I have a kid. (You probably knew that.)
Before the kid, I had dogs. (No breaking news there either.)
I'm not going to lie to you and proclaim them to be perfect animals who were so trained, they rang a bell to signal their need for the outdoors. While I wish they would let me know more often other than the annoying clink of their water bowl when Blue finds it empty then proceeds to paw it until the ceramic comes up and then back down on the floor, an audible cue for "Woman, I'm parched!", they're just not that smart. (Both John and I hate that sound and even Sprite has chimed in with "The dogs want water!" since the sound interferes with her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse viewing.) (Maybe I should make it a chore for Sprite?) (But she'd probably spill while filling up the bowl. Nope, better just to kvetch and fetch for now.)
In any given week, we will find a wet spot near the dining room table where Harry decided he could wait no longer for us to get off our duffs and get him out the door or a wet spot in the carpet which we won't find until one of us steps in it, a sure sign that Blue has been there. We spot treat and blot with the best of them, but come on, people. You must know what my carpets look like. I can no longer try to convince others that it's an offbeat pattern that I found at Home Depot, nor can I blame it on the child who is now verbal enough to deny accusations of tinkle trickery.
Things finally came to a head (or tail since most of our problem seem to originate from that area) when I began noticing a certain smell in our bedroom. You see, the dogs like to camp out underneath our bed at night (it DOES make for a bitching tent), and dogs being the way they are, don't like to pee where they sleep, so they prefer to pee underneath where WE sleep. I finally begged John to get a service to come steam clean our carpets.
He did one better. He got a Hoover Steamvac. (The silver kind.) For about ten bucks less than a professional would charge for our house, we were now the owners of a steam cleaner.
But did it work?
I was at work when he brought it home, promising to figure the sucker out for me. I may have called him ten times while he was setting everything up since I was reading product reviews and gleaning off of other people's tips as I found them.
"Jen, let me try it and then I'll call you back." That was John Speak for "Call one more time and I turn on WoW and forget I just spent $140.00."
Twenty minutes later, he called me.
"Can you come home now? You won't believe it!"
He did half the hallway carpet so I could see the before and after and then all of Sprite's room since both she and the dogs had done whatever they could to destroy it.
Why yes, my carpets ARE tan, not gray. But now we can prove it! (The rest of it was cleaned after I put the camera away. And it ALL looks good.)
I love the look of track marks. (The GOOD kind.)
By the time I got home, he was sitting at his computer as if nothing had happened, while I exclaimed over the newness that was our carpets. (Seriously, I get excited over the strangest things.)
Come Saturday, we put the steam cleaner to the toughest test, under our bed.
John was as excited about taking apart the bed as he would be for a physical, so he chose to take the harder route by pushing the bed to one side of the room and then the other (adding a good half hour to the process).
Tangent: Anyone who has trellis art like this on their walls knows by now that you need to vacuum these things at least once in your lifetime. I hate trellis art if only for the fact that they are dust magnets.
Yup, that's what you think it is. Blue's calling card. Embarrassing, no? (That would be yes.) But this is the before.
And after! No more! All gone! (Insert bleached toothy smile here)
We were able to finish the entire room and get all the furniture moved back within a few hours. And the smell? What smell?
I'm sold. I never thought home cleaners would ever work as well as the pros or the rentals, but we were able to do it ourselves and get it done to our satisfaction without having to block off our entire day, move mountains of furniture for some stranger to come into our home and run a hose through our living room, and then deal with wet floors for the next 12-24 hours.
Sure, I could live without my Hoover, but it would be nicer to smell the roses without smelling the dogs who just peed on them.
Now all this infomercial needs is a catch phrase. How about, "With the power of Hoover steam, even your carpets will gleam!"
There's a reason I'm not in advertising..
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Take a look and see what these Spinners consider a "must have"!
Heather over at Welch Happenings
Suzicate over at The Water Witch's Daughter
Pines Lake Redhead over at Pines Lake Redhead
Camille over at Archives of Our Lives
Heidi over at The World According to Heidi
Ruby over at Ruby's Looking Glass -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs... -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
Vandy over at The Testosterone Three and Me -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
The South Dakota Cowgirl over at The South Dakota Cowgirl -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
Jamie over at Picking Battles and Noses -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin! New to the Spin Cycle!
Erin over at The Locals Love It -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
Patty over at Pancakes Gone Awry -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
Kendra over at Life in The Slow Lane -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!
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Next week's Spin Assignment: Confessions/ Admissions
That's right, one of our first Spin Cycle topics is back! Well, it's been a year and a half, surely you've got some fresh stuff to confess by now!
What's weighing on your mind? Got a secret you just want to get off your chest? Let go of that luggage here!
Have you called someone by the wrong name for years only to find out their actual name was nowhere close to who you thought they were?
Have you fought for one point even knowing you were wrong?
(Both of these examples may have happened to me..)
Spin it up and unload the guilt!
See you next week on the Spin Cycle!
oooooooh! It sounds wonderful! I'm grateful almost every day that we only have tile, because while we are dogless, we have one cat who pees where he shouldn't, one cat who vomits all the time (for no medical reason anyone can discover), and only one cat who behaves herself. Still with tile there is clean up, and I'm addicted to my Shark Steam Mop. I have been known to hug the handle as I pass by. I should have done a Spin on that, but I forgot. Darn it!
Posted by: Rachel | February 19, 2010 at 05:37 AM
Love the good kind of track marks too! Here's my spin!
http://rubyslookinglass.blogspot.com/2010/02/spin-cycle-that-vanilla-smell.html
Posted by: Ruby | February 19, 2010 at 08:58 AM
Aww, man. Now I want one. If you ever are in need of work, I think you'd do great going door to door (or blog to blog?)
http://outoftheboondocks.blogspot.com/2010/02/spin-cycle-i-just-cant-get-enough.html
Posted by: Mama Badger | February 19, 2010 at 10:02 AM
Love my steam cleaner, too! Every home owner with carpets and kids or pets needs one!
Posted by: Suzicate | February 19, 2010 at 10:06 AM
Yes, but if I BUY one, I'll have to USE it...
Posted by: Jan | February 19, 2010 at 10:20 AM
I wonder if I can convince Mike to get one of these babies? We've had them cleaned professionally once a year, but I would love to save the expense if this one works. Can you send me a link?
Posted by: Heidi | February 19, 2010 at 10:35 AM
I have always wanted a spot cleaner. We have cats and the puke only on the carpet. They aim for the carpet. I really want a spot cleaner. Anyposts here is my spin:
http://tttandme.blogspot.com/2010/02/spin-cycle-and-i-cant-live-without-it.html
Posted by: VandyJ | February 19, 2010 at 10:37 AM
I love it! A clean house is the best!
My Spin is in! http://thesouthdakotacowgirl.com/?p=2567
Posted by: ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ aka, Jennifer | February 19, 2010 at 10:38 AM
Wonderful on your discovery!! Glad your house smells better for it. We have had one for a few years, I knew they were wonderments from my parents owning rentals - getting white carpet back to white is a miracle in itself.
BTW, Maureens's name does not have a link.
Posted by: Laufa | February 19, 2010 at 10:46 AM
I have been pulling for a Dyson, now I want a steam cleaner. I am such an easy sale. No wonder I have a million boxes of girl scout cookies.
Here is my spin:
http://pickingbattlesandnoses.blogspot.com/2010/02/spin-cycle-oh-happiness-every-other.html
Posted by: Jamie | February 19, 2010 at 11:01 AM
Only $140? I'm sold. I love nothing more than clean carpets with trackmarks.
DId you not get my spin link yesterday? Here it is again:
http://thelocalsloveit.com/2010/02/18/2-18-2010/
Happy Friday!
Posted by: Erin@TheLocals Love It | February 19, 2010 at 11:06 AM
I may have to buy me one of them there steam cleaners. And I don't have dogs. Yet, my kids are so much like dogs....Sigh.
I love the part about Sprite not standing for accusations of "tinkle trickery". So funny!
I'm spun:
http://pancakesgoneawry.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-cant-live-without.html
Thanks!
Posted by: Patty | February 19, 2010 at 11:31 AM
We got rid of our carpet and had beautiful hardwood floors underneath. Thank goodness because a steamvac was definitely needed for our carpet!
Here's my spin!
http://lifeintheslowlane-kendra.blogspot.com/2010/02/case-of-gotta-haveems.html
Posted by: Kendra | February 19, 2010 at 02:04 PM
Oh, I so wish I could get one of those! My kids make more mess than a dog and the previous owners of our house put in practically WHITE carpet!
Posted by: Jenny | February 19, 2010 at 02:18 PM
And I thought the Dyson was good... I need one of those.
Posted by: Libby | February 19, 2010 at 02:37 PM
I'm sending this post to my husband to remind him to get the steam cleaner out! I am so in love with my Dyson...that is the one thing I can't live without. I get flat out giddy at clean carpets!
Posted by: The Stiletto Mom | February 19, 2010 at 03:47 PM
Oh, my neighbors have one of these and they let us borrow it each year to do our carpets. It's incredible. Yours look like new! God, we really love our pets, don't we?
Posted by: Maureen@IslandRoar | February 19, 2010 at 04:19 PM
I have been dreaming of nice clean carpet for a while now. But I may have to just go with a rental because I'm not sure a one bedroom apartment really justifies buying a steam cleaner.
Posted by: Maureen | February 19, 2010 at 04:23 PM
Well, I'm sold! That is AMAZING. I'm sure Hoover appreciates the advertising!
Posted by: Camille | February 19, 2010 at 06:15 PM
Nice carpet. Don't suppose you'd like to make a really long road trip?
Posted by: Captain Dumbass | February 19, 2010 at 10:10 PM
Hooray! We got a carpet cleaner last year for similar reasons. Although Boo-Boo (the dog) was pretty well potty trained, she would still have the occasional accident. Plus, our carpets just get dirty since our development is new and that means lots of people who have dirt for yards still. Those things are magic. Good think Mr. Clean knows how to operate it. ;)
Oh, and I agree with the trellis thing. We don't have one but my in-laws have all kinds of stuff hanging above the bed. My MIL just removed it for the first time since literally moving there like 20 years ago and it was SO GROSS. At least you clean yours!!!
Posted by: Bano | February 20, 2010 at 12:32 AM
Ooooo! I have a Hoover Steam cleaner too, and I LOVE the thing. I love dumping the nasty, dirty water - it's amazing (and horrifying) that all that came from our carpet!
Posted by: Gretchen | February 20, 2010 at 12:32 AM
In the morning, I will have an award waiting for you. I hope you'll stop by to pick it up!
Posted by: Suzicate | February 20, 2010 at 08:48 PM
The biggest reason why we put down tiles, when we did the floors in this house. Pet stains are the worst, seems like the smell is always there no matter how many times you clean it.
I always wanted a steam cleaner, glad you finally got one and love it.
Posted by: Heather | February 21, 2010 at 11:22 AM
I love the lines from the cleaner too!! It makes it seem like a brand new carpet EVERY time!
Your carpets look great!! I hope the smell is fully gone too. I've done my own carpets and lost the stain but the smell was a little present still.
Oh and I recently borrowed a friends shampooer to try it out (it's a little mini-dyson i think), and I added the cleaner and hot water and took care of some spots, but then I didn't want to waste the half of container of soapy water, so I put it in the garage. Then I later added hot water to the soapy water to use it again....maybe a week later....and it left a hideous moldy smell in the spot I used it on.
hmmm....water in a sealed container gets moldy? Yeah, that sounds familiar...
Posted by: kaylen | February 21, 2010 at 10:09 PM