Dyson vacuum owners please calm my fears...

It’s really picking up that much hair, dust, and dirt. We’ve used the Dyson Animal for two years and love it.

Sorry – your rugs really were that dirty. :-)

That’s why we have tile.

@Pup & Darwin ugh

@Pup Does the volume eventually decrease w/ daily vacuuming? I hope?

snoopy, the guy that cleans my wool carpet said he wishes everyone had a Dyson as they clean carpets so well without destroying the fibers. Your initial shock will dissipate as your carpets stay cleaner. That cannister full crap is scary though!! Don’t worry, we aren’t judging you by your dirty carpets :P

@bythebay (blushing, embarassed). Sigh.

I am.
judging, that is.

@AC LOL

How ‘bout we test drive a Dyson at your house?

@snoopy: I don’t have a Dyson, but when we got the new vacuum and used it for the first time, there was enough crap to make a whole new carpet. Carpets have the remarkable ability to retain at least ten times their mass in dust…

Snoopy!! Maybe your gerbils escaped from the frizzer where you were hiding them and you really did vacuum them up??

Yep. I was appauled too. Carpets are dirty things. Thank goodness for dyson!

Mine too. I did a test with my old vac and then ran the Dyson right over where I ran the other one. Several gerbals here too. But after a while, it stops.

I wondered if I should get a spinning wheel and knit sweaters for the cats with what mine was sucking up. The interesting thing is, if you go over the same area a second time, you don’t get much. I love my dyson.

@BTB: frizzered gerbils?!?? No.

although I did freeze an aquarium fish in a baggie once after its untimely death to take it to the pet store for a refund….hmmmmm…

@All Whew. Sounds like there is hope for a clean home….and some newly knitted sweaters!

Snoopy, would you come to sweep my carpets? I’d like to know how the Dyson compares to my whole house vac. I swear I sucked up my cat when I empty the cannister!

OK…now don’t laugh. But I actually look forward to vacuuming. How weird is that?! I actually wouldn’t mind doing an in home demo, Daisy!

I would SO buy a Dyson if I had rugs.

As it stands, I have had hardwood floors for 12 years now.

@cprevite I have one large (8’ x 10’) area rug in the LR and a couple of small rugs in the BRs. Other than that…all hardwood and tile.

I am starting to become a believer in the Dyson phenomenon. LOL.

…Snoopy, you too will join the Dyson Fan Club! We brush our pets in the house, crumble our cookies and purposely bring mud in on our shoes. It’s all part of the thrill; you might not be ready for it yet…

@BTB I am actually giddy at the thought of all of the possibilities!

kids in the sandbox? no fear!
muddy dog in the yard? ha!
cuffed bluejeans and leaf raking? who cares!

BRING IT ON! I OWN A DYSON!

You go girl!

Empowerment is a beautiful thing, LOL!

We would make a great commercial.

Dyson…The official vacuum of Flutherites everywhere.

except I use a Kenmore canister…and love it. The other day, it vacuumed up a sock. Without missing a beat. Go Kenmore!

I’m sold.

Would a Dyson be a good Christmas gift?

This is exactly why I have hardwood floors and only hardwood floors. (bathrooms don’t count)

Tile in the bathroom, hardwood everywhere else.

We’ve tried area rugs, but once they get dirty, I toss them.

All I need is my Swiffer Wet Jet (every day) and my Bissel Floor Steamer (once a month).

Does Dyson make a smaller vacuum I could use for crumb and dust pick up?

@shandling YES

@delirium you must either live where it is warm or you have lotsa heavy wool socks :)

@cprevite looks like it….see link

getting one for my dauhgter for Christmas!

Oooh…now I want one.

I like the hand-held. I could use it on my stairs and couches.

@Judi You are such a good mum!

@cprevite bwah-ha-ha! You are trapped now in the dyson lair. Just like me….bwah ha ha….

My Dyson broke five months ago, and I still haven’t gotten it back. Ugh :’(

@stevenb: Oh no. What happened?

(think of all the cookie crumbs I could suck up)

The part that turns the suction from the floor to the attatchments snapped. It is a tiny little piece. I don’t know why it has been so long. They have had it longer than I had it!

@stevenb Just curious. You sent it to Dyson?

First it went to an authorized repair shop for two months, then, because they could not get the parts, it was sent right to Dyson. It’s been over five months now all together. I miss it! The shop gave me another loaner in a different brand, saying it would be just as good if not better than the Dyson. It bites!!!

If only it sucked.

I just got through using mine. It sucked.

^^^ you two are funny!

@stevenb: The problem is that, as everyone knows, nature abhors a vacuum and so does her best to eliminate every one she can find. Your Dyson was just next on the list.

I have a rebuilt Electrolux (because I have no carpet whatsoever) and it sucks wonderfully.

SOLD!

@maybe. You will not be sorry. I am inventing things to vacuum. I just vacuumed my bathroom walls. I am not kidding.

@snoopy I always vacuum my walls. I thought I was strange.

LOL what a relief. There are two of us! :)

@snoopy and chyna – We have popcorn ceilings and cat hair sticks to it, so I vacuum my ceilings.

Everyone here is so Pro-Dyson, but Consimer Reports rates it lower than I expected based on your ravings.

Any thoughts?

@hearkat Well….I would have to read the article to see what they didn’t like…..?

I had a Hoover wind tunnel. This is such a significant improvement, I am extremely pleased.

Another mitigating factor in my purchase was that I purchased it from Costco. We are loyal customers of Costco, in part because they have a liberal return policy. If this vacuum breaks or begins to under perform, even months done the road, they will take it back for a full refund. Even w/out all of the original packaging and no receipt. We have done this only a couple of times w/ products.

Due to this return policy, I feel that Costco actually has a vetting policy in place for the products they place on their shelves.

Not so fast. Kenmore Canister fan here. It is very suckaliciously powerful, comes with muchas attachments, and I even like the color.

I, too, have a Kenmore Canister that I use for the cars, etc., but if I vacuum my floors with the Kenmore and then go over it with my Dyson…it’s amazing what is still left on the floor for the Dyson to pick up. So while the Kenmore is suckaliciously powerful; I have to say the Dyson is even more suckamendous!

You’ve really done that? Why? Vacuuming the house once does me.

Yes, I’ve actually done that. Two reasons; once to justify the expense of the Dyson and reinforce my belief in it’s power, and the other time was for back up. We had some wood work done in the house and I used the cannister to clean up the sawdust and then hit the carpet again with the Dyson for good measure. I know, anal could be my middle name, just grateful it isn’t.

Consumer Reports Upright Vacuum Ratings

Consumer Reports Brand Information

@hearkat Thanks for the links….unfortunately, they are blocked. Access to this info on their site requires a subscription.

The second link is just summary info about each brand….?

What brand does it say is the best? What does it say against Dyson?

Damn… I thought those pages were open – sorry! I’ll cut & paste. BRB!

Consumer Reports Brand Information:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/laundry-and-cleaning/vacuum-cleaners/vacuum-cleaner-guide/brands/vacuum-cleaner-brands.htm?resultPageIndex=3&resultIndex=30&searchTerm=dyson%20vacuum#Dyson

“Dyson:
Dyson is a relatively new brand in the U.S. market. With a very effective advertising campaign featuring its namesake owner and designer, Dyson entered the U.S. with a bang, quickly garnering a competitive share of sales. Ranging in price from $300 to $600, Dyson vacuums single-handedly increased the average price paid for uprights and created a new top-pricing tier in the mass market. Dyson focuses on innovation, technology, and design, and has connected with status-seeking consumers, making it the “It” brand of vacuums. Originally producing only uprights, Dyson has recently introduced a canister and a hand vacuum. The brand is available nationwide through major mass merchants such as Target, Best Buy, and Sears.”

Ooops. sorry hearkat. This is the one we could read (the brand summary). There is nothing negative in that one…?

It is the first link…the one w/ the actual ratings that is not accessible.

Can you see this page? It lists the top 6 models they recommend.

The DC17 – Absolute Animal is the highest rated Dyson (8th on the CR list with a score of 65, as opposed to the highest score of 75). Here’s what they say about the DC17:

Carpet: Very Good
Bare floors: Excellent
Tool airflow: Good
Noise: Good
Emissions: Excellent
Handling: Fair
Pet hair: Very Good

Reviews and recommendations
CR’s Take
Moderately expensive, this upright excelled at cleaning bare floors and keeping its emissions low. It cleaned carpets and picked up pet hair very well, but it is somewhat noisy and lacks a few key features.

Highs
This model excelled at cleaning bare floors and keeping its emissions low. It was very good at cleaning carpets and picking up pet hair.

Lows
The Dyson was fairly noisy in our tests and was somewhat hard to handle. It lacks suction control, manual pile-height adjustment, and a retractable cord. It is not self-propelled.

Features:
Manual-pile adjust: No
Accepts tools: Yes
Suction control: No
Brush on/off: Yes
Retractable cord: No
Easy on/off: No
Full-bag/bin indicator: Yes
High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter: Yes
Folds for storage: No
Self-propelled: No

Thanks hearkat! No, I cannot see that page. It is requiring a subscription/sign in….

I have to tell you. I am smiling as I realize just how miserable my old vacuum was….one of the first things my husband said when I used the new Dyson…“well, it sure is quieter”. It is also much lighter and easier to push than my Hoover Wind Tunnel. (In reference to the CR ratings above…)

So I am really very pleased.

What did they rate the highest?

A kenmore…

I’m at work, and lunch ended a while ago! Sorry I can’t add more. CR has made it difficult to copy & paste, of course.

For most things, I believe you get what you pay for, I don’t want to overspend just for a name. That’s why I was wondering.

@hearkat. All I can tell you is that I had been resistant due to the price….then my vac died. Something had to be purchased. I researched online. There are overwhelmingly positive reviews for Dyson….and Costco had a Dyson for $50 off.

I am happy w/ my purchase.

quit getting online at work! :) (wink)

I work in healthcare, so I can’t feign being productive while Fluthering

I appreciate your input… chances are that I’ll get the DC25 Animal… I’ll report back!

Here is a different take on vacuum cleaners as gifts.

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/videoPage.aspx

That’s so funny daisy! I’m glad I bought the dyson for my daughter. I don’t think daughters can throw mothers in the dog house!! I loved the sponsorship waiting until the end too.

Okay, now that you’ve tackled the hidden gunk in your household fibers, get yourself a strong blacklight and wander around with it in total darkness. You’ll be scared sick! It picks up any organic (and many chemical) residue and your kitchen and bathrooms will look like a fright house (especially if you have children!). I used my blacklight to clean my son’s bathroom in the dark. There were drips of this and that – apparently invisible to the naked eye) all over the place. Urrrgh. It took A LOT of scrubbing and testing before all drips and spots had been eliminated. :-)

@McBean – I am waiting to do that until after my son moves out and the cats and dogs all die. I would just have to do it over every day once I knew how bad it was (and how quickly it could get back that way).

I would just have to clean up after my husband, and he only uses the one bathroom so I would still have two clean ones.

@McBean Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I am but one person. There is only so much Cholorox in the world….

It must be like CSI at your house! :)

When we first used it, my then 7 year-old son ran and put his slippers on! :-) Then there were rivulets of something down the front of my white kitchen cabinets that I’m guessing may have been egg whites from a few sloppily cracked eggs. The thing is, with white cabinets, I’m always spraying and wiping them down. Apparently, some things take more than a quick spray and wipe to get rid of.

@Darwin, boys’ bathrooms are ALWAYS disgusting!!!

Update: I got the DC25 and it has worked great! I love the maneuverability in the narrow row home, and the crap it picked up was amazing! I feel it was a good investment :-)

Congrats, Hearkat! Welcome to the Dyson Fan Club.

@hearkat Isn’t is gross?! Welcome to the other side. LOL.

@bythebay – Thanks!

@Snoopy – Yes! We have 2 cats (one with Maine Coon fur), a snake and a lizard; plus a human that sheds as much as a cat (me), and DIY renovations in progress. Yuck!

@hearkat drywall dust is my nemesis!

Dyson Animal, absolutely the best. We love ours. You will need to give it a thorough cleaning once in a while though. Take it apart and clean the micro disc filter and wash the dust out of all the nooks n crannys, Drywall dust will plug it up, found that out myself.

@pekenoe I hate drywalling! That stuff gets everywhere!!!!

I think most sane people hate drywall.

Off topic but your fears should be put to rest by now regarding the Dyson :)

I now use a damp rag for most of my drywall “sanding” works great.

@ pekenoe, I usually use a damp spong. I tried a rag, but it would bunch up on me.

Seems like the Animal is the best one. We have… some other model which is escaping me (it’s yellow), and it’s not all that and a bag of chips. From what I hear, yours really is a powerful sucker. Congrats!

I love my dyson Animanl . When I sweep, it seems the dirt is never ending. BUT since I got it, we are sick less and I don’t need to clean my carpets as often. 2 dogs insides plus 1 cat, 2 teenage boys and a hubby.

unrelated
someone swore by Dyson hoovers they just hoovered there floor Dyson did its job so i tested something out (and to show Dyson aint the best) i brought round my hoover ,
they were so cocky that Dyson was the best and mine was crap
guess what right after they hoovered with theres and i used mine ,my hoover picked up more dust hair and crap so the Dyson failed now she uses the brand i use and doesnt look back

Um, somebody stole all of the punctuation. My brain hurts now.

Wow…I’m going to have to check that vac out….it sounds like it’d probably explode though the first time I use it with all the dog and cat hair that I know is in my carpet…

I have hardwood floors with tile in the baths and kitchen. I am a big fan of Swiffer!! I am a Rainbow vacuum owner, but it is a pricy bastard! My husband was helping out a friend who was selling them, and unloaded the $1800. for the vacuum and attachments and air filtration system. I HATE a vacuum, hence my reasoning for tearing all the carpet out of the house when I bought it. I also have a Shih Tzu which are said to be non-shedding dogs although no such thing really exists! When I do run the vacuum about once a month, it is truly amazing what gets sucked up. I wouldn’t mind having something a little smaller for those in between jobs. Is the Dyson Animal expensive??

@VS ; less than your rainbow but more than a hoover.

@VS The Dyson also has a switch to turn off the rotating brushes for use on hardwood floors. I have only area rugs w/ hardwood floors and it is nice to be able to use one device to take care of both areas

@Judi @Snoopy – oh, I like the sound of both of those!

@VS I thought I’d like Swiffer too, but my floors are too hard core for the little things to handle! Two dogs inside, lots of running about outside.

First time we used one I went looking for the cat to see if it shaved it’s hair off. Cat still has hair and keeps loaning it to the carpet.

I have a dyson and I love it. But I am sure it doubles up as a candyfloss (cotton candy) maker but for dust instead because no matter how many times I hoover I fills up so quickly!!

Oh I SO want an Animal Dyson now…economy recover soon so I can have the clean rugs like other Dyson owners. We are mostly hardwood floors with area rugs, but 2 dogs (dachshunds, of course) and a hubby who works in the yard constantly, would love to have that Dyson…maybe soon!

Just got the Dyson Animal DC17, and I love it to death. And I heard about the Animal from this thread – so thanks, guys!

i have a dyson. yes your rugs were that dirty