If you have an idea where they may have flung off to grab the vacuum cleaner squirrel away your wife's leggings (pantyhose) and place the leg section over the suction end that way the the ball will be held there and not sucked into the cleaner ensure you have emptied the cleaner prior to use, a powerful magnet at the end of a wooden dowel works well. I have 3 small magnets from a scaffolder's level and believe me for their size the are extremely powerful.