Thursday, March 25, 2010

Can't we just live with pet hair?

I have a cat. A black cat. She's little and has fairly short hair, but she sheds. I don't care. I have a cat. That means cat hair on stuff. If I minded, I wouldn't have a cat. There's the vacuum for the floor and couch and the washing machine for other things. These are enough. When people visit, they are in the home where my cat lives. If they have a problem with cat hair, respectfully, they can stay away. If they are allergic, I will happily clean really well before they arrive, and make sure my cat is comfortable elsewhere while they are present. But this is her home, and her hair here is fine.

Apparently, I am in the minority. Apparently, it is unseemly to have pet hair anywhere in your home. (My cleaning standards are more lax than others, I guess!) Lint rollers are everywhere. BUT WAIT!!! SC Johnson thinks lint rollers are wasteful, not so green, bad plastic, not cost-efficient, whatever. (Oh, yeah, right, they just want you to buy THEIR product instead of Scotch 3M's.) No more rollers! We have THIS! Their description on their site: "Quickly and effectively removes pet hair from upholstered furniture / You love your pets but not the pet hair they leave behind. With sticky roller sheets, you can go through a lot of sheets. And vacuum cleaners are not designed to clean up messy pet hair. Fortunately, there's a fast and easy way."

OH PRAISE THE HEAVENS!!! I needed a faster and easier way to prove I'm not a terrible housekeeper! What do you have for me, Pledge? Well, what they have is a handy-dandy cool gizmo that traps the hair in so you never even have to touch it or deal with it at all!! Cool! When the chamber-thing is full-ish or the rollers aren't so picky-uppy anymore, simply toss the thing in the ocean. OK, OK, you aren't really throwing it in the ocean. It'll live in a landfill. Or maybe end up in the ocean anyway. This thing is nowhere near recyclable. And, it's full of hair. (which actually has many GOOD uses instead of plastic-trapped landfill filler.) When I first saw this product, I automatically assumed you could empty the chamber and keep using the rollers. See, I assumed that because it was a logical assumption. WRONG. SC Johnson even states right on the webpage: "Do not wash or rinse rollers. Do not try to empty or disassemble disposable sweeper." Nope. Don'tchoo worry yer purty lil' head. Just throw it away! I saw a loved one get around this a little by cutting a door in the top of the thing to empty it, thus extending its life a little longer... but in the end, I cannot get behind this thing. Is it because I'm fine with pet hair in my home? Is it because I don't mind lugging out the vacuum instead? Do I love my pet more than people who need to clean up the hair? (Of COURSE NOT on that last one.) Are we trying to be "too" clean in our hermetically-sealed homes? If  your couch is so precious, put a blanket down for the pet in question. Blankets get washed. No hair. If you are so terribly upset by so much hair, why do you have a dog or cat? I understand, Pledge/SC Johnson are preying on some serious fears and phobias out there, but I stand up to say, "NO. I am OK with pet hair. I do not need a plastic disposable solution to pet hair. I REJECT your product, Mr. SC Johnson, A Family Company."

I do respect that people want to keep their homes cleaner than do I. I simply feel we need to open our eyes to alternatives, because "fast and easy" has gotten us into a bad, bad mess. 

And I don't see SC Johnson cleaning up any of THAT mess... just see them contributing to it. 

1 comment:

  1. Hello just found your blog and love it already.
    I have to say I have 4 cats of varying colours from black to Calico Tortoise shell and 2 dogs 1 a Maremma long white hair and a mix breed short black hair. Damp cloth over tha mats and all fur gone and its good exercise as well.

    I to have people who frown at animal fur. Don't like don't come to my house I say. Our animals are our saviours in many situations we face in our lives here most of the time I prefer their company as they are honest. I think you will agree.
    I make their own food so no cans unless I am ill and can't cook for them and they are happy and healthy.
    Thanks for your time you put into this blog I shall be reading it every chance I get
    HUGS
    Rhonda

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