I bought a new vacuum cleaner last week. The one I had didn’t have any attachments, so I there was a lot I couldn’t get to. So, I did my homework and started looking around. And then a Big Lots opened near me. So, I bought a Hoover Windtunnel.
It was funny, reading the customer reviews before I bought it. I only saw one negative review. This lady was ticked off because with her old vacuum, she could do the whole house before she had to empty it, but with this one, she had to empty it two times for just one room! This was a complaint. “It got up way too much of that deep down dirt that’s hard to reach!” Was this woman unclear on the concept? What goes on in people’s heads? I had the same experience, by the way. It was amazing. I ran it over what appeared to be a clean section of carpet, one that I had vacuumed recently, and got up a huge amount of dirt.
Anyway, I used it for the first time today and a new world opened up to me. Actually, it’s not a new world at all, it’s just one I had never been to. You know, no pets, no kids, you figure you’re fine with a $20 stripped-down model. You get no frills with that. The first revelation came when I started pushing the vacuum across the floor. It rolled on its own! I didn’t have to drag it across carpet. And did you know they come with retractable cords? You don’t have to wind it up and down and up and down and up and down around those two hooks? I thought my old vacuum was cool because the hooks swiveled down so I could just pull the cord off instead of having to unwrap it. But my new one, I could pull the cord out as much as I wanted, and then just step on the retract pedal! The cord comes zipping back it. Winds itself inside the thing, you can’t even see it. I pulled it out and zipped it back a few times, it was so cool.
The corners and other places I had not been able to reach before were pretty dirty by then. Here’s one good thing about cleaning when something is really dirty: The results are obvious. You can see the dirt come off. If you’re just doing maintenance cleaning, that doesn’t usually happen. That was one thing I liked about the boat refinishing job I had years ago: When I took a shower after work, I really felt like I was accomplishing something.
Anyway, my old vacuum was bagless, but this one, I don’t even have to touch anything that has touched dirt. I pull the cylinder off, hold it over the kitchen trash can, push the lever that’s conveniently right by my thumb, and the bottom swings down and drops the dirt into the trash can. Amazing!
Now, you may be getting the impression of some domestic goddess here, going on so about a vacuum cleaner, and that would be a very inaccurate image. I’m not into cleaning, I don’t enjoy housework. I do it—and I do go on a very occasional tear, at which time, just get out of my way—but only because I don’t like living in dirt. But this was like a new toy! And I love new toys. I’m enjoying it while I can because the novelty will wear off soon enough. Although, for years I wanted one of those cars that came with a key fob that opens your doors. (Mine used just a plain old key way past the time when most people thought you couldn’t even get one like that anymore.) When I finally got one, I had a ball locking and unlocking my doors. I figured that would get old pretty quick, too. Well, it’s been three years now…
You are an exceptionally clear and understandable writer.