Heat, Spray, Suck

[KnottedYet]

One Woman's Search for Everything Across the Aisles of Costco.

Beautiful sunny clear day, the first we've had in a week or two.
So what do I do?

Starting at 6:00 a.m., I dressed with all the care of a warrior heading off to battle. Stretched out and pilled Hind Tights (from TE), tank top that shows my bulging biceps and triceps to their full advantage, cozy but stained Alps fleece, red bandana.

Made coffee, petted the dog, and got out my brand new Bi...
...ssell.

(you thought I was gonna say "bike", didn't you!)

I started by beginning the thorough vacuuming and edge-tooling required before steam cleaning, then realized it was not even 7:00 a.m. and all the other people in my building would probably rather not be yowled awake by my machinery. Ooops. Sorry, y'all.

So I cleaned the kitchen instead, scrubbed the gooey fluid trap in the fridge, washed windows, q-tipped the faucet and taps, scrubbed the floor, etc. Much quieter. Much more conducive to neighborly harmony.

At a reasonable hour I flung open all the windows and began Cleaning The Carpet. The Bissell Little Green Proheat with TurboBrush (tm) is a cute and perky wee thing that has a cleaner head about the size of my palm and can clean about the equivalent area of two sheets of newspaper per tank of surfactant and water. (I use Simple Green in my Little Green Proheat.)

The folks who designed the TurboBrush knew their audience. It's clear smoked plastic. You can see the little brush spinning. You can see the spray nozzle shwooshing fountains of heated solution. And best of all, you can see the disgusting dirty water slurping back up the TurboBrush and see INTO the clear plastic dirty water tank, watching it accumulate.

Satisfying!

And only $80.

What a way to celebrate the new year, both 5771 and the school year!
I'm taking a break to eat lunch, but then I'm gonna make another tank of solution and beautify another patch of my floor. Who knew my carpet was silky gray, not beige?

Bissell: http://www.bissell.com/little-green-...-deep-cleaner/
Simple Green, which I get in gallon jugs: http://www.simplegreen.com/products_...se_cleaner.php

[OakLeaf]

Good grief. I want some of what you're on.

On second thought, give it to my husband.

[jessmarimba]

You just gave me more motivation to rip up my carpet and clean up my (formerly) pretty hardwood floors.

[Zen]

Good grief. I want some of what you're on.

I confess a similar thought.

I'd probably be looking into buying new carpet

[KnottedYet]

Unfortunately, I rent an apartment.

Or else I, too, would have ripped out the stuff and put down laminate at least.
(I don't like carpet. Dirty, smelly, no like.)

ETA: a little house-cleaning funny http://xkcd.com/791/ Of course, many things seem funny when you've been snortin' Simple Green for 9 hours...

[Trek420]

Don't like carpet either

[badger]

the best thing I bought was a Bissel Green Tea steam mop. My dog was hard on my floor, he had a piddling problem, and when it was hot he would be drooling everywhere. So having that steam mop was a godsend.

I'd love to get the shark steam mop, the latest one that supposedly dries as you move the head along. The only caveat with the Bissel one is that it does leave the floor fairly wet and hard to dry in the winter.

I also need to find a good vacuum cleaner to replace the one I have now that is on its last legs.

Anyone know of a good vacuum cleaner that's not a massive 300pounder meant for industrial carpet cleaning? My place is 99% hardwood save for one small area rug (I vacuum every day to pick up fur and loose litter). I'd like some sort of a nozzle to clean the sofa of cat hair, too.

[jessmarimba]

No help, badger, my vacuum cleaner su...doesn't suck. It's awful. And it's pink. So I'd just recommend NOT getting the $30 clearance one at Target.

But that Bissell Green Tea Steam mop sounds amazing.

[OakLeaf]

I love my bagless direct-drive Kenmores. Well, as much as someone who's indifferent about cleaning can love a vacuum cleaner, I guess.

[emily_in_nc]

Anyone know of a good vacuum cleaner that's not a massive 300pounder meant for industrial carpet cleaning? My place is 99% hardwood save for one small area rug (I vacuum every day to pick up fur and loose litter). I'd like some sort of a nozzle to clean the sofa of cat hair, too.

I like our lightweight, rechargeable bagless Shark vac; it's great for picking up little bits and pet hair on hard floors and low-pile rugs. Not as good on pile carpet. But since it's battery powered, it will only do about a one-bedroom apartment all at once. It's fine for touch-ups, though, and has a removable dustbuster on it too. Got it at Target; it's this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Cordless-Handh...4253203&sr=8-2

[pumpkinpony]

I love my bagless direct-drive Kenmores. Well, as much as someone who's indifferent about cleaning can love a vacuum cleaner, I guess.

I have the same vacuum, but with the bag. I had read in Consumer Reports that the canister tends to have static electricity which makes dumping difficult if it is loaded with pet hair, which mine would be. It is a good vacuum. I told someone at Sears who was looking at them - the only downside I found is I know now where my carpet seams are, as the thing has sooo much suction.

And, three years later, the small attachments aren't holding up too well. One small attachment head is losing it's bristles, and the small one with the spin wheel doesn't spin anymore. The one for hardwood floors is doing well though, and that's what I use the most.

[NbyNW]

I have a Bissell SpotBot which is awesome for when my puppydog has an accident on the carpet (why is it always on the carpet?!!!)

My SIL swears by the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser for her two kitties....

When we got Gordy last year and he did his major summer shedding, I decided it was finally time to invest in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. I went with a Miele. It's a lot quieter than my old Hoover stick broom, and there's an optional small attachment that has a suction-driven rotating brush for vacuuming furniture, steps, etc. It works pretty well. I have mostly wood floors, some area rugs, and the basement is carpeted.

The Pledge Fabric Sweeper for pet hair also works pretty well for small touch-ups in between vacuumings.

[Selkie]

I confess a similar thought.

I'd probably be looking into buying new carpet

This is true: we bought a new fridge--the old one was a mess. Luckily, it really needed replaced. Gave me a good excuse NOT to face cleaning it.

The new one is getting cleaned out daily. I "mopping" as we're "slopping."

[nancielle]

My SIL swears by the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser for her two kitties....

After swearing at my previous vacuum cleaner which would leave the fur babies fur behind on the carpet, I second your SIL's swearing. The thing handles like a tank though. Good upper body workout trying to control it.

[sgtiger]

One of my friends has a small upright Bissel that she swears by. Within a couple of weeks of purchasing it, her then 3 y.o. puked up birthday cake and one of her kitties had an intestinal disturbance. She figures it paid for itself the first month after purchasing it. I'm pretty sure she's still using the same one four years later.