Okay, so today I'm gonna walk you through this weird little project I did called "vacuum cleaner vapor." Sounds kinda sci-fi, right? Well, it's way simpler (and dirtier) than you think.

It all started last week. I was cleaning my apartment, you know, the usual weekend grind. I've got this old vacuum cleaner, a real beast from the early 2000s. It still sucks like a champ, but it's LOUD. Anyway, I was vacuuming, and I started noticing this...smell. Like a burnt electrical smell mixed with dust. Not good.

First thing I did? Unplugged that bad boy. No way I was risking a fire. I let it sit for a bit, then I decided to take it apart. Now, I'm no electrician, but I'm pretty handy. I grabbed my screwdriver set – the one I got from my dad, you know, the kind that has every single head you could possibly need – and started unscrewing everything.

The dustbin was the first thing I emptied. Let me tell you, it was a disaster. Pet hair, dust bunnies the size of golf balls, the whole shebang. I gagged a little, I ain't gonna lie. I tossed the bag and went back to the vacuum itself.

Next, I started taking off the outer casing. It was held together by a bunch of those annoying plastic clips. I swear, those things are designed to break. I managed to get most of them off without completely destroying them. Inside, it was even worse. Dust EVERYWHERE. Like, a thick layer of dust coating every single part.

I saw right away where the smell was coming from. The motor. It was covered in dust, and there was this dark, burnt-looking residue around the brushes. The brushes themselves were worn down pretty bad. I figured that was probably the source of the electrical smell.

Now, I'm not rich. Buying a new vacuum cleaner wasn't really in the cards right then. So, I decided to try and fix it. I grabbed my can of compressed air – you know, the stuff you use to clean your computer – and started blasting the motor. Clouds of dust went everywhere. I probably should have done this outside, but oh well.

After a good blasting, I used a small brush and some rubbing alcohol to clean the burnt residue off the brushes and the motor housing. It took a while, but I got most of it off. The brushes were still pretty worn down, but I figured they might have a little life left in them.

I put everything back together, crossed my fingers, and plugged it in. Held my breath... and flipped the switch. It whirred to life! Still loud as hell, but no burnt smell! I ran it for a few minutes, and it seemed to be working okay. Sucked up a decent amount of dirt, too.

Okay, here's the "vapor" part. While I was cleaning the motor, I noticed that the exhaust fan was blowing out a lot of... well, it looked like vapor. It was just really fine dust particles, but it looked like vapor in the light. That's what gave me the idea for the name of this whole thing.

So, that's it. I cleaned my vacuum cleaner, saved myself some money, and learned a little bit about how these things work. It was a messy job, but hey, at least my apartment is a little cleaner now. For now, anyway.

• Took apart the old vacuum cleaner
• Cleaned the dust and burnt residue from the motor
• Reassembled everything
• Flipped the switch and hoped for the best
• Watched the "vacuum cleaner vapor" blow out the back

Would I recommend you do this yourself? Maybe. If you're comfortable taking things apart and don't mind getting your hands dirty, go for it. But if you're not mechanically inclined, you might be better off just buying a new vacuum cleaner. Your call.