In a day's work: My new vacuum cleaner

I must say that my new Hoover vacuum cleaner is much more friendly towards me, so to speak.  I decided to trade in my other one for this one and bought it a few months ago.

I can push it more easily along my carpet, without too much difficulty.  It is sleek and easy for me to handle and I do not have as much trouble guiding it along.

It is a bit noisy so that if the phone rings while I am vacuuming, then I cannot hear the phone's rings.  No problem: I simply take the phone off the hook when vacuuming.

I just need to make sure that I do not bump into my furniture while vacuuming but this is the case for anyone, with or without sight.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.
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Me and my vacuum cleaner

I have to admit that I have never really had a very good relationship with my dear old vacuum cleaner.  At times it has been very rough on both of us but alas!  My vacuum cleaner helps to keep my condo carpets clean so I have to put up with its bad behaviour from time to time.

I own an upright vacuum which I find works best for me.  I do not have to concern myself with dragging an extra component behind me and accordingly I do not have to worry about bumping it into furniture and making dents and scratches.

My present vacuum is bag-less which is another advantage to me and I only need to be careful when emptying the contents of the cup so as not to have it scatter everywhere.  So far so good but you may now be asking what do I not like about my dear old vacuum?

Well, truth be told, it is the way it is built!  The components are very delicate.  That is, the handle and body of the vacuum itself.  It is hard to tell when I have actually switched it over from carpet to hard floor and the poor old thing has no way of telling me when something gets caught in it.

Call me fussy and so on but that's just me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

When the bag spilled

Oh boy! What a problem this was for me the morning it happened. This time it was the bag to my vacuum cleaner but I can tell you that I have learned a great lesson.

It was my normal Saturday morning cleaning day and time for me to vacuum. I had taken out my vacuum cleaner and had just finished vacuuming. Then I had decided to empty the bag.

I started to do this as usual. I had removed the bag but somehow my hand slipped from the bag and lo and behold! The contents spilled helplessly onto my kitchen floor and there I was, left to clean it up all!

After swearing to myself for a few seconds, I stood up and went to fetch the hand broom and dust pan. Then with great care I returned to the spot where the spilled contents were and gingerly sat down on the floor. Then I found the spilled contents.

I placed the dust pan as close as I could to the pile of dust, then with brush in hand I gently pushed the dust into the dust pan. It took me a few minutes to ensure that I had gotten it all.

The good thing is that when the bag spilled, I was holding it in my hand as I sat on the floor. Because if it had fallen from my hand while I was standing, then who know what a bigger mess that would have been and even more difficult for me to clean up.

Lesson learned. Hold on to my bag more firmly the next time around.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

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This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"Each time we raise our voice at someone else we are engaging in bullying! Each time we raise our hands to slap or punch someone else we are also engaging in bullying and each time we engage in actions to either manipulate or force someone else to do what we want we are also engaging in bullying!

There is no room in this world for bullying and each day we fail to take action against bullying it is another day that we allow others to bully us and our kids. Our heroes and role models are the ones who have made us proud; those brave young men and women who gave their lives for us in past wars and those who continue to do so. They are not the ones who choose to be racists and those who believe that their bad behaviour in public is acceptable.

I write and record audio mysteries that are being used at such events as murder mystery evenings as well as at public awareness and team building events. I promote understanding, tolerance, and problem solving and my audio mysteries continue to be broadcasted around the world and you can listen to them anywhere! On the plane or train! In the car or right there in your home! On your i device or computer!

Please join my campaign against bullying (CAB) by supporting my efforts to keep on writing and recording!
If you truly care then you will certainly dare!"

The problem with vacuum cleaners

Yes I know only too well!  Vacuum cleaners are a very important part of our lives when it comes to cleaning but for me there are a few problems to deal with.  I won't spend too much time on this topic except to give you my short list of problems.

 

First, I can't tell when the bag is full.  That is, if the bag is actually in the shape of a plastic cup.  In most cases, a sighted person can see the level of fullness through the transparent panel but for me; I need to open it up and use my fingers to decipher the level.

Second, it is difficult for me to tell how good a job the vacuum cleaner has done on my carpet.  I can't really tell if it has picked up the majority of dust and fluff.

Third, I have to ensure that my electrical chords and plants are out of the way of my vacuum cleaners or else they will be eaten up by the latter. 

It would be the same for a sighted person but I need to be more careful with this. 

Finally, I have to ensure that I do not dent my furniture with my vacuum cleaner; the same for the sighted person but I need to be much more careful.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day.  To learn how blind persons use vacuum cleaners, visit www.acb.org, www.nfb.org, or www.afb.org.  

How Clean is My Carpet?

How clean is my carpet?

This is one of the most difficult tasks for me. There is really no hard way for me to tell; except if something spills onto my carpet and leaves either a wet or sticky spot. Otherwise, I am in trouble. So, I have to be extremely careful when I am on my carpet.

When I vacuum, I do it methodically; going slowly back and forth with my vacuum cleaner and making sure that I cover as much of the carpet as possible. I am very slow with this task. I can hear when the vacuum picks up any particle because it makes a noise like something being picked up; like tiny pebbles being picked up. I am mindful not to run into my furniture and it takes up a lot of hard concentration on my part to be aware of my surroundings.

Having had vision before makes it a bit easier for me to visualize my rooms and what is located where. I am careful not to go too close to my plants and to wires and chords. All in a day's work; not my favorite task.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with others. If you would like to learn more about how blind persons go about cleaning their homes then visit http://www.independentlivingaids.com.