Really Cool Stuff

I know some people don't think that cleaning products make good holiday gifts. Perhaps because they might imply the giftee keeps a dirty house. But there are couple central vacuum accessories that I wouldn't hesitate giving to a friend.

One is the pet grooming kit.

Normally when you turn on a typical vacuum, the friendly family dog either runs as fast as he can to the farthest point in the house, or frantically circles the vacuum barking loudly, ready to reclaim his turf.

The pet grooming kit eliminates the problem. It has an oversize brush and comb that slip onto the end of the central vacuum hose. Because the central vac is so quiet, the dog doesn't go into a frenzy. In fact, he just sits there and enjoys the pampering. Best yet, all the hair goes right into the central vac and out of the living area.

The other item is the DustDriver.
This product has a 21-inch brush that glides across a concrete floor, allowing you to sweep up the garage floor without kicking up a cloud of dust. It's perfect for the winter season when the sand your tires pick up during winter driving fall onto your garage floor.

Check these items out for yourself at your local central vacuum dealer, or you can find them on line at https://www.buybeamonline.com/products/view/cat/8.

Pre-empting the Scream

What walks out of our walk-out ranch is no problem. It's what walks in that causes all the anxiety.

I decided to do my admittedly irregular inspection of the basement storage area of the house. Check the furnace filter, check for any signs of water leaks and survey the general tidyness of the place.

Then I found it. Some tiny chunks of fiberglass insulation on the floor and some tiny holes in the plastic sheeting covering the insulation. Upon closer inspection I saw droppings in a couple of corners of the concrete floor. I also knew that if my wife had been there, we'd probably be moving this week.

So I flew up the stairs, grabbed the central vacuum hose and cleaned the room like it had never been cleaned before. Yet for all my work, I didn't solve the problem. I just destroyed the evidence.

There are a number of commercial products that can help control rodents, but choosing the right one isn't easy.

I've often wondered when poison is placed in the house, what happens to the mouse that eats it. Does it head back outside, or does it crawl inside a hollow wall or attic? And is poison really appropriate?

Then there are traps that may occasionally snare a mouse, but they don't do a thing to keep them from getting into the house.

And, for me at least, a cat is not the answer. I don't care what cat fanciers say, I've never been in a home occupied by a cat that didn't smell awful.

So any ideas you have are most welcome.