Yesterday afternoon I was on my way to Aldi's but about two blocks before I hit my destination, I came across a stray Pit Bull running around in traffic. Concerned that her frolicking between cars was not smart, I did was most of us "dog people" do: I parked the car, put on my blinkers and got out. She made eye contact, I opened the hatch and asked her if she wanted to go for a ride. Girlfriend jumped right in my car.
I'll spare you the rest of the details, long story short, while I was in the shelter talking to the folks she had an accident. And then happy danced in it. And then jumped all over all of my car seats. It was like finger painting...but awful.
My first thought: Go get the SpotBot from the office. I'd just been reviewing it last month, so it was still handy. I took it home, loaded it with the oxyclean and water, and set to work with the hose feature. 2 hours of spraying and scrubbing and vacuuming later--but the SpotBot spared me a $150 car seat shampoo and helped me suck the water back up to get the seats dry so that it was ready to drive the next day. It only took two refills on the water reservoir to clean the entire fronts of all four seats.
It's one thing for me to test the SpotBot on a single accident on industrial carpeting. It's another to put this machine to the test on car upholstery, complete with grooves, crevices and embroidery. Rarely will I re-review a product, but this was one of those times when I realized just how much a lifesaver this little 'bot can be.
P.S. The shelter was only a short distance from where she was found and does not discriminate against Pit Bulls. This dog will be in good hands until her owner claims her or until she's adopted to a new family.
I've been a long time Swiffer user, for my vinyl and hardwood floors (no carpet in my furry house), but I've always noticed that it left a lot of streaks and a sort of filmy appearance on my white kitchen tiles. So, when Buckley the Beagle's mom, Kate, mentioned that she was pleased with her SHARK STEAM MOP I was intrigued.
Kate said that the mop got dirt that she didn't even see, and then she just washed the replaceable mop heads. No disposable pads or special cleaner bottle needed, so it's definitely more eco-friendly than my swiffer. It's only $69 at Amazon, though I noticed there are a lot of people concerned about the quality and usability of the device. Most people say the handle is flimsy. One reviewer did a very detailed comparison of several steam mops, and finally endorsed the Eureka Envirosteamer.
The Eureka is actually cheaper ($64.99), heats water to a higher temperature, has a longer cord and larger water storage tank. And as some reviewers noted, the tank is just above the pad, not up on the handle, so it's helping to push down on the cleaning pad, not causing resistance to your pushing motion.
So, why would I buy the Shark, when the Envirosteamer seems so much better? What mop should I buy to clean up those muddy paw prints that are coming with the Spring showers? Do you have a steam mop and would you recommend it to other pet parents?
**UPDATE Jan 2012**
I just realized I've been loving my Envirosteamer all this time, and never updated this post. We got the steam mop in Spring 2011 to combat the muddy paw prints, and it's made cleaning my kitchen easily one of my favorite household chores. The steam mop cleans without any residue or sticky fluid buildup of a cleanser. The floor looks remarkably clean--almost new, once I'm finished.
My only advice: don't wash the pads in very hot water, or they'll shrink to the point of almost not fitting in their grips. I may need to buy replacements, but it's probably time to do that anyway.
While I was chatting with our new friends at Bissell, it came up that I've been using a shop-vac to suck up the Lyger hair that collects on my hardwood floors. (Forget about rugs!) They took pitty on me and sent me a Lift-Off MultiCyclonic Pet Vacuum. Talk about a game changer!
The 15" cleaning path and seven surface height settings make cleaning my floors FUN! Yes, Vacuuming is FUN! That's a strong testament coming from someone that's spent 11 years constantly chasing of tumble-Lygers. (Notice in the pic on the left that Lyger is eyeing his nemesis. He hates vacuums!)
The photo right shows the unit in the process of being assembled, which took all of five minutes, but actually helped me to understand more about the unit's features and attachments:
The canister is detachable, which is EXCELLENT for carrying up the stairs and getting in those little corners. The canister is small enough to rest on your stair, so you don't have to hoist it up the entire time.
There are multiple brushes, including the Pet Hair Eraser and a combo-tool brush, both of which can be used with the telescoping want. (Telescoping wand may be my favorite feature!)
It's got a HEPA filter to catch danders. Whew!
It's bagless, which means no buying specifically sized refill bags.
Let's focus on the "pet" specific part of this product, the Pet Eraser. This attachment is part of the extension and has a spinning rubber brush to pick up extra tufts left about. While it didn't do very well on the velour upholstered chair (which might as well be embroidered with dog hair) but it did a great job on my sofa upholstery. It sucked the hairs up even though it's a ribbed fabric that is hard to clean.
More importantly, it did a good job on my floors. The height adjustment made it easy to get under sofas, entertainment centers, etc. It glides nicely, and even after being used to a heavy duty suction, this had the suction needed to get the job done.
After my good response to the SpotBot, this vacuum hasn't let me down. Lyger's going to have to deal with it--the MultiCyclonic Pet Vac is here to stay! $179.99 at Amazon.
There are the occasional days where Lyger is home alone for a long night with the dog door, which he doesn't mind at all. Frankly, I'm sure he'd prefer it to being crated and toted places when we have quick over-night trips. Rather than bring a neighbor in just to feed and medicate him while we're away for 20 hours, we wanted to try a pet feeder.
We put it to the test for the two days before the Thanksgiving holiday when we'd be away for about 30 hours, just to give it a dry run. It's a bit tedious to program, as you must program each feeding for the next 7 feedings, rather than just telling it to feed at 7am and 5pm every day. Additionally, I don't quite grasp why the device allows you to program 7 feedings but has only 4 rotations. (The first feeding is available as soon as you set it down, so I don't count that as 5 feedings while you're away from home.)
But, once it's programmed...what do I have to say about it. I set it up for AM and PM feedings, it fit his 1 cup easily and I just popped his arthritis pill in a pill pocket so he'd scarf it up. It worked, just as expected, on a few big batteries.
I like the convenience and comfort that I don't have to bother neighbors to come learn his food and medication needs just for a one or two off feeding. The feeding tray is dishwasher safe and compact.
But, this particular device has a lot of drawbacks in the programming department. I'm still not sure if the device will restart its cycle at the end of it's 7 pre-programmed cycles, and it doesn't mention it in the instructions. My biggest complaint is that you have to program each individual feeding instead of just telling it what times the dog eats and having it figure out the math on its own.
But, the item was on sale at PetSmart for $39.99 (normally retailing for about $47.99), and that allowed me to go spend the holiday with my in-laws a few hours away and relax, without needing to bring someone else in over the holiday. Of course I came home and spoiled my boy, but it's given us a new freedom to come and go without inconveniencing our guy. I think this would be ideal for these sorts of situations, or perhaps other pets that need scheduled feedings or medications daily. If it helps people help their pets, that's not something I can complain about.
It's finally here--the much anticipated Bissell Spot Bot giveaway!
Accidents are to be expected, especially when it comes to a pet friendly office. Embrace's hub is no exception. Our blue carpet has seen better days. So, we were thrilled when the Bissell SpotBot came to our rescue.
Here's the how-to: It's an all-in-one unit, so you just fill the clean water reservoir with a little water and a bit of the Pet Stain and Odor cleaning formula that is included. Set the brush head over your stain and press the magic button:
The unit runs for a few minutes (with an acceptable amount of noise) to clean the area, then a *beep* signals that you've got a clean spot. As you can see in our photo, the brush area wasn't able to cover the entire stain, but never fear--there is a manual brush attachment option that you can use to get the excess cleaned up. Look how nice the clean center area is compared to the stained area, or even the not-so-stained area around it. The area that was cleaned is clearly cleaner than any spot around it.
I was able to get about three cycles of automatic cleaning out of one batch of mixture. I'm guessing we'll probably use the entire 16oz bottle of cleaner in about four or five refills. Fortunately, you can get a 32oz bottle for $16.29 at Amazon. The dirty water is stored in a easy-to-empty resevoir, so you never have to get your hands dirty.
The SpotBot is so fun that I actually came in EARLY one day just to clean up carpets. It got up several unidentifiable stains, including one that looked to be grease or oil based. My co-workers came in and said, "Oh, the floors got cleaned?" Yes, the SpotBot was on it!Whether your cat had an upset tummy or the housebreaking went awry, this tool is going to save you a ton of work!
Thanks to Bissell, you too can get a SpotBot to clean your blemished carpets. They're sponsoring our Clean up Your Pet's Act Contest!
To enter: Go Like Bissell on Facebook and tell them that Embrace sent you. Hit up our Facebook wall with a photo of your cat or dog being a little naughty--did they get into the trash can or unroll the toilet tissue? Show us! OR Comment here with your pet's best bad behavior--share the story that's *almost* too shameful to tell.
Better yet, comment and post a photo to double your chances! We'll select the naughty pet prize on December 28 and Bissell will send you a SpotBot!
The SpotBot and other rockin' Bissell products are available at Bissell.com. I think you'll be wow'd by how many products they offer--so there's something for every clean-up need.
Comments or photos submitted before 12/27/11 will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Embrace Pet Insurance for prize fulfillment via sponsor. Embrace staff and families not eligible to win. Must not have won within last 90 days
We're looking at some pretty harsh winter claim stories at the Embrace Pet Insurance blog. We get a number of small claims for paw pad irritation from rock salt, as well as some bigger claims for pets falling or getting cut on ice. (I can only imagine the human medical bills for people slipping on the ice while walking the dog.)
To help keep our Embraced pets (and people) safe this winter, Dog.com is giving away an 8 Lbs. jug of Safe Paw ice melter. Safe Paw is safe for kids and pets, not harmful to skin or eyes because it contains no corrosive salt. It's 2-way non-corrosive time-release action won't harm your lawn, concrete or deck either, and it's been awarded the PTPA Green Product Seal. It was even the official ice melter of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Who knew?
To win a jug of Safe Paw:
Visit our Facebook page and upload a picture of your pet enjoying the cooler temperatures
Photos submitted during the month of November will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Embrace Pet Insurance for prize fulfillment via sponsor. Embrace staff and families not eligible to win. Must not have won within last 90 days
Dog ramps or stairs are really key to keeping your pet's spine and joints healthy when they're hopping up and down off the sofa or bed. What we don't realize is that their tiny bodies do a lot of twisting and torquing, and then there's the impact. Some little dogs can't even make it up on the bed. Isn't that sad?
So there are dog ramps. But frankly, they usually look like dog ramps or stairs--very utilitarian. Which is why I LOVE the Puppy Stairs we just received for Gracie to test out. Gracie, the cutest mini-Dachsund ever, (loved by Embracer Jessica) races right up her stairs and goes to her snuggle spot--no risk of falling or injury:
Notice that the interior decor doesn't have to suffer. The ramp's lovely oyster suede cover blends right in with the sofa's upholstery. They've got ramps and cubes to make any configuration you can imagine in four designer colors--so you're not stuck with a one size fits one dog and still doesn't match.
The style doesn't suffer when the dog gets bigger--they've got excellent ramps for larger dogs too. We had Embracer Sara's foster dog, Patsy, a big o' Basset mix try the large dog ramps and she was up on the bed before you could say "hop up"!
I'm so pleased with the Puppy Stairs. I wasn't sure that the fabric cover was going to look nice as it does, but it's quite smooth and sure to blend in well in almost any room. It's traction, safety and design in one. Gracie approves!
UPDATE: Now, save 10% on Puppy Stairs. Details here.
Lyger, (aka Mr. Fluffy Pants) has a naughty habit of getting up on this chair in our sunroom when we leave. Since it's easier to clean the chair off before sitting in it than it is to train the old dog not to do that, we picked up a spiffy new handvac at Target. The Pet Perfect from Sharkwon out, basically because it has the only handvac with a pet hair brush attachment. Oh, and it's a pretty green color.
So, without further adieu, our review:
Firstly, the battery needs a good long charge, so no instant gratification here. But, once it's charged, it's got good suction, paired up with a nice rotating brush head to whisk up the pet hair. We've been using it for about 2 months (during peak shedding season) and it's worked remarkably well on the furniture and car upholstery. To give you an idea of what our pet fur workload is: we use a full sized shop vac to clean our floors. So we're pretty rough on vacums.
Here's a side by side of where I've vacumed (left) and what's been left to do (right, shaggy white side).
The charge is not great, (if you watch the video, you can hear it was dying after a few days of being off the charger) but it works remarkably well when it's fully charged. I have absolutely no complaints about it's ability to pull up hair and dust (including spilled coffee grounds, dust, dirt, etc.) and it seems reasonable that a super light weight handvac has a smallish battery. I'd rather have the keep the unit charged than lug a 20 Lb. appliance around.
Video, so you can see I didn't have to scrub the upholstery with the nozzle. It comes off just as easily as you'd want.
OffBeat Homerecently featured the Etsy shop of artist, Christopher Rozzi, and his sweet and humorous pet prints. The paintings are remarkably bright and attractive, and the blurbs are just too funny. In honor of the visiting office Pug, Armani, we'd like to feature:
The prints are just $12--I can't think of a better small gift for the pet lover in your life. Check out more prints at Tiny Confessions.
I was intrigued.
