I’ve had an uninvolved connection with the robotic vacuum for what feels like a lifetime. Sure, it did its job all over the house, occasionally finding the most prominent places of debris and making the mess look cleaner without me having to do any work. Most of the time, however, it didn’t notice the everyday dirt completely (and it left lots of hair from dogs (always hair of dogs). The robot’s semi-efficiency pushed me to my limit every month, prompting me to think about the purpose of robots in general. I thought I was not getting an auto-driving vehicle while watching the robot’s circle slide beneath the coffee table, only to turn around in a flurry or tear up an entire portion of the rug. “Really?” I’d ask while looking at the robot. “This again? You only have only one job.”
“Why do we even still have this thing?,” my partner would inquire when he picked random pieces of trash out of the insides and tried to make it work again. We both didn’t want to be honest and admit the same reason we bought the vacuum initially. We’re lazy. We didn’t want to do a lot of vacuuming or pay the price to purchase a vacuum that performed.
Then we hung on to it. That is until my parents gave us a wedding present, which will go down as my dream present: the LG CordZero stick vacuum.
To put it in simple terms, the experience of using this vacuum was like observing the entire fantastic array of filth I had within my home at first. When I first set it up, I assumed it would resemble another manual vacuuming I’ve ever performed. It wasn’t the most enjoyable, but you’ve got to get it done. It’s better than lying on my back in a wheelchair, unable to move or function effectively, shouting, “Error. Error. Error.” in the void, as did that old robotic vacuum. At the very minimum, I was aware of this.
However, right from the beginning, I was compelled to admit that this vacuum was excellent. It came with an electric charging station that we could plug into any place (no requirement to attach to the Wallan, significant benefit for tenants), multiple battery packs, and a filtration system that could be cleaned with water and used again. It also had numerous attachments for hardwoods, rugs, and more challenging-to-reach places.
When I first started to vacuum, I was shocked and delighted. I had just gotten through two rooms of our home when I cleaned enough hair of a dog (and human) hair to create a small (OK medium) toy animal. I finally discovered an utterly functioning vacuum that made me happy to use. Instead of believing that it would simplify my life and my house cleaner, it was making my life simpler and my home clean. My floors were free of hair. My carpets were in good condition. Also, at first, I enjoyed cleaning my house.
Now, if you’ve come to this point, you’ve probably researched the price of this beast. And it’s not cheap. We were fortunate to get this as a generous present, but using it for about two months now, I can be sure I’d be willing to pay all the cost for this unit shortly. Even if that was a matter of saving up or waiting for a huge sales event this one, it’s worth it due to just how effective and efficient it is. To put things into perspective, my husband and I live in a row home, meaning we have three (very narrow) rooms on three floors and two high sets of stairs connecting each floor. The task of carrying the vacuum across the staircase as we tidy the entire home on the weekend isn’t exactly the most exciting in the world. Still, the amount of dust it collects is so rewarding the process makes it an enjoyable experience in a new manner. My husband and I have been fighting about who should clean every week.
I win my share of the “who gets to vacuum” debate every weekend. I plug in my Airpods and play an excellent cleaning playlist. I am looking forward to the occasional satisfaction of watching CordZero go about its business, giving me decent exercise (dancing when I vacuum is recommended), and a better-looking home. Do I feel the same amount of joy if I weren’t caught in the middle of an epidemic and have no other options? Perhaps, but not. However, I’m enjoying every bit of happiness I can. I’m also happy my home was never cleaner before, which is an added benefit.