Clean The Bugs Tools and Upgrades

Tools decide whether a Clean The Bugs job feels like a chore or a speedrun. You start with Hands, unlock Two Hands, then power spike with Vacuum, spending in-run earnings while cycling trash cans and Jackpot dumps. This page is the buyer’s guide — pair it with Controls for inputs and the Tier List hub for relative rankings.

New hires should finish the Getting Started checklist and claim Codes (launch gems, assist helper) before optimizing shops.

Tool ladder overview

Tool	Role	When to buy
Hands	Default melee squish	Always available; practice for Bare Hands Pro
Two Hands	Higher throughput / carry feel	First major purchase on almost every run
Vacuum	Dense-room power spike	Before kitchen peaks, basement, or Next Door attic

Exact stat numbers can change with patches — watch the shop UI. Philosophy stays stable: buy clear speed before vanity, and never enter the densest room of the map on base Hands if money is sitting unused.

Hands

Hands teach range and timing. You must stand close, aim the camera, and click or interact per Controls. Hands-only play is mandatory practice for the Bare Hands Pro badge on Chapter 1. Use Easy/Normal Hands drills: one room, no shop, perfect camera height.

In normal progression runs, leave Hands behind as soon as Two Hands is affordable. Lingering on Hands during Next Door ground wings wastes the clock for Speed Cleaner.

Two Hands

Two Hands is the first real multiplier. Clear clusters faster, reduce trips, and generate the cash that funds Vacuum. Buy it after your first productive dump cycle on Chapter 1 — usually post-living/kitchen opener. In co-op, staggered purchases are fine; not everyone must upgrade on the same second, but somebody should hit Two Hands early to keep momentum.

If the shop offers minor side upgrades beside Two Hands, compare: anything that does not raise squish rate or carry efficiency can wait.

Vacuum

Vacuum is the mid-run spike for packed floors — kitchens, basements, and Next Door attics. Buy it before those peaks when possible. After equipping, change your spacing: you no longer need Hands-range belly contact on every bug. Sweep arcs, then dump.

Vacuum does not replace route knowledge. Players who buy Vacuum and then wander still miss medals. Combine the tool with Chapter routes: Chapter 1 House, Chapter 2 Next Door.

Maxed Out and upgrade completion

Maxed Out style progress rewards fully upgrading the available tool path. In practice that means you stop leaving shop currency idle while still on weak tiers. Plan a Maxed Out attempt on a comfortable difficulty where you can finish the house and still afford the full ladder — Easy/Normal Chapter 1 is ideal homework before Pro.

Do not soft-lock yourself by buying out-of-order novelty upgrades if they starve Vacuum. Full max is a goal; early Vacuum is the win condition for most clears.

Jackpot dumps

Jackpot dump moments pay better than standard empties when the UI highlights them. Treat Jackpot as a route modifier: if you are near a qualifying dump with a full load, take it. If Jackpot is across the map and your team is mid-attic, finish the wing first unless the payout clearly saves the run.

Call Jackpot in chat during co-op so two players do not sprint from opposite wings and strand their zones.

Trash cans and Can Collector

Trash cans are the circulatory system of a clean job. Full hands and no dump stall the entire lobby. Habits:

• Memorize two cans per chapter.
• Dump on the path between rooms, not as a sightseeing tour.
• Leave cans usable — do not AFK blocking the interact volume.
• Work toward Can Collector by actually using cans throughout the run, not only at the end.

Can Collector pairs naturally with good speedrun hygiene; you should not need a special “can only” session if your routes already dump often.

When to buy — decision rules

1. After first productive clear + dump → Two Hands.
2. Before basement / attic / heaviest kitchen → Vacuum if affordable.
3. If gold medal / sub-32 is the goal → upgrade earlier; cut rare tourism.
4. If Bare Hands Pro → buy nothing that breaks the challenge rules; practice elsewhere.
5. If broke after a wipe → prioritize dump efficiency and smaller rooms to rebuild cash.

Gems from codes and dailies reduce pressure between sessions but do not replace in-run dump skill. Assistant time from assist is best paired with Vacuum wings.

Classes and tools

Class bonuses that improve speed, carry, or earn rates change the exact minute you can afford Vacuum. Pick a class before the job when the UI allows, then follow the same ladder. Recheck class notes after balance patches on Updates.

Co-op shop etiquette

• Announce big buys so teammates can cover your room.
• Do not camp the shop UI in a doorway.
• Share Jackpot calls.
• Let the poorest useful player take a fair turn at dumps if currency is shared pressure in your lobby ruleset.

Linking tools to badges and rares

Faster tools help Gold Standard and Speed Cleaner, but rare hunts sometimes want slower play — see Rare bugs. Old School (Next Door Pro) and Bare Hands have their own constraints; read badge goals on Players before a shop plan.

Practice plan

1. Chapter 1 Easy: force Two Hands by midpoint, Vacuum before basement.
2. Chapter 1 Normal: hit Vacuum before kitchen second pass.
3. Next Door Normal: Vacuum before attic.
4. Timed run: no shop hesitation, no rare lap.
5. Bare Hands rehearsal: Hands only on Easy until clean.

Compare community rankings anytime on the Tier List. Optional automation talk stays on Scripts with full risk awareness — tool skill remains the legitimate path.

Master the ladder, dump on the path, and spend before the dense rooms. That is the entire upgrade game in Clean The Bugs.