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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Husband broke my vacuum!

59 replies

Mummytowooter · 27/07/2019 11:53

Not really a big problem but for some reason it’s reduced me to tears!

2 years ago I brought myself a Miele blizzard cat and dog. It cost nearly £300 but for me an essential as we have 2 labradors, 2 cats (one long haired) and dd(6). Yesterday, DH broke (as in snapped) the handle off!! It’s irreparable!! It’s a fantastic Hoover and I can do the whole house, 4 bedrooms, mixture of carpet and hard floors in less than an hour!! It gets everything!

So today DH suggests a Henry. He sells them at work and we can have it for £70 (a bargain in comparison to my treasured Miele). I went to pick it up to try it out this morning (as it’s like someone has shaved the dogs this week) as it’s a desperate situation, there’s dog hair everywhere. So anyway, I’ve put henry together and had a go and omg he’s a good vacuum but only if you have NO PETS!! He will not lift the dog hair!! I’ve been trying to vacuum the living room for 25 minutes (I could have done the whole of the downstairs in this time) and I’m still not done. My arm has died and it’s reduced me to tears (goodness knows why 😩).

I guess my AIBU is, as a full time mum, full time at work, AIBU in needing a vacuum that performs well, at a price (my husband thinks it’s excessive to spend this on a vacuum, my new Miele would be £220), that doesn’t mean I’ll need to be vacuuming for 3 hours (as it’s taking me 3-4 times longer to do it!!)????

OP posts:

gamerchick · 27/07/2019 12:19

Well Harry is the pet one. Henry is good but won't be a good replacement for what you've lost.

Surely the answer is to turn the hoovering over to the husband?

Gingernaut · 27/07/2019 12:23

You can buy universal attachments for vacuum cleaners for pet hair.

There's a series of fittings one of which would fit Henry.

TremblingFanjo · 27/07/2019 12:23

Dh broke the household (not mine) Miele vacuum cleaner by hoovering leaves and gravel out of the porch. Well, he admits to the porch but I was out, he could have been hoovering the driveway for all I know.

We replaced it with a Miele as having previously had a Henry I would never ever have one again. It might be the best ever hoover as far as builders are concerned but in a house it's like dragging a tantrumming toddler around, banging off all the walls, randomly throwing itself on the floor, only doing any actual hoovering when it feels like and then demanding to be emptied when there's nothing inside. Just get a new Miele and stick some rolly eyes on it.

StCharlotte · 27/07/2019 12:23

Are we married to the same man?

I wanted a Miele - for the same reason (Labrador). DH bought a Henry - his work also sells them Same problem re dog hair in the living room although it works okay on the hall and dining room carpet. And it's okay upstairs as dog doesn't go upstairs. Bloody thing weighs a ton too.

DH now does all the vacuuming so all's well that ends well

TheSerenDipitY · 27/07/2019 12:27

tell him to shove it up his ass and order the one you want, you are the one who will be using it most of the time and as your time is limited get the one that works well and does the job fast... if he attempts to give his opinion on it give him the look of death and carry on

StCharlotte · 27/07/2019 12:29

but in a house it's like dragging a tantrumming toddler around, banging off all the walls, randomly throwing itself on the floor, only doing any actual hoovering when it feels like and then demanding to be emptied when there's nothing inside

That's hilarious (and so true)!

Villanellesproudmum · 27/07/2019 12:29

TBF it is like dragging a toddler around whilst giving you an insane grin. I do like like mine though.

TheSerenDipitY · 27/07/2019 12:31

@Mummytowooter i know dyson doesnt have sponge filters but if it gets stinky again get a kitchen sponge or some sort of sponge and soak it with liquid carpet cleaner and let dry and place in the barrel, and as it moves about in the barrel it releases the cleaner scent... i wash my shark filters in carpet cleaner and it smells so good when im vacuuming

UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter · 27/07/2019 12:35

Get this for the Henry. It does make a difference www.johnlewis.com/henry-vacuum-cleaner-pet-kit/p4181578?searchTerm=Henry+pet

I know what you mean about the Miele though. We have a Labrador and cream flooring (rented house so not my choice) and the Miele is fab. Don’t get a shark either. I brought a shark cordless. So called top of the range and it’s rubbish even with the turbo carpet tool.

Branster · 27/07/2019 12:39

Dog owner here, completely sympathise with you. But I am also OCD about dog hair to the point I vacuum downstairs daily (hard floors it takes minutes to do it). My DH would do an acceptable job of vacuuming but not to my standards so I wouldn’t dream of allowing him to use the vacuum cleaner. He does plenty of housework and I like hoovering.
I had Miele twice in the past and I’d recommend you get another one. They usually last for years. If it was an accident, is it worth claiming on house insurance?
I have a Dyson now but will not get another one. Not that good on carpets with pets and, for the money, I expected a lot more from it. It has its pluses, just not ideal for me.
I don’t know much about any other brands.

Jojobythesea · 27/07/2019 12:45

I had a Henry and hated it. Dragging it around, then the rubber would catch on something and it would fall onto its side. It picked up hardly anything and did my back in. Rubbish. It's been relegated to the garage and is used for picking up mess from diy/building type jobs.

Fairenuff · 27/07/2019 12:49

I would love, just for once, to see a thread entitled 'Wife broke my vacuum'.

Sadly it will never happen

TurnAroundWhenPossible · 27/07/2019 12:58

I'm territorial over my vacuum cleaner so I get you OP. We have a 'joint' household vacuum, but I bought myself a cordless Vax, which is great; I can wizz around in half the time the other one takes. Op knows not to touch my vax or my DIY stuff (he has form for breaking/losing/spoiling everything he comes into contact with). One morning I wondered where he had got to and found him hiding round the side of the house desperately trying to superglue my Vax back together as he had dropped it down the stone steps at the back of our house and broken it. I could have cried so I know how you feel. I bent down to inspect the damage and my newish phone slipped from my breast pocket, hit the slabs and shattered the screen. We didn't speak much that day.

dottiedodah · 27/07/2019 13:00

Just tell him you dont like this one ,so will be ordering a new miele !.If he doesnt like it he can just "suck it up "(literally )!Does anywhere do int free or buy now pay in 6 months at all?

LadyRannaldini · 27/07/2019 13:01

why is it your hoover? if you are full time at work, don't you share chores etc?

Ah, didn't have to wait too long for the lingusitic pedant to roll up!

RubbingHimSourly · 27/07/2019 13:04

YANBU.

My dp is BANNED from using MY hoover. He gets over enthusiastic and clogs the fucker every time. He also picks up stupid things with it. Like leaves. Leaves from outside.

Yabu to get another Miele tho. Get a shark. They're half the price and really good.

cuppycakey · 27/07/2019 13:14

YABU for saying "my vacuum"

Tragic

RhiWrites · 27/07/2019 13:56

Ah, didn't have to wait too long for the lingusitic pedant to roll up!

That’s not linguistic pedantry, it’s raising a concern that housework is seen as women’s work and that the vacuum is seen as belonging to OP rather than a shared household resource.

user1493494961 · 27/07/2019 13:59

Let him Hoover.

PivotPivotPivottt · 27/07/2019 14:02

I nearly bought a Henry the other day so glad I didn't now! It was actually by googling to see what Mumsnet though of Henry that put me off as everywhere else had brilliant reviews. I ended upwith a Bush cylinder vacuum out of Argos for 40 odd quid and it's great. A pain in the arse to move back and forward by the suction is brilliant.

I've only had my carpet 3 months and hoover daily, when I used the new one I couldn't believe the amount of dirt that gathered in it .

I have 2 cats so was looking for a pet vacuum but this seems to be doing the trick. I haven't got round to replacing the hall and stairs carpet yet and the previous tenant had a white dog so there is hair matted to the carpet and although I haven't manage to get it all up I can see white hairs inside the cylinder so it's definitely doing a better job than my old one.

I'm just about to go and do upstairs now, child free for a few hours and spending the day playing with my new hoover .

whatthehelldowecare · 27/07/2019 14:07

We have a Hetty and I absolutely hate it.

The only enjoyable part of having one is listening to DP go 'fucking move ya pink arsehole' and similar while he's hoovering and she's getting stuck at all the corners

MyNameIsArthur · 27/07/2019 14:08

It is your husbands Hoover as well as yours just as the hoovering is your husband's duty as well as yours.

He is not doing the stairs for you like some kind of favour to you. He is doing what he should be doing and should be doing more

MyNameIsArthur · 27/07/2019 14:10

Plus if he broke the Hoover, he should replace it with the same model

TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 27/07/2019 14:10

Our Henry is great, we have a cat and it deals with the fur no problem, you need the pet hair head/attachment thingy. He does topple over sometimes.....

SweetMarmalade · 27/07/2019 14:15

There’s YouTube videos telling you how to fix a broken handle? Might be worth having a look?

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