Q:

How do I extract a small object from a vacuum cleaner bag?

While vacuuming, I heard the typical 'kaclink kaclink' of a larger solid object being sucked up. I think it might be an earring I lost a few days ago, so I'd like to get whatever it is out of the bag. How can I do this while minimizing the amount of dust gets back into the air?

A:

Try using water. 

Take the dust and put it in a plastic garbage bag and then add water slowly while holding the bag as shut as you can. 
Now that the dust is wet you can handle it without it blowing in your face. Add the mixture slowly to a bowl or buckets of water and the dust should float making anything appear.
If the earring is big you can sift through the wet dust. Please do either method outside so that any spilt dust does not go in your face.

A:

Get a second vacuum with a hose attachment.  Over the opening of the hose, attach (with duct tape?) a screen that will let through dust and dirt but nothing bigger than, say, a popcorn kernel.  Then simply vacuum all the dust from the first vacuum's bag into the second vacuum's bag through the hose.  The larger object -- such as an earring -- will get caught by the screen or will just remain in the first bag.

A:

The trick to this for me has always been surface area. I cut open an old grocery store plastic bag, and lay it on a table. I then cut open the dust bag, and carefully spread it into as thin of a layer as possible so that there's no need to dig a lot. Cleanup is simple: fold the grocery bag to seal the dust. 
In general, you're trying to avoid getting dust into the air column, and the surest way to do that is to disrupt the pile as little as possible. If the depth of the pile is thin enough, you should be able to do a quick visible inspection in order to find your lost trinket.
I also tend to use a pair of tweezers to work through the debris or fish things out of the bag when I can see them towards the top.

