When I feel down, I don’t watch TV, read a magazine, call a friend. Nope. I vacuum. It’s been a crappy kind of week in my extended family household and as a result, my house has never looked cleaner.Â
My lint-weapon of choice is the original Dyson upright. I know it’s ridiculously expensive, heavy, and kind of impractical unless you live in a large, carpeted palace, but the commercials with the intelligent sounding man really sucked me in. Plus, I got the cheapest full-size model, so I didn’t feel that bad about it. And the Dyson makes me feel better when times get tough. If I’m angry, all I have to do is take out my agression on that dustball under the oven.Â
Hair in the bathroom? Sucked away like yesterday’s bad hair day.
I love the way the Dyson shows you what you’ve picked up along the way. Oh, the things I find when I get really mad at my wool pile rug. The Dyson doesn’t like that rug very much because it always grasps so many fibers in its wake and makes me clean it right away. (Note to self: never ever buy a wool pile rug again.)
If times get really tough and I feel like crying, all I have to do is release the Dyson’s attachment brush and delve into every nook and cranny that hasn’t been cleaned out in three years (way better than my pantry, though). I spent the better part of my son’s nap time yesterday on my baseboards. Wow, that felt good.
But the best part of my vacuum is the waste release system. I love the trapdoor of my vacuum where I can get rid of the waste that clutters its filters. If only it were so easy to rid myself of my bad mood.
My Dyson. A cure-all for a shitty day.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmmm…I haven’t tried vacuuming when depressed. Maybe I’ll try this sometime.
My kind of thing is watching the clothes spin in the washing machine. It’s hypnotic. I stare at it as long as it spins. Watching it forgets what I’m worrying about momentarily.
Do you get this kind of feeling when you stare at it spinning?
You have your Dyson, I have my washing machine.
I hope you feel better by the time you’re reading this.
-Yvie
I had to vacuum today, even the car, and I wish I could say it cheered me up. But oh, that trap door releasey thing, that’s my favorite part, too!
Steph
I really, really want a Dyson. Now reading your post, I feel like I need to buy one just for therapeutic purposes!
We have a Dyson, and I am proud to say I don’t even know how to work it! My husband is like you and
likes to vacuum, so I leave that chore to him.
I don’t mind vaccuming with my Dyson and love the trapdoor emptying process, but I can never find time to vacuum! It wakes my daughter up, so I can’t do it during naptime or at night, and when she is awake, she cries for at least the first 5 minutes of vacuuming, then calms down. So for me, vacuuming has been anything BUT soothing recently. In fact, it has become what it always was–a chore!
You want to feel power+productivity?
Pick up a leaf blower. Granted they are best used outdoors, but you will feel the power and your yard will look great.
Sorry to hear about your crappy day. Wish I lived in Chicago so you could vacuum my house once you got done with yours.
I clean too. I tend to clean out closets and sort through the girls’ toys. There is something comforting about feeling like you have control over something — even if it is just the coat closet.
I clean when I’m mad too – or nervous..I really go to town when I’m nervous or anxious.. I’ve been pretty relaxed lately and you can SURE tell it.
I just got a Dyson from Target two night ago, so I was pleased to see this post.
Vacuuming for 45 minutes was the highlight of my week. Like you said, it’s great to see the can filling up with all the crap. I got the Dyson made for pet owners for $ 550 (a $55 gift card came with it).
Worth it. I got 4 things of dog hair and dirt from just two rooms. My floors look so clean, and finally, after almost 2 years in this house… the floor feels clean.