Doing the Dirty Work In Style

Motherhood is a wonderful, important job. But let’s be honest––it’s also filled with all sorts of unglamorous tasks. Wiping bottoms, scrubbing applesauce off the walls and vacuuming up dropped snacks and tracked in sand can make it hard for mommy to feel stylish. That is until I met Dyson. It’s true that when I met Dyson, I was already seeing someone who I’ll call Mr. K. Undoubtedly Mr. K was a stand-up guy, pretty reliable and met most of my needs, but when Dyson rolled in, he swept me off my feet. Or I guess I should say vacuumed me off my feet. Some of the newest addition to the Dyson family, DC24 and the larger DC25 (both with Ball™ technology), challenged every notion I had about how vacuums look, work and feel. For example, pre-Dyson I believed that you could tell how good a vacuum was by how heavy and loud it was. Plus, the lines. A good vacuum always left those “I-just-vacuumed” lines in your carpet. Right?
The first time I tried the Dyson DC24 I wasn’t even sure that it was working. First, it was about half as loud as Mr. K so that I could actually hear the phone ring and my son ask a question while I was vacuuming. Second, at under 12 lbs. the Dyson was so light I wasn’t sore after vacuuming. I struggled for a while trying to determine if this was a positive or negative. I used to be able to count vacuuming as an upper body workout, but this time I barely broke a sweat. But the hardest thing to overcome? No lines. At least not like Mr. K. But then I realized that those carpet lines don’t tell me a vacuum is really working. Just that it’s heavy.
So how did I become convinced that Dyson was actually working? When I looked into the clear bin, I didn’t just see the normal Cheerios, dust bunnies and pet hair. Oh, they were in there alright, but there were new things – sand particles and super-fine dust. I realized that this sucker (pun intended) was waaay more powerful than Mr. K. As if I wasn’t already won over enough, Dyson kept wooing me. Simple, hands-free emptying of the bin. Genius! Washable, reusable filters. Money-saver! On-board tools, an incredible turning radius and certified “asthma & allergy friendly” according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Not to mention that central trademark of Dyson – a vacuum that doesn’t loose suction. Plus, it’s cute. I actually left it out once when people came over for dinner and it took until the end of the evening for someone to ask, “Is that a vacuum? I thought it was a piece of art.” Okay, so maybe it’s not museum-worthy, but I guarantee you that it’s way more stylish that what ever Mr. K you have shacked up in your closet. And it works.
The only thing I wasn’t thrilled about with the Dyson DC24 was the length of the power cord. While 20 feet is reasonable for vacuuming a standard room, our house is set up with a “great room” configuration with a combined entry, living room, dining room and kitchen, so I had to unplug/replug twice to be able to vacuum the whole space. And they are expensive. But try one – once you see how much crud it picks up off your carpet and floors, you’ll have no problem saying sayonara to your Mr. K and hellooo Dyson.
“I just think things should work properly,” says designer and president James Dyson. Amen, Mr. Dyson, amen. Now can you use your talents to work on a double stroller that fits in your purse and a diaper that changes itself?