Recently, one of my daughters and I were watching a television program about how appliances have changed the domestic scene and the every-day life of the average family. The program talked about which appliances save time (and how much) and how some appliances have actually added to the work load of the average Western person. It got me to thinking about my own relationship with appliances–especially since motherhood. And, I have to say that I am unusually, and perhaps unhealthily, attached to my vacuum.
The fact is, I can tolerate a fair amount of dust and dishevelment in my home as long as the floors are clean. And, I’ve seen those old images of people–okay, mostly women–sweeping and pounding rugs, and trying to clean the floors with a clunky, creaky hand-held carpet sweeper. I love that I can plug in my beloved 12-amp and up comes the food crumbs, cat hair, and pieces of whatever.
I haven’t always had a vacuum obsession. Prior to parenthood I didn’t think much about housekeeping at all. But with the three babes and preschoolers–you might imagine that was an awful lot of cheerios, Goldfish crackers and pieces of paper. Not to mention all the sand and dirt from outside and the dried chunks of play dough that seemed to be scattered from one end of the house to another. My vacuum became my salvation. And, I have to confess that I haven’t always had the SAME vacuum. In reality, when the kids were younger, it seemed like I burned through about a vacuum each year. Finally, about ten years ago I took a visit to one of those high-end, special “vacuum shops” and spent an afternoon with my trusty vacuum sales-and-repair man and learned exactly what sort of vacuum I needed for my family. And that vacuum has not let me down.
Now, I really like my bread machine, and I appreciate the drip coffee maker and the microwave oven, but I’m truly, hopelessly attached and appreciative of my homely blue vacuum. How about you? What household appliance could you not live without?
See Also: Would You Rather Have a Housekeeper, a Nanny, or a Cook? and Obvioulsy, Clean Means Different Things to My Kids and Me