Time to try to make my easier...So sick of SWEEPING!!

[Bec]

I am sick and tired of sweeping the floor! The only rooms in my house that are carpeted are my 3 bedrooms. The rest of the house is hard wood and the kitchen is tiled.
With 3 dogs, 4 cats, a cockatiel, 2 of my own kids, 3 babies I watch during the week and BIG dirty Barn boots I have to sweep a MILLION times a day! I was thinking if I got a vacuum that would do pet hair and bare floors, my daily chores would be so much easier!
The dogs come in with dirt on their paws and I try to wipe off their feet, but stopping 2 big ol dobermans and a speedy min pin, that doesn't always go over well! Most of my backyard is grass, but of course, chickens do what chickens do and I have big dirt bathing holes against the whole back of my house and around the concrete patio.

I have been reading customer reviews on all different types of vacuums, they all have good and bad!

Is there a wonder vacuum out there that isn't 400-500$ that will do the job???

 

[NurseNettie]

I've got a Dyson Pet one (the purple one) that is fabulous. Does carpet and bare floors, has a 17 foot extension hose to get the walls and stairs, etc. I know they're in the $500 range or so-- I got mine on Woot.com for $249. I'd been waiting on buying one, and deciding which one to get when one day-- there was one on Woot, so I grabbed it!! I love it-- it's the best one I've ever had. I've got a muddy yard, mostly carpet, but lots of dust due to the 3 cockatoos and coming in and out with muddy feet.

 

[ChickBond 007]

My sister in law has two big indoor dogs, and she has a Roomba. She got the Costco model, so not top of the line, but very useable. Her floor gets vaccumed by the robot twice daily whether she's home or not.

The best vaccum that I've ever owned was a Kirby. They are heavy, heavy, heavy but the models newer than G-2 (about 1990) are self propelled. If you search Craigs List, you can find older ones for not much money. The older ones are just as good as any other because they are un-kill-able, all metal components, tough units.

 

[Sock Puppet]

I have a hoover floor mate... love it.


mops - for mopping you floor
dry pickup - for vacuuming before you mop
wet pickup - for vacuuming up spills, when you have kids etc.

Very handy

 

[luvarabhorses]

My grandmother taught me to put down exterior dirt catchers all the way to the front door. I have them going all the way down my deck in three directions. Now I wish I had just purchased the industrial kind, they are more expensive but don't fall apart like the lowes kind. I have a sign inside my door that says "unless your name is God or George Strait, please take off your shoes", and there is a rubber shoe catcher there. I also have a heavy dirt colored rug that catches a lot of the dirt just inside the front door. I put heavy walmart plastic (in the fabric department) over my rug in my family room, 4 strips 3 feet wide and 12 feet long. I still sweep a lot, about three times a week, but not to the extent you do. My florange (he's from Wilmington btw) donated his 25 year old Electrolux to the house and I have to admit I've fallen in love with it. I just mostly use the barewood attachment. I'd always used a bagless and hated buying bags but this is a great vaccuum.
Hope that helps.

 

[beak]

I think they all suck.

We gave up on vacuums. The kids have this thing for tearing up paper and leaving stuff like that around. It always gets stuck in the tube from the roller to the bag. I'm always taking the stupid things apart to pull blockage out. The only thing we can use is a shop vac.

 

[English Chick]

Have to admit I do not sweep my hardwood floors, but I do hoover them once a day every day, and top up with a dry floor mop that attracts hairs etc., would not be without either. I only wet mop the floor twice a week... still looks like new....I never buy expsensive hoovers, but when I do eventually purchase one, it has to be over a 1600 power, anything less than that then the pick up is not good enough.

 

[FrenchHen]

We have a dyson, my mom split the cost with us when we had a death in the family and were about to be inundated with out of town relatives.

I love it!

If I didn't have it, I'd do the dust mop thing once a day and call it good. We'll probably go to a no-shoes household when my second kid gets potty trained. If I were strict enough to enforce a no-eating-in-the-living-room rule, it might be better.

I just chalk it up to pets and boys and don't fuss about it much.

 

[thechickenchick]

I agree with Nurse Nettie. I also own the purple Dyson. I love it! We have carpet in only our bedroom, the rest is laminate flooring. We have 2 dogs and 4 indoor cats. We have mud almost year round, then its field grass and dirt! I have to vacuum at least every other day. It should be done every day though. The Dyson works wonderful. It has great suction. You can watch it pull cat hair out of the corners you can't quite reach. It works great for furniture and stair as well. Also like NN said it has the attachment so you can reach the curtains and cobwebs.

I paid $500 for it but I bought it in 2001 and I use it all the time. So it really was worth the $. It still works as good ad the day I bought it. Also another great feature is you can't plug it up. It comes apart in sections so you can find the clog and clean it out. I have had to take it apart twice this whole time. I highly recommend it if you can. You would love it for your situation.

 

[newchickenfamily]

Ugh. I'm right there with ya Bec! Only one room has carpet, the rest hardwood. I don't know if you do this or not, but we don't wear shoes in the house. I think it cuts down a teeny bit on the dirt, but I still sweep 2x a day. We have 2 dogs, a cat, 3 kids, chickens, etc.... I've considered the Roomba but have read mixed reviews on it, so haven't tried it yet. Looks like there is some good advice here though...