Bissell Bolt Stick Vacuum

Suck Up More Stuff With Less Effort

• What: Bissell Bolt Lithium Cordless Stick Vacuum
• When: Pregnancy until they move out
• Why: Lightweight, multi-use, easy to use
• Where: Amazon

Have you discovered how much mess kids can make without exerting any effort? Even the simplest things, like mealtimes, come fraught with impending disaster once you add offpsring. If you’ve grown tired of cleaning up after your kids (and your dog refuses to eat anything but meat or cheese), check out this handy dual type vacuum cleaner from Bissell.

Because the vacuum charges on a stand, you don’t need to plug it in to use it. That means not only do you not have to locate the one open outlet in any given radius of the cord length, but also that your kids never see you plug it in. They are, therefore, less tempted to experiment with electrical outlets themselves. It also means you don’t drag around a potential strangulation hazard in the form of a cord, or have to choose between choking on a cord over choking on some piece of the giant mess on the floor.

This lightweight vacuum can easily be used with one hand if your other hand stays busy holding an infant or keeping a toddler at a reasonable (more than two inches) distance. It (the vacuum, not the toddler) can get under furniture with ease thanks to the swivel head, which handles floors and carpets without the need to change anything. It also includes a folding handle for even more versatility, but I’ve never needed to use that feature.

The tiny brush on the side helps dig dust and crumbs out of cracks and crannies. But that’s not all. The vacuum itself detaches with a simple pull to become a handheld vacuum with the same amount of suction power. It has multiple attachments, none of which I’ve used, but I heard can come in handy.

I’m not saying this vacuum has enough oomph for serious deep cleaning. But if you need to keep the pet hair from becoming a carpet or clean up crumbs after meal times, this vacuum is the tool for you. It can suck more than one kitten’s worth of pet hair in one go and still have some charge left. I’m more likely to need to the clean the tubes of hair than I am to run out of power. (Still no cord to lug around!) And to get it clean? The handheld vacuum parts all come apart and dump out with ease. The stick vacuum portion can be reached from both ends once the handheld part gets removed, so nothing ever gets stuck in a tube where you can’t get it out.

Think handheld vacuum with the added versatility of being on a long stick, so you don’t have to bend over and can reach higher, while hauling around less weight and not having to plug anything into an outlet. Then you might begin to get a glimpse of the awesome features of this handy cleaning tool. It might not be on every mom’s baby registry, but it should be.