Sen. Chuck Grassley Bids Farewell to 'Beth,' the 50-Year-Old Hoover Vacuum That Became a Family Fixture
Key Takeaways
- •Senator Chuck Grassley retired his vacuum cleaner, named Beth, after it developed a charred power cord from electrical sparks that made it unsafe to use.
- •The Hoover vacuum, likely a Concept Two model introduced in 1983, accumulated approximately 49 years of service across two households.
- •Grassley named the vacuum after a reliable Atlantic, Iowa farmer and former staffer, and he routinely used it during family gatherings to avoid peeling potatoes.
- •Republican lawmakers including Senator Tim Scott and Iowa state Representative Josh Turek responded with humorous condolences on social media.
- •The vacuum had become a recurring fixture on Grassley's social media account, reflecting the folksy posting style characteristic of the longest-serving Republican senator's online presence.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), 92, took to X on Saturday to deliver an unconventional farewell — not to a colleague or public figure, but to "Beth," a vintage Hoover vacuum cleaner that had served his household for nearly half a century.
"U willl see Beth no more," Grassley wrote, accompanying the post with a photograph of the vacuum showing a black-charred power cord. "See black that's from electrical sparks. It's not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH. U hv been a real workhorse. Ur namesake still is hard worker. I will miss u."
In a follow-up post, the senior Iowa senator called it a "sad day at the Grassley household." The vacuum cleaner — which appears to be a Hoover Concept Two, a model introduced in 1983 — had been in use at Grassley's home for 34 years and had previously spent 15 years at his mother-in-law's residence. The Hoover Concept line was marketed in the 1980s as a durable, high-performance household appliance, and the machine's decades of service stand in sharp contrast to the shorter lifespans typical of modern consumer vacuums.
Grassley has shared photographs and video of the Hoover vacuum for several years, turning the appliance into something of a running fixture on his social media account — part of a broader pattern of folksy, unfiltered posts that have become a signature of the longest-serving Republican senator's online presence. The retirement of "Beth" prompted fellow Republican lawmakers to respond with mock condolences.
"Sorry for your loss," wrote Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) on X. "They don't build them like they used to."
"Sorry for your loss, Senator," wrote Republican Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek on X. "Sounds like Beth had a heck of a run."
In 2021, Grassley explained the origin of the vacuum's name and his habit of vacuuming during family gatherings.
"Thanksgiving Time Grassley clan gathers. Get out old reliable Beth," he wrote on X. "Called Beth bc of a reliable Atlantic family farmer/former staffer for me & Iowans. I vacuum bc I don't want to be peeling potatoes."
U willl see Beth no more See black that's from electrical sparks. It's not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH. U hv been a real workhorse. Ur namesake still is hard worker. I will miss u pic.twitter.com/Zu5dAtDyvZ — Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 8, 2026
