I'm considering buying a very expensive home cleaning tool - but feeling guilty about it

[momee]

I jumped up in quality from a Bissel to a Miele and am still not thrilled.  The power cord is super short and only lets me do 1 room at a time.  I'm not happy with the tools nor the cost of $18 for four bags that get filled fairly quickly especially when we had a dog

 

The only thing I've used that is better is a friend's Rainbow.  It is quite pricey - at $1900 but it really has done well every time I've used it.  She's happy to keep letting me borrow it every few months (I use it to do walls, curtains, deep cleaning of baseboards, etc.) and every time I'm amazed at how much better I can get things done with it.

 

DH however thinks it is absolutely wasteful to spend so much on a tool like that.  He says if I determine it is that important he is ok with it, my choice.  

 

I know will use it every week, three times a week sometimes so to me, it isn't wasteful.  It will last 20 - 25 years I've heard.  We also are moving and will have a whole house of hardwood floors with deep groves between each piece of wood.  Sweeping and hardwood floors can't possibly be a good thing - the dust will just fly, right?

 

Just thought I'd ask for your thoughts to help me think further about it.

[Slache]

The time you'll save by using it is more precious than the money you'll spend on it.

[TammyS]

My first instinct is to say that a tool that will get that much use over that period of time, is worth it (and no more than my friends who spend $100 per year on a cheap vac), as long as emptying the water doesn't bother (we had one when I was young and that whole thing grossed me out big time).  However, since you are moving to hardwood, I would wait and see how your current vac does in the new situation.  You might be happy with it.  If not, then I would buy the Rainbow.

[pehp]

FWIW, for my hardwoods I vacuum them, then mop. Hand-mopping on occasion (on all fours!) to get it *really* clean. I don't know anything about the rainbow or its capabilities though.  And I have never used anything other than my own hands to do the baseboards, so I'm not very well-versed on how that works!

 

My first inclination would be to not buy it and see how things go in the new house using other tools, and then if I still feel I want it, I'd try to buy it at a black friday sale or cyber monday or something (that's how we got my dyson).  I am hopelessly domestic and $1900 seems like a lot even to me.  But everyone is different!!

[Slache]

I forgot to tell you to get a swiffer. It won't clean your floors, but it will make them look clean. We swiffer the entire house (2 minutes max) and wipe all of the counters and tables down. I only clean once a week but my house *looks* like it was just cleaned every day.

[BrookValley.]

I am usually opposed to spending much on things like this, but then DH bought me a Dyson (DC 44 stick/handheld) for my wood and tile floors (whole house) and, well, I just couldn't be mad about the money because that thing is great. I use it several times per day, everywhere. It was worth it.

 

So I'm more in the camp now that, if it's a tool you will use very frequently, it is worth it to buy what you want.

 

ETA: I also have a rainbow, but I use it msybe once every five years. I strongly dislike it. It is older and a hand-me-down from my parents, so maybe the newer ones are better. But I use that little Dyson for ceiling fans, baseboards, blinds, furniture, the car, you name it.

[BrookValley.]

Oh, and yeah, I vacuum then mop, too. I like m steam mop.

[trulycrabby]

Would you consider a cleaning service instead of a cleaning tool? I prefer a service because they do the work for you.

[Shelly in IL]

I hated my rainbow and sold it fairly cheaply on Craigslist. Maybe buying one from there would be a more affordable option? Please know if you let the water sit in the tank you have a disgusting mess overnight!

[Tap]

Watch Craigslist.  I know several people who got sucked in by a sales man and bought one.  Then hated the thing and sold it for half price on CL.  Broaden your normal search area, take your time and watch for a while, it may take a bit to find one, but it will show up.  

[LibraryLover]

_{My Miele was a piece of garbage.}

[PeterPan]

We have hardwoods with some area rugs, and for us the Kenmore top of the line canister has been really good.  If you don't need the water feature of the Rainbow, maybe the Kenmore, at around $350, would be an option?  You could even just buy it and use it for whatever the return period is and return if it's really so unsatisfactory.  

 

There's also a new vacuum mop that is very light.  I think Sears has it.  It's maybe $100, and you could get that AND the top kenmore canister, have the water AND the vacuuming and tools, and still only have spent 1/4 of the cost of the Rainbow.  Ditto the swiffer and dust mop recommends btw.  Swiffer makes a terrific long handled duster you can use on your baseboards.  

[Tap]

_{My Miele was a piece of garbage.}

I shopped for vacuums earlier in the year.  I really thought I wanted a Miele....until I played with one...and priced the bags/filters etc.  I wasn't impressed. 

[Carol in Cal.]

We recently had new hardwood put in upstairs, and our flooring guy told us to use Bona.  So we sweep first and then Bona.

 

He also said not to use wax or silicone polish where it could get on the floor, because it would create a discontinuity spot if you ever had the coating screened off and reapplied, which is the easiest way to refresh your floors.  

[Excelsior! Academy]

Growing up we had a Rainbow. My parents still use it. It really is worth the money. I recently purchased a Bissell Symphony for our tile.

[mamajag]

My DH was offered his aunt's 20 year old Rainbow after she passed away and turned it down. The family sold it for $200 to a family friend who cleans houses and 7 years and many hours of use later it still works perfectly. I can't believe he was dumb enough to turn it down. :(

 

If you can afford it, go for it.

[Spryte]

Would you consider a cleaning service instead of a cleaning tool? I prefer a service because they do the work for you.

:)

 

I'm with crabby on this. I triple puffy heart our cleaning service.