Cleaning the house with a leaf blower

I live in a small apartment with no HVAC, wood floors, my partner, and a cat. I'm allergic to the cat and the dust that collects in the corners and seeps into the furniture. We live next to a highway which probably causes a continuous rain of carcinogenic micro particles over everything. After years of allergies I bought one of these:

It's great. Apart from seeing the amount of cat hair, dust, and filth it collects, my allergies have gotten much better. I make it a point to turn it on before sweeping and on cold winter days when the sun is low on the horizon and the sunbeams reach far into my living room it's gratifying to see the motes of dust marching towards the filter.

A year ago I noticed you could buy a corded electric leaf blower on amazon for $30. Setting aside the problem of shopping at amazon (which I do very reluctantly), I didn't need another device taking room in my limited space. I didn't buy it but it remained in my list and the next time I checked amazon I was notified that the price had gone up so I forgot about it. Then, more recently I had to make another amazon purchase and I saw the price had come down again. Reader, I bought it.

It was larger than I expected, noisier, it blows too hard to point at my books or counters, and it didn't come with a cord but it is satisfying. Pointed at the floor or the couch it raises the dust like a cloud of smoke in the winter sun. When I open the window and direct it outside it's like an explosion billowing out over my deck and into the trees beyond.

For all the dust is pushes outside, it redistributes the rest onto every other surface but I still think it's worth it. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the dust billowing out the door. I don't even care what the neighbors think.

posted by na on December 4, 2022 15:57