The Dog

I have a dog named Ike. A weimaraner to be precise. He's a good dog...really. Aside from the seizures, chronic ear infections, allergies and anxiety. The one thing that really drives me bananas is that he wants to be going outside and coming inside constantly. He'll whine and bark and scratch at the door. Eventually, he'll sit and wait patiently for a moment or two. I wipe his feet every time he comes in the door, but he just leaves so much dirt on our floors--not to mention the hair he sheds.

Since we had wood floors put in last summer, I see every speck that Ike leaves behind. I am completely embarrassed if someone sees how our floors look right before I clean them. I could clean them every day, but I only allow myself to do it every other day. That may sound a little obsessive, but when it only takes 15 minutes, why not?!

I used to sweep the floors with a rubber broom, and then either use a steam mop or the rubber broom covered with a damp microfiber cloth. It took forever. The floors never looked as clean as the effort I put in. Then, I found the Bissell Steam and Sweep.

It gave me the gift of time. I wasn't nearly so hard on myself. This magical little device vacuums and steam mops simultaneously. The mop pads are reusable--just throw them into the washing machine. The tray that collects the vacuumed particles is easy to empty. The vacuum is not as strong as my Dyson, but it picks up the hair and dander. My only real complaint is that it can't get into corners and right along the wall.

To really maximize the speed and effectiveness of the Steam and Sweep, you'll want to have clear paths to sweep. If you have lots of furniture or knick-knacks or toys spread across your room, it will certainly take longer. But, you'd have to move them to clean anyway, right?

So, for now, Ike is allowed to think he's king of the castle. Do you have a cleaning tool that saves you oodles of time?