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I may not be “messy,” exactly, but no one would describe me as “neat,” either. One of my biggest issues is that I tend to wait for a mess to get big enough to justify dragging out a full-size vacuum before I deal with it, because a full-size vacuum means finding the cord or the charger, wrestling it out of the closet, going room to room, and then putting it all away again. When the mess in question is still only a few cracker crumbs? Forget it—I'm just too lazy.
The solution to my laziness has been removing all the friction and hassle of my full-size vacuum, and instead keeping a handheld vacuum always within reach.
Though there are many handheld vacuums out there, I use the Sharper Image Dual Air Slim, which I got from Target. It's great for quickly sucking up crumbs and everyday messes, and that's exactly the job I need it to handle. The "dual air" part is what makes it more interesting than your average handheld: It's both a vacuum and a blower, so it can pull debris in or push it out, depending on what you're dealing with. I didn’t expect to need the blower at all, but I’m surprised how handy it is for blasting crumbs out of keyboard keys or loosening up stubborn debris before I suck it up.
The result is that my apartment is simply cleaner. Not because I'm spending more time cleaning overall, but because I'm no longer letting small messes pile up into big ones. When my monthly (or quarterly) deep clean does roll around, it's far less painful, because there's so much less to deal with. Perhaps this is the real upgrade: cleaning up messes the moment they happen instead of saving them up.
I love the Sharper Image Dual Air Slim, but there are plenty of similar cordless handheld vacuum and air duster combos out there, and they tend to land in a pretty similar price range. If another one catches your eye, or goes on sale, or has a design you prefer, go for it.
When comparing models, here are my handheld vacuum musts:
It should offer both vacuum and blower modes.
It should be both cordless and rechargeable. If it needs an outlet, you'll have another barrier to using it, and that defeats the purpose.
It should be lightweight and slim. You want something you can grab and use one-handed without thinking about it.
The dust cup should be easy to empty. If emptying it is a hassle, you'll use it less.
You should be able to keep it in plain sight. The closer it lives to where messes happen (the kitchen, the entryway), the more you'll use it.
I used to think a clean apartment meant big, scheduled cleaning sessions. Now I think it's mostly about making the small stuff effortless. A handheld vacuum and blower won't replace your regular vacuum, but it will make you far less likely to need it as often. If you've been waiting for the next big mess, or the next big clean, to get things tidy, consider changing the system instead.
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