Last night the kids were having fun in the living room. There was much screaming, a few tears and, when I went through to chase them all to bed, a scattering of polystyrene balls that had escaped from our very cheap fluffy Netto beanbag. I like the beanbag. If I sit on it I can cuddle up close to the fire and keep my back supported. And the Joker likes to stroke the fluffy material and suck his thumb when he’s tired. But the escaping balls are a total pain. The first escape occurred after some vigorous jumping by the tribe, and since then the bag has leaked regularly. Those little balls cling to everything and travel round the house, cheekily pointing out my lack of attention to housework.
When I twittered my distress this evening one tweetpal suggested ‘vigorously brushing your hair and then gently sweeping floor with head & the static will attract balls like magnet’. Since I did not have a plan for transferring the balls from my hair to an appropriate receptacle, I instead went and fetched Henry, who sorted everything out. Henry is my wonderful Numatic vacuum cleaner. Now, I know it’s a bit sad to enthuse about a hoover, but I hate housework. And Henry has made vacuuming almost a pleasure.
Mine is a lot dustier than this
There is a good deal of surface area that needs regular hoovering here in the Vicarage. I find that mess and dirt always expand to fill the space available and we’re certainly blessed with space and have risen to the challenge of expanding our mess and dirt. At the moment leaves blow into the hallway every time we open the front door. And we have inherited dark carpets in the hall, stairs and landing, which don’t show mud too much but do highlight every piece of fluff that the kids drop from their pockets.
But Henry is light so I can lift him around, he’s quiet so I can still listen to Radio 4 or the new Sovereign Grace cd as I trundle him about, and he has a cord and hose so long that I can clean the whole of the downstairs of the house and all the way up the stairs without having to unplug him from the socket in the hall. His eyes and smile are a bit cheesy, but looks aren’t everything you know.
He’s not a cheap vacuum cleaner – he cost about £100, but he’s made it possible for me to keep the Vicarage looking almost respectable. So I love him and will continue to recommend him as the perfect Vicarage vacuum to anyone who’ll listen.
In the meantime, does anyone know where to source replacement inner liners for beanbags?
The Vicar's Wife 
it’s not sad to be enthusiastic about vacuum cleaners – MIn’es an elegant young man called Felix and was very sad to say a 40th birthday present from my parents!! ( & shh even more expensive than Henry,) He’s a very 1950’s Stepford wives sort of accessory… which I am SO not !! which makes him a lot of fun even if I don’t work him as hard as I should!!
Anyway – beanbags… got a sewing machine?** best way to get a strong inner lining is to make your own, strong cheap fabric from the market or ikea, and sew double seams everywhere, then seal them with glue ( hot glue gun is ideal) Cut a rough pattern to match the outer layer you have.
**or a parishioner with one?!
Totally agree, Henry makes hoovering a pleasure! I had a Dyson before and although it looks amazing, seeing the dust swirling inside, Henry gets the job done! It’s such a simple design too, so very little to break or go wrong. He also gets to all the places the Dyson could never reach.
I love the way he follows you around too with his cheery smile.
If you thought it was sad for a vicar’s wife to be going on about a hoover, how much more for me, a bloke to do the same?
My mum uses a Hoover so old I think Abraham bought it for Hagar to make speed up the tent-work.
It is called Edger (the hoover) and still works verry well, but makes a noise that used to absolutely terrify me.
At home we have Dyson the Dragon (wedding present) which is pretty good.
These things work better once they’re named.
I have secretly hankered after a Henry but feel I may have to have a pair (Henry and Hetty(the lady vacumn)) and that would just be foolish!
I have a very aggressive Dyson which The Curate bought ex-display when he worked for a well known DIY chain pre ordination. It cost… 15 whole pounds!! It has no attachments which is a bit frustrating and no instructions so we have had to learn by trial and error. It’s very heavy but an extremely powerful vacumn.
I still fancy a Henry/Hetty though… maybe when we have our vicarage!
Be very careful if buying a Henry & a Hetty, you wouldn’t want a cupboard under the stairs full of little vacs all suckling, would you? ;0)
Very valid point Graham… hadn’t considered that possibility! 🙂
Thanks for your comments everyone. I had no idea that other people were also passionate about their domestic appliances! I previously had a Dyson type machine but its massive weight really annoyed me. I love the way Henry just trots along after me as I vacuum.
The beanbag retrieval may have to wait until after Christmas. My sewing skills are such that it will take real concentration of mind to tackle the inner liner project!
Try Dunelm down by J2 of the M5, they sell the polystreneballs, and I’m sure I’ve seen the bags there too, although its been a while.
Thanks Steve. I’d thought of that too. Wonder if I can combine a trip with the run to piano lessons (v. close to Jn 2!)?