by EH , December 3, 2007 4:49 PM

Carpet shampoo. I see a great need.

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#6 posted by A Nonny Moose , December 3, 2007 5:00 PM

Well, that's one way to get the farts out of the couch cushions...

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#7 posted by joshhaglund , December 3, 2007 5:29 PM

the jim rose sideshow did something like this in the early 90s, but with a person inside the bag. of course to a 14 year old, "don't try this at home" means "you gotta try this!!" who knew a 100 gallon leaf bag plus a 40 gallon shop-vac could produce such a thrill. it's almost safe if you suck the air out of the bag with only your body in the bag (your head outside, under standard pressure). but we never thought of that.

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#8 posted by agnot , December 3, 2007 5:53 PM

My friend makes large pillow futons, chairs and couches.

He uses a 9' plastic bag and a 5 horsepower shopvac to reduce these things into 2'x2'x2' boxes for shipping.

His instructions tell his customers to allow the pillow to expand for 2 or 3 days before use.

It is a two person job so I have helped.

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#9 posted by Robert , December 3, 2007 6:40 PM

You know what I've always wondered about the Space Bag? If you need a vacuum cleaner to compress your clothes so they'll fit in your suitcase... what do you do when you're returning home? Borrow the hotel cleaning crew's vacuum cleaner?

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#10 posted by Wingo , December 3, 2007 7:37 PM

Shoot! I was gonna get some Space Bags last night, but fell asleep before I got to the phone. It sucks because I only had 57 minutes to get the special $19.95 T.V. offer! They were going to throw in an extra set of TSA-approved carry-on Space Bags with 3oz Space Liquid Bottles inside.

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#11 posted by Kyle Armbruster , December 3, 2007 8:18 PM

Yeah, we do this to store our off-season futons.

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#12 posted by grey , December 3, 2007 9:00 PM

Bah. Spacebag, schmacebag. Upholsterers have been doing this for decades. Makes stuffing the foam in cushions a lot easier. We even have special plastic bags that don't make crinkly sounds when you sit on them.

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#13 posted by Infinite Decay , December 3, 2007 10:33 PM

@9 Robert: They actually make special versions for travel that don't require a vacuum. To use, you roll up the bag to squeeze out the air, and a one-way valve lets out the air but doesn't let the bag reinflate.

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#14 posted by EdT. , December 3, 2007 11:13 PM

Wow, that's some nasty looking pillow he's trying to suck the dust mites out of. I think it might be time for a trip to the K-Mart bargain bin for some replacement less-funky pillowage. I'm sure Molly would be very appreciative...

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#15 posted by Adam Stanhope

, December 3, 2007 11:53 PM

Fart be gone.

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#16 posted by Adam Fields

, December 4, 2007 5:36 AM

Really?

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#17 posted by Anonymous , December 4, 2007 6:05 AM

Over 21 years ago, I freaked out the in-laws when I managed to pack my new bride's entire wardrobe into the trunk of a 1986 T-Bird.

I used garbage bags, a vacuum, and a cardboard box. Put the garbage bag in the cardboard box (used as a form) and neatly fill with clothes. Apply the vacuum and voila, one compress brick of clothes. Once space became tight in the trunk, we formed the "bricks" in place in the nooks and crannies of the trunk. Managed to get in a complete dressers and closet of clothes. However, the seal on the bags was not perfect and we knew the bags would expand. That's why we did not open the trunk until we finally got home...

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#18 posted by wgmleslie , December 4, 2007 7:02 AM

Carpet shampoo. I see a great need.

YES. Ugh!

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#19 posted by Toastpoints , December 4, 2007 7:04 AM

I only wish I had some grandchildren to pass this down to. Future generations need to know about this. [yawn]

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#20 posted by Hunty

, December 4, 2007 7:11 AM

Mark, I think it reflects badly on your personal hygiene that you think vacuuming is a "fun trick". :)

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#21 posted by Michael Slater

, December 4, 2007 8:11 AM

This was perhaps the lamest non-Disney-related BB post I have ever seen. Would rather read about one of Cory's novels being translated into Orc-tongue.

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#22 posted by Tensegrity , December 4, 2007 9:10 AM

I guess not so much with the teaching kids not to play with plastic bags.

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#23 posted by Anonymous , December 4, 2007 7:08 PM

My dad used to call this "sucking the farts out of the cushions."

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#24 posted by togetherless

, December 4, 2007 8:53 PM

I agree. Worst boingboing post ever.

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#25 posted by Mark Frauenfelder