Vacuuming

I wish they will invent the self-vacuuming floor already. They’ve already got wrinkle-free clothing and self-cleaning ovens, so wouldn’t floors be the next logical step?

We have hardwood floors throughout the house, with the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room being the exceptions, as they have vinyl tiles or linoleum or, in the case of the still under reconstruction half-bath, subfloor decking. To say the least, we only have hard surfaces, so everything shows, meaning vacuuming should be a daily chore. I say should because it really does need to be done daily, but that doesn’t mean that I actually get around to doing it daily. And why vacuum? Why not just sweep? Have you ever tried to sweep pet hair and dander with a broom? It just floats up into the air, all whispy and light, only to land back down at a later time and/or date.

Now, we have a very nice vacuum cleaner, a Filter Queen Princess III model vacuum cleaner. If you are unfamiliar with Filter Queen, they are time-tested to be the best vacuum cleaners on the market, both for home and medical use. These vacuum cleaners are so good at their job, if you just leave it running it will actually clean the air too. And, the best part, it never loses suction, even when the canister is full, even VERY full. I know this from personal experience. So, the fact that even with one of the best vacuum cleaners on the market (Filter Queen has a newer model out now called Majestic 360) we still have to vacuum the floors daily means our animals shed way too much.

Our cat has medium length fur, but she doesn’t shed as much as she used to. Since she’s lost almost 7 lbs, she can now reach everywhere on her 14 lb body just fine, meaning she actually grooms herself again. For years, she apparently couldn’t be bothered with taking care of herself because our oldest cat would groom her instead. But after he passed away, she still didn’t take to having to groom herself once more, that is, until she lost enough weight to reach the backside of her body. She is at my feet right now, so if I say anything bad about her, I’m certain to get a good clawing!

Our dog, on the other had, has short hair, as she is a Great Dane. And from everything I’ve read about Great Danes, and the experience of having one growing up, they don’t shed that much… unless they have skin problems and allergies, which of course we would end up with a dog who has both. To counteract the fact that our dog has gotten to the point that she scratches and/or licks herself bald in some areas, I switched her dog food to a higher protein (yet still grain-free) content hoping it would help her fur grow back faster. It did, but because of that, it also means there is a lot more of her hair on the floor. I’m sure daily brushing would be nice, but it seems like when I brush her, it is just a neverending fur fest building up beneath her. I wonder if dog hair would make a good pillow filler? I could probably make a pillow-a-week with the amount she drops!

Okay, so back to vacuuming. Lots of dog hair, some cat hair, and random dirt and dander. All perfectly normal things to vacuum up off the floor. And I do so love to take out the vacuum and watch our huge dog tremble in fear, tail tucked, and hide in a corner as if it is a doggy torture device. I find it humorous that she is afraid of something a quarter of her size. Then again, I think all dogs have an innate fear of vacuum cleaners, like it is their own version of hell. Doggy hell. I can see the devil pushing and pulling a vacuum cleaner in front of the dogs and laughing joyously (thanks Family Guy!) Okay, so I’m guilty of doing the same thing, so I’m sure I didn’t quell any terrors she already had about them. I usually just put her outside or in the back office while I vacuum the rest of the house, which brings me to my point. Wouldn’t it be less stressful to our pets to have self-cleaning floors? I mean, sure, it would be one less task to have to do, making us into lazier individuals, but aren’t our four-legged friends worth giving up such things for?