The Dyson: It sucks.

When my sister told me she bought a Dyson several years ago, I remember asking her, "You spent HOW much?!" Being the cheapskate I am, I could never see myself spending hundreds of dollars on a stinkin' vacuum cleaner. I mean, is it really worth it?

Well, that was before we bought a house. And acquired a cat who loves to leave a little bit of herself behind everywhere she goes. Up until a few months ago, this is what we were cleaning our house with: 

Sure, it worked fine for the 800 sq. ft. apartment (with mostly concrete floors) that we used to live in, but this little Eureka was not made to handle a whole house. Even after vacuuming with it, the carpet still felt matted down and grungy.

So when Black Friday rolled around last year, I found out that Best Buy was going to be offering the Dyson Absolute Animal DC17 for a mere $350 (about $200 less than regular price). As much as it pained me, I knew we needed the upgrade desperately. After all, a $350 vacuum that lasts for years and years (or forever??) is cheaper than buying a new vacuum every few years.

After a few months of using this baby, I can safely say the Dyson sucks...in a good way! We could tell a big difference in the feel of our carpet the first time we used it. It was much fluffier and you could actually SEE that the floors had been vacuumed. Obviously, we only had a very inferior vacuum to compare it with, but I'm fairly certain this thing could suck the stripes off a zebra. In fact, I think it's still sucking up new carpet fuzz, which means it's either a very powerful vacuum, or we just have cheap carpet (probably a little of both). I also use it on our hardwood floors.

Mr. Eureka doesn't stand a chance.

The Dyson came with the Zorb carpet powder (which I haven't tried yet), and other attachments including a mini turbine head, which is great for cleaning up pet hair (I'm talking to you, Phoebe). I usually don't mind cleaning in general, but vacuuming is definitely much more enjoyable now! The only frustration I have with it is that the wand is so long, it can get a little awkward using it. (Unless there's a way to shorten it that I haven't figured out yet.) On the other hand, the long wand can come in handy in some situations.

Are there any household items or appliances you've discovered that are worth the high price (painful as it may be)?

The Couch Crater

For today's post, I present to you...  

The Crater:

The Culprit:

Phoebe. Acting innocent as usual.

The Solution:

The Dyson Absolute Animal DC17 (and mini turbine head for picking up pet hair). More on this lovely investment some other time.

The End Result:

A little cushion-fluffing doesn't hurt, either.

It won't stay like this for long, though. The crater will rear its ugly head (and hair) again in a couple days, courtesy of Phoebe.

Do you have a couch crater?

Clean Sweep

So, I had the day off work today and what did I choose to do with my time?  Lounge on the couch watching TV? Spend the day outside enjoying the unseasonably beautiful weather? No, for the last five or so hours, I've been doing some serious house-cleaning. Dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing the bathroom tub, shower and floors... I even managed to get all the laundry done. Am I crazy to spend my vacation day doing this? Perhaps. But let me tell you, it felt pretty darn good. Plus, not a bad workout. And now I can chillax the rest of the weekend.

How do you feel about cleaning house? Do you dread it, or do you find it therapeutic? What part of cleaning makes you cringe the most?