My standard Dial-A-Matic type cleaner, like many, suffers from handle wobble - no matter how tight you fasten the securing screw, it always undoes itself pretty sharpish. Seamus (via Jeff, I think) told me that the standard fix was to insert a couple of screws either side of the handle, but I've never fancied doing this, because if the dustbag case cracked I would be hard pushed to find another one over here.
But anyway, it occurred to me the other day to try a spring washer, which pushes out the screw a bit to hold it firm. I have a few spare ones in my odds and ends box, which were from the securing screws for plastic Hoover motor hoods, so I whacked off the screw, popped on the washer and tightened it all up. And then naturally I went to test it...
Well, I've only done a couple of rooms so far, but the handle has stayed rock solid, whereas normally I'd be having to pause every so often to do it back up again. At the end of cleaning I checked the screw to see if it had worked loose at all, but it was still securely fastened. Yowza!
Of course, it remains to be seen how long it holds up for, but it does seem to be a vast improvement, and was done without risking damage to the cleaner.
Has anyone else tried this and found it to work, or have I stumbled upon an easy solution to this common problem?
The link has a picture of the kind of washer I mean, by the way.