TheCleaners.net

Only in America would we plop down in the easy chair to watch a reality show about people being goaded into cleaning their home -- but if you've watched "Clean Sweep" on The Learning Channel, you know what I'm talking about.  Packrats with a capital "P" are being beat up by persistent organizers and finding the joys of living in an environment where you can actually find something.

YOUR Spring Cleaning would be more fun if it wasn't such work, too, wouldn't it?  Of course!  So, this week, we've rounded up a list of some of the fun, labor-saving devices on the market to make your cleaning more like the game you'd like it to be.  Some are so outlandish you'll shake your head (and then I'll bet you'll click on the link and go see what it costs because you'd really like one!)

Have fun exploring the world of home gizmos, and let us help take the strain off you by bringing us your home textiles.  It doesn't get any easier than that!

See you soon,
Jim Nixon,
The Cleaners

Quote of the Week

"I'm not going to vacuum until
Sears makes one you can ride on!"

Spring Fling Coupon!

Since winter has lasted so long, you probably don't even want to look at your winter coat any more. This is the time to let us prepare it for hibernation with $5 off each coat you have cleaned.
By our definition, a coat is a garment that is longer than waist length (the others are jackets). Include a copy of the first page of this e-mail with your order. 
Offer expires March 31, 2004 and cannot be combined with other offers.

Toys for Cleaning? 
Now you're talking!

What is it we hate so much about cleaning up the house?  Well, let's count them: it involves lots of labor, there are smelly chemicals involved, it doesn't last more than a day or two if you have more than one person in the house, and it's the most guilt-inducing thing around.  What's to like???

How about if there were toys for cleaning, just like there are for leisure activities? You could actually change your attitude with a few of the great gizmos out on the market now.  Here are a few:

Robot Vacuum Cleaner

It's called the Roomba, and you turn it on, leave the house, and when you get back it's vacuumed and turned itself off.  How neat!  The little tiger is about the size of a bathroom scale, and it's round (so it won't hang up on corners of furniture, etc.)  It includes 3-stage cleaning, has an intelligent navigation system, and automatically avoids stairs.  It even cleans under the bed or furniture tall enough for it to get under!  The better versions also have a remote control, a MAX cleaning cycle, and a spot-clean cycle.   Prices run $200-250.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

Self-Cleaning Kitty Box

Fluffy is good at keeping herself clean, but she's short on skills when it comes to keeping the infamous poopie-box in good shape.  So get her the LitterMaid LM500 Self-Cleaning Litter Box!  It waits until kitty has been gone for 10 minutes before going into action (you wouldn't want to scare Fluffy out of every going in there again.)  It rakes the litter and puts the waste into a sealable container.  If it misjudges and Fluffy has come back, it stops at the slightest touch.  You can even have it run on "D" batteries for discrete placement in the house.  Prices start at about $100, so shop around.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

Furniture Sliders

Doing a "deep cleaning" can be back breaking if you have to move the furniture first.  But not with Furniture Sliders.  These little gizmos fit under the feet of your furniture and are made of highly polished polymer.  As a result, they "slide across carpet like skis on snow."  No more unloading the bookcase!  You can find them in assorted sizes priced by the set from about $10.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

Rechargable Insect Bug Vacuum

"Eeew!  A bug!"  The cry goes up, and the chase is on.  But even if you're lucky enough to have the vacuum cleaner handy and you suck up that nasty visitor, what happens when he gets bored in the bag and... um... finds a way back out???  Yikes!  Enter the Rechargable Insect Bug Vacuum.  It's cordless, and has a high-powered suction to pull in the bug, then it knocks him off on a low-voltage grid.  No more bug, and no toxic pesticides or chasing it all over with a fly swatter (and then having to scoop it up again.)  Recharges on a base, easy to empty.  Priced from about $50.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

The secret to taming the clutter is getting it organized or out of sight -- or both.  Here are some fun gizmos for those purposes.

Space Bag

You've seen the infomercials on this one.  You put a huge volume of stuff into the plastic bag, hook up your vacuum cleaner to it, and suck out the air.  Suddenly, it's about as thick as a pizza, and you toss it in the closet.  Great for traveling, too, with a version you can fill and then ROLL, so the air is driven out, then seal it.  Carry-on, here you come!  Prices start under $20 for multiple bags.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

Think Outside the Box

There are new storage options that come out all the time.  If you don't like how your magazines look, or are tired of the clutter in various corners of your rooms, take a trip to a home decor store and see what's available in attractive racks, baskets, decorated boxes and other possibilities.  It doesn't have to look like your mother's magazine rack to be effective -- or stylish.

Food Storage

Look at the picture above on the right.  That's not someone's closet -- it's a freezer!  What wouldn't most of us give to have a fridge that looks like that, instead of haphazardly filled with myriad containers, may holding mystery foods that have seen better days.  Cambro Camwear containers are clear, designed to fit into standard refrigerator spaces, and can go from -40 to +210 degrees Fahrenheit (freezer to microwave to most of us.) Intrigued? Learn more here.

Haven't gotten your fill of gizmos yet?  OK, here are some that only a true gizmo-aficionado would probably need (but most of us would like, anyway.)

Mail Alert

Can't tell if the mail carrier has come yet and don't want to keep going down to the box to check?  Install Mail Alert, and it will tell YOU when the box is opened.  You install the motion sensor inside the box, and the receiver in the house (up to 300 feet away.)  Even if you don't hear it beep, the LED remains lit until you reset it.  Great for use on other things, too, like to detect someone opening your car door at night or opening a door to the house.  Priced at 59.99. Intrigued? Learn more here.

Find Your Keys

You're hopeless about finding those dratted keys?  Just add a Finderz Keyperz gizmo to the ring, and when you can't find them, put up the antenna on the other unit, press the button, and they'll let you know where they are loud and clear.  If you're good at finding your keys but routinely misplace other things, you can attach it to something other than keys -- and add up to 50 units per system.  (But if you're that forgetful, maybe you'd best just forget about it.)  Prices start at $50.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

Laser Garage Parking System

You knew all that laser technology would come home sometime, and here it is.  No more hanging a low-tech tennis ball on a string to tell you where to park.  Now you can do it with laser point accuracy.  The gizmo emits a laser beam from ceiling to floor to guide you once the garage door is fully open.  Pull up under the beam to your pre-determined place of alignment.  So much classier than the old ball and string.  Priced about $50.  Intrigued? Learn more here.

Take a Break!

After all that shopping and installing gizmos all over the house, you're worn out.  Round up the household items (drapes, table linens, pillows, down and other comforters) and let us handle them.  Then sit back and relax -- and let the robot do the rug.

Please support our Relay For Life Teams with a donation. Your spare change, cash or a check  will be appreciated. All proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society. We will have four (possibly 5) teams this year in the Greeley event. Click her ($$$$$) to make an online donation