Cleaning made simple

BethNY

When I think about cleaning, I remember my childhood. My mother kept an immaculate house, and with four kids, and a ton of pets, I don't know how she did it. She would do 4-6 loads of laundry a day, among everything else in the house, and she always had a system for everything.
Okay, there were some days I thought it was like having mommy dearest, (you should see her closet-- it goes beyond no wire hangers) but for the most part, I was armed with life lessons in how to maintain a house.

REALITY-matthew and I moved into a house a little over a month ago, and suddenly I became the accidental housewife, only, I didn't sign up for this roll. I'm not even a wife!

The adjustment has not been easy. I've complained in many a posts here, and you guys have always given me good advice.

Well, last week we stumbled upon something that I think is incredible, and I wanted to share it with anyone who needs to simplify their cleaning schedule.

The house is all wood or tile- no carpeting, so I can't speak to the carpet version-- BUT,
we just bought a ROOMBA. Its a robot vacuum. The one for carpets is more expensive, and again, I don't know how well it works, but the one we got for floors and tile is a miracle.
The cost was about $140. The first time you want to use it, it does require charging it for 16 hours. Basically it's this little round thing, and you set it, close the door, and let it go to work. It teaches itself the best route to clean each room. It is a little noisy, but with the door closed it's fine. A big room takes about 45 minutes to clean, but it's not like you have to do anything. It gets itself out of really tight spaces, and in the event it gets stuck, it sends out a cute beeping noise for some help.

Before regular use it takes about 30 minutes to one hour to charge. Then you set it, and walk away. I have never seen my floors so spotless. It has sensors that tell it where more dirt is in a specific area, and it even senses my shoes on the floor and goes around them.

Saving time and energy is a must these days... and I am so pleased with this product, I had to share it with you girls.

juanita63

I think it sounds cool. But when my granddaughter is here i'd probably wear it out. I've got all carpets, and she makes a mess on every one of them.

jasmine

My dog would love chasing that around the house!!! LOL

ADK

Thanks for mentioning this, Beth. I want one, but DH claims the cats (three of 'em) will tear it apart. Do you have pets?

KariLynn

I want one of those too, but I've discovered my 10-year-old son wants allowance so the floors are now his!

BethNY

no pets-- but there's no way a cat could break it... they might chase it around- which would just be hilarious-- but its pretty loud, so I'm guessing after a while they'd give up.
Maybe a tremendous rotweiller could bite this thing- but I can't imagine it breaking.

also- it comes with virtual doors- so if you want it to just do the hallway, you put the sensors at each end and the robot doesn't go past them...
I'm loving this more and more every day.

Anonymous

Beth...It sounds like a great find, but I'm reminded of the SNL skit featuring this gizmo. Tina Fey was singing its praises and claiming that it cleans "everything' while the little thing climbed up her leg and under her clothes, presumably cleaning her personal area. They used some suggestive name for it, as I recall. Didn't anyone else see that skit? I didn't want to laugh, but it was pretty funny!

Marin

Jorf

We have one of these at our office. It's a hoot. Takes a long time to do a small space but it does let you do something else while it's doing. It even finds its dock when it's done. Easy to assign a personality to.

CasinoGirl

I saw that SNL skit - hilarious! I think it was a woomba.

Beth - long time no talk! Congrats on the house!

Donna

crami2

Beth...so how is the house? Last I chatted with you you were still in the pre house stage, waiting to get into it. My son was going to get us one of those for carpet....but at the time hubby was not seeing so well and I was afraid he would fall over it (doesn't move so well already as disabled) so said no. Now, I might consider it after I get new carpet. Hubby sees 20/25 after surgery on both eyes and granddaughter might understand to leave it alone. Dog lives outside, as do the neighborhood cats that think they are ours (maybe because hubby feeds them?) so no pet issues.

Any further magazine articles?????

saluki

I have 2 cats and a dog and have had my ROOMBA for over two years. I love my ROOMBA, especially for pet hair.
Having said that, I don't think it can take the place of a regular vacuum unless you have a small apartment---
Its really great for in between cleanings and does cut down on the regular vacuuming---but don't throw your regular one away.

I recently gave in and got a regular vacuum, so if I fall behind in my Roobaing---It won't get overwhelming.
You have to clean ROOMBA frequently if you have animals (but it did a better job than my Orex vacuum handling
the hair).

One realistic thing---Your floor has to be free of clutter for it to work--so if you have stuff on the floor--It "all" has to be picked up before you start. That's when it builds up and I get overwhelmed. LOL

Mind you cleaning is no biggie--it just has a small compartment, so it needs frequent emptying-- but it is kind of like meditation cleaning it---
kind of mindless ---sitting there with a small comb instrument.

Best thing is the way it goes under stuff----It just goes back and forth under the bed and when its finished---it finds its way back to its base---Magic

My animals love it --unlike the regular vacuum which they hiss at.

Mind you one of my cats thinks it is a toy and learned how to turn it on.

I'd wake up to the vacuum singing a little tune and-vacuuming away under my bed in the middle of the night. ----after several nights of that I outwitted the cat by barricading the ROOMBA before bed.

Verdict- Thumbs up!

Susie

biondi

LADIES, DURING MY VERY BRIEF MARRIAGE MANY YEARS AGO, I WAS LIKE BETTY CROCKER, CLARA CLEAN, VERA VACCUM, AND THE ACE HARDWARE WOMAN! NO MORE, NOW, I MAKE DUST ART! THIS POEM SAYS IT FOR ME...

DUSTING
"A house becomes a home when you can write
"I love you" on the furniture." AMEN !!
And my house is sure a home!!
I can't tell you how many countless hours
that I have spent CLEANING!
I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend
making sure things were just perfect --
"in case someone came over."
Then I realized one day that no-one came over;
they were all out living life and having fun!
Now, when people visit, I find no need to
explain the "condition" of my home.
They are more interested in hearing about
the things I've been doing while I was
away living life and having fun.
If you haven't figured this out yet,
please heed this advice.
Life is short. Enjoy it!
Dust if you must,
but wouldn't it be better to
paint a picture or write a letter,
or do some Bible study,
spend time with a friend
bake a cake or
plant a seed, go play golf,
ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
with rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
music to hear, songs to sing and books to read,
friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world's out
there with the sun in your eyes,
the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow,
a shower of rain.
This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go -- and go you must --
you, yourself will make more dust!

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter
that tells what kind of life you have lived.

BethNY

Susie LMAO about your cat figuring out how to work the roomba-- that's hilarious.

We have all wood and tile. If I had carpets, I would probably vacuum inbetween Rommba-ing, but on the wood, and tile it works fine.

Biondi thanks for the cute poem. However-- If I was ever away and Matthew wrote I love you in dust on the furniture, He may need protective head gear for my reaction.

I have terrible allergies, so part of cleaning for me is to ensure that I am breathing clean air.

Another great thing I've discovered in my land of becoming the accidental housewife, is the Swiffer DUSTER.

GREAT for ceiling fans. The arm stretches so high that I don't even have to stretch to reach, and the duster traps the dust instead of allowing it to fall on the floor, or the furniture below.

Cheryl, the house is great. Every room is finished except for the office, which is like a huge storage room right now. Everything from golf clubs to a clothing rack is in there. Eventually we will get to the office when we have more money. Right now my finances are tied up b/c I'm having a huge party for my 30th birthday this year. Cancer robbed me of #27, and 28, and last year I asked for donations instead of gifts etc.
This year I'm turning a venue into a lounge, complete with a jazz trio and casino gaming tables, and a photo booth for my friends and family to take fun pictures. So the office will just have to wait till March when I get my tax return.

No new magazine articles just yet-- I'm speaking on 10-17 @ Adelphi University in front of 450 people for the celebration of Survivorship. Then I'll be in Baltimore for the Patient of Courage award that I won from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons-- and there will be lots of press around the event, so I'll keep you posted.

My company is set to launch our web site in October to coincide with breast cancer awareness month- so that should have a lot of media around it as well.
I don't think I'll be posing topless again any time soon... those glory days are over---although- I am thinking of pitching playboy to do a pictorial on a breast cancer survivor who's had bilateral mastectomies and reconstruction, for October's 08 issue, and raise awareness for BC among that fan base...I told a friend the idea, and he really thought it was brilliant, and now we're working on the next steps.

purplemb

Beth...before PINKSTOCK I found a book called Cleaning for idiots at walmart...lol...was great and had great ideas...how not to use chemicals to do lots of things...

good luck...just remember....people come to visit YOU not your house..( I always tell people the food is good , the dishes are clean and the beer is cold, so stay and enjoy)..and boy am I thankful no one looked under the beds at pinkstock...lol
MB

Angelflight

I had a roomba and used it for years.  I loved it.  Until I got new carpeting.  Now even the slightest lint from the carpet makes it stop.  So much for helpful cleaning.  I spent more time the first week cleaning the lint out of the roomba to make it work that I just gave up on it.  I do have to agree though if it works on your carpets or floors they are great.  I also have the little electric eyes that you put down to keep it in one room at a time.  Seems like it worked a lot better that way too.

Angel