FT Weekend: The Boy Who Collected Vacuum Cleaners

I blame my parents for my unusual interest. My mother says that when I was a baby, I would crawl around the house following her as she cleaned. When I was two, I went to a party dressed as a Dirt Devil MVP vacuum. It was the easiest machine to make a costume for and I liked the red make-up.

I’m 19 now and I own nearly 150 vacuum cleaners. I can tell them all apart just by hearing them – I can do that with most models. My collection is stored at my parents’ house in Adrian, Michigan – it was even bigger at one point but my father threatened to sell the lot if I didn’t clear some space. I keep a dozen favourites in my bedroom and the rest are lined up in our family room in the basement.

My first word wasn’t Hoover but I was mesmerised by vacuum cleaners from really early on. Even at school, I would take out the vacuum at break-time and start cleaning the classroom. I would do half the floor one day and then the other half the next. Sometimes they would let me do the principal’s office or anywhere else that needed a clean...

Kyle Krichbaum talks about his unusual hobby in FT Weekend.

Let's hope the young lad still finds time for a girlfriend.

You may not be surprised to learn Kyle is going to "major in musical theatre".