I decided to be more selective as to what I write about. Looking back at my books, I wrote about plenty of silly things just so I could write. I wrote about some things that I thought were so great that ended up being not so great. I made a decision not to write about this next topic. I thought it would seem a topic of little interest, frivolous and extravagant, but then I reconsidered. How comical will it be thirty years from now to see what I considered frivolous in 2021. Even today I imagine some people are shaking their heads thinking since when is a vacuum cleaner frivolous. After all it isn't a fur coat or a fancy car.
It all started after Christmas of 2020. My good friend Connie mentioned that she received her all time favorite Christmas gift from her daughter. It was a robot vacuum cleaner. She explained how much she loved it and even named it Robbie. I asked a few questions about it including the brand. At that point I had no intention of getting one. I thought the price would be out of range. I had seen demos on QVC and just didn't believe it was something I would need or want.
I have to preface this with the fact I love to buy vacuum cleaners. My daughter loves shoes, my mother had a big collection of coffee pots, my husband buys tools and I like crafting supplies. Ha, ha I bet you thought I was going to say vacuum cleaners, but I have always liked to find the easiest most efficient way to clean my house. I remember back in the 1970's when I purchased a Sears canister vacuum cleaner with a super long retractable cord and an upright powerhead that plugged into the canister unit. I thought it was the best thing ever, and it was for its time. I did sit through demonstrations by the Rainbow company and a Kirby vacuum cleaner salesperson. It was tempting but the salespeople were so high pressure, I would get very annoyed with them. No matter the quality of the machine, I just couldn't buy from them even though they were just trying to make a living. I went through several Hoovers, Eurekas, etc. but they never lasted more than a couple years. You do get what you pay for in vacuum cleaners. Fast forward to ten or twelve years ago. I had heard nothing but praise for Dyson products. I decided to go for it. I had a big Kohl's coupon plus the machine I wanted was on sale. I bought it, and it really is the best. I still have it and have never had a minutes trouble. Then my daughter purchased a Dyson cordless cleaner which has a battery. You keep it plugged into the wall and grab it for quick jobs like the kitchen floor or by the front door. I bought my own when they were closing out the V7 model. I loved it and started to use it all the time. I rarely took out my "big Dyson".
So how could I possibly need another vacuum? Obviously I didn't need it, but I thought I would research it a little just to see. The demos fascinated me, and the cost was affordable. I opted for a basic model which wasn't compatible with Alexa. That wasn't a problem because most people and things don't get along with Alexa. Although her and I are good friends. She reads to me, plays the music I like and spells words. Buying the robot vacuum was the best decision. I just love it. We named her Hazel after the 1960's sitcom character. Unless you're my age, that name will mean nothing but in the TV show she was a live-in maid.
Hazel is awesome. It comes with a remote control and a docking station. I put the docking station in my bedroom out of the way, but she can always find her way back.
My first use for her was in my bedroom. I picked up anything off the floor that I thought she may get tangled in and set her to clean. She went under the bed and under the dressers. I am embarrassed to say, those are spaces that very rarely get cleaned, and I won't be sharing the picture of the dust bin. Thankfully each cleaning since has produced a lot less dust and dirt. Hazel is a better worker than me. I learned quickly the places where she could get hung up and now block them off. She almost always backs up and changes her route on her own. When she does get herself in a situation, she just beeps until I check on her. She can go to the edge of steps and won't topple over, but just turns herself around. I like that she can go from carpet to hardwood floors and back without any problem.
It can be set to go in circles for spot cleaning, do the edge of the room or randomly work it's way around to all the surfaces. You can even buy a water tank and cleaning mop cloth that is sold separately to mop your floor. I haven't looked into that yet. Amazingly it hits all the spots if you just let her do her thing. Although when I first got Hazel, she decided to start cleaning one night at midnight. Luckily I had just settled into bed, so I grabbed the remote, pressed home and told her to go back to bed. Come to find out, she was in automatic mode and the time was set for midnight. She was just following instructions. Although I would never leave her alone to clean, I did learn quickly about that feature.
I used to just sit and watch amazed, but now I do other things while she works. Talk about multi tasking. Almost everyday, I set Hazel to vacuum a different room.
I should be set for vacuum cleaners for a very long time. Connie got us hooked on Alexa and now Hazel, so who knows what she will find in the future that we can't live without. I have a lot of favorite things that I may have to write about just so my grandchildren can have a good laugh many years from now.
