I REALLY needed the expensive one!

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I just bought this great new vacuum cleaner.  I love it and now I love vacuuming even more – not that you would ever know that I enjoy vacuuming if you were to come into my home.  That’s because I have two cats, a small child, a (paid) part time job and we’re also working on this.  I know what you’re thinking and the answer is “Yes.  Yes, I am AMAZING.”  and to answer your second question, “Yes. Yes, my house is in near constant disarray.”

The vacuum was really expensive. 

Jon asked me to pick up some extra shifts to compensate for the hit our bank account would take.

But none of the above is relevant or related to my point  which is that I hated my old vacuum I think it just aerosolized more dirt than it actually sucked up and emptying the canister was really just my way of exposing myself to a super high concentration of illness inducing polluntants that I tried really hard not to think about. 

But recently I just could not seem to stop think about it.  Maybe because it’s finally starting to warm up around Seattle and the cats are starting to shed – I don’t know – I just know that the old vacuum was really starting to gross me out and HAD TO GO.

I knew that wouldn’t be a good enough reason for Jon so I was digging around the American Lung Association website for some tidbits of useful information to defend support my arugement  cause.  Before I had Sofia I studied to become a Master Home Environmentalist but then got pregnant with 24 hour morning sickness, had Sofia, and basically never looked back and finished the program.  What I did learn was how scary indoor air pollution is, more so than outdoor air pollution as we spend so much more of our time indoors.  Here’s a great quote I copied from the American Lung Association (Washington) site:

American adults spend about 90% of their time indoors, and thanks to our more tightly insulated/sealed homes and workplaces, the concentration of pollutants indoors may be even higher than outdoors.

Now this website is SUPER busy.  I feel like it’s information overload but has great information if you’re willing to take the time to look for it.  They did break things down into a few easy steps because:  ya gotta start somewhere:

Here are five easy steps you can take to reduce pollution at home:
Vacuum and clean regularly. Wipe your feet on a doormat. Better yet, take your shoes off when you enter your home. Avoid smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces, and cigarettes. Use less toxic products for managing pest problems in your home and garden. Use fans or open windows to reduce moisture in bathrooms and kitchens and reduce build-up of indoor pollutants.

I would even go a step further (no pun intented) and say if you could do just one thing it would be to not wear your shoes in the house.  Especially if you have kids.

For now I’ll focus on the indoor pollutants that effect me and my new vacuum:  dust mites.

Deep dust affects everyone in the home

and usually contains dust mites, mold,

other asthma triggers, lead, cadmium,

pesticides, soot, bacteria, and cancercausing

agents (carcinogens).

Normal vacuuming of carpets removes

surface dirt but does not get out deepdown

dust that builds up in carpets. A

crawling infant may breathe in or

swallow this dust when it comes to the

surface of the carpet.

Here ya go Jon – this is why I needed to spend all that money on the vacuum.  Now, Sofia isn’t crawling anymore which means it’s too late for her – she’s already been exposed and we might as well order up her ventilator now. 

 I’ve added the link to American Lung Association website in the sidebar and just for kicks check this one out because the other take away is that you/I can only do so much.