Sunday, August 21, 2011

My New Vacuum Cleaner

My old vacuum cleaner, a 20+ year old Kenmore, lost suction last week so I went out and bought a new one (Kenmore, also) that cost $280 on sale. What a shocker, but I figured it would be the last vacuum cleaner I will ever buy so I should get a good one. What I didn't notice in the store is that the vacuum cleaner weighs a ton and it will be impossible for me to cart it up to the second floor or down to the basement.

I took a good look at my old vacuum cleaner and decided to change the bag. It wasn't completely full but maybe it was clogged somehow. I got out a new package of bags I'd bought at a vacuum cleaner store because bags for my model are not available anymore. They didn't fit!

Now my only choice was to take the old bag, empty it and see if the vacuum cleaner would work. If it did, I could just leave it in the basement and use it for there and the second floor because it's not too heavy to cart up and down the stairs. Heaven knows, I don't vacuum those floors very often.

The problem with emptying the old bag is that I knew there were dead centipedes in it and I didn't want to accidently touch one so I put on a gardening glove to do the job. I also made a point of not looking too closely as I pulled stuff out. The bag was crammed solid with hair especially but lots and lots of what could be plaster dust from cleaning the basement furnace room. I was amazed that the bag held together while it was being emptied so they must be very well made. I never saw a centipede, either.

I put the emptied bag back in the vacuum cleaner and it works perfectly. I'm kind of proud of myself for braving the appearance of dead centipedes and following through with attempting to fix the darned thing. I am woman, I am headstrong.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

A little effort is all that's needed to make a big change! It really helps to be aware of the gadgets or cleaning materials that you use. Correct me if I'm wrong, but after your old vacuum worked, you didn't purchase a new one. It's been two years already, and I can't help but assume that the old vacuum died out already. Nonetheless, I commend you for diving head first into the issue and fixing it.

-Deidra Schaefer

patsyrose said...

I am all about solving problems the easy way. The new vacuum stays on the main floor, the old one is still working well and stays in the basement. I bought a cheap upright for the upstairs bedrooms and that's where it stays. Problem solved!