Things I Took for Granted: Swiffers and Vacuums

I don't know why, but in this part of China, I never see anyone using vacuum cleaners. In fact, I don't think I've seen any sold in stores either. Instead, everyone uses brooms. And instead of swiffers, it seems that most people use foam mops. So when it came to cleaning my apartment, these were my tools:

Broom, mop, and a bottle of bleach

It gets the job done, I guess, but not very efficiently. Between the cat and my full head of hair, there is a lot of shedding going on in this apartment, and I always wish I could just push a button and suck it up into a bag instead of sweeping (repeatedly, to get those stupid little dust particles that always miss the dustpan) and dumping it in a trashcan. And instead of mopping and squeezing the water out, I wish I could just throw away the little disposable swiffer wipe thing. Who knows what kind of disgusting bacteria is living on the bottom of that mop.

Lesson: People of America, do not take your cleaning toys for granted.