Day 144: The Mini Vac - My Salvation, My Sanity

I got a purple Shark Pet Perfect II Hand Vacuum this past Christmas.  Don't judge!  I received a full-size vacuum cleaner for Christmas several years ago! :)  (Hey - it's NOT a bad gift for a neat freak.)  It's such a handy "neat freak cheat sheet" item that every household should have, especially if you have pets... or kids!

I've decided that this little wonder is one thing that helps me keep my cool each and every day with three children... and a dog... and a husband with a dirty job!  I no longer have to break out the "big guns" when cereal gets all over the floor or when dirt clumps create a "welcome" mat on the hardwood floor, right in front of the door to the garage.  Better yet - even my 4-year old can use this lightweight mini vac!  The kids actually ENJOY cleaning with this machine!

The mini vac has truly been a lifesaver, even this morning when I had to vacuum eggs out of my son's hair.  Yes.  Eggs.  And, yes... I vacuumed them out!  I had just sucked up the mess he left on the couch, so I turned toward him and spotted the food he was wearing/storing... or whatever was going on there.  He thought it was pretty funny.  And... it worked!  Way to save the day - and my sanity - again, mini vac! 

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 25:Another product fav -- carpet freshener

I forgot to mention the other day when I blogged about vacuuming that I LOVE Glade carpet and room deodorizer. No, the makers of Glade did not pay me to say that. I am offering FREE opinions on all the products I list on my blog! (Why? So maybe you, too, can enjoy some great cleaning products!)

At any rate, I love Glade because it smells SO clean and fresh. I am using the "Clean Linen" scent right now, and it's so amazing! Just sprinkle the powder on the carpet, and let it sit for a while as you tidy up something else. Then vacuum it all up!

Ta-da: a super-fresh-smelling house!

This is definitely a MUST when you have pets. Or, at least, it's a must when you have pets like mine - weirdo dogs who like to rub their food-covered faces and other "random stinky parts" on the floor! EEEW.

And what's also great about the carpet and room deodorizer: you don't have to use it every time you vacuum, and you still get the fresh-smelling benefits! The scent lingers a bit in the vacuum, so whenever you run it around the house, the scent is kind of "reactivated!" That is a great, quick tip (neat freak cheat sheet!) if you don't have time to sprinkle, wait and vacuum.... or if you just don't have any more carpet and room deodorizer on hand!

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 20&21: Vacuuming sucks

We've already established the fact that I am a neat freak. So I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to you that I vacuum once or twice every week. Minimum. Of course, I don't think that vacuuming this much is all that uncommon. (Y'all probably vacuum at least that much. Right?) But, there are some people who ask me why I do it so often.

"The house is so clean!" they say. "Why do you always vacuum so much!"

My husband is one of these people.

But I know my efforts are not in vain. And I wanted to prove it to him... and to you!

So I set up a little experiment:
Here is a "before shot" of the empty vacuum container* where all the dirt, dust and debris is captured so you can dump it out in the trash.


You can see that it's quite empty. I even rinsed it out a bit so I could start out with a completely clean slate.

Then I vacuumed the master bedroom and 2 large area rugs. That's it! (The rest of the main floor is hardwood.)

And THIS is the "after shot," showing what the container looked like when I was done! EEEEWWY!


Remember: I vacuum once or twice every week. Now, the container is not completely full, but it had quite a lump of gunk in it. And this is just 4 or 5 days worth of dirt! Can you imagine what it would look like if I didn't vacuum so regularly!?!? *(((shudder)))*


Now, THAT's neat!



* In case you want to know, I have a Bissell Lift Off Revolution Pet vacuum. I purchased it 1 1/2 years ago from Kohl's.... and I LOVE it!