Latest news with #vacuuming
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
B.C. townhouse owner challenges $8,200 in fines for vacuuming patio
A townhouse owner who was fined $8,200 for breaching a noise bylaw by regularly vacuuming his patio and terrace has won his fight with the mangers of the complex – for now. Yi-Fei Hu challenged $8,200 in fines, claiming they were invalid because the repeated complaints from his neighbours were not properly investigated and the noise from the shop vacuum was not demonstrably unreasonable, the tribunal's decision said. The complex Hu lives in comprises ground-level, two-storey townhomes as well as an adjacent 10-storey building. The first complaint came from a neighbour living on the sixth floor of the building, whose unit looks down on Hu's townhouse. Over the next three weeks, an additional five complaints were submitted – all alleging that Hu used the vacuum 'almost daily, sometimes for several hours,' according to the decision. Complaints continued to come in over the next year, resulting in warning letters and ultimately the imposition of fines for breaching the bylaw by creating a nuisance by making unreasonable noise. The law, tribunal member J. Garth Cambrey explained, defines a nuisance as an 'unreasonable interference with an owner's use and enjoyment of their property' that would be 'intolerable to an ordinary person.' The decision noted that 'subjective' complaints from neighbours aren't enough to prove that a noise is unreasonable. The strata council, which manages the common assets of the complex, has an obligation to conduct a reasonable investigation into complaints, Cambrey said, finding that obligation was not met in this case. 'I acknowledge that Mr. Hu appears to have used his vacuum for extended periods over several days to keep his (limited common property) patio and terrace clean,' he wrote. 'However, the evidence suggests that the strata did not conduct any inspections of the patio or terrace to determine whether the noise was unreasonable.' To adequately prove the noise was unreasonable, evidence like decibel recordings or a report from an expert would have been required, according to the decision. 'I find the actual noise level of the vacuum is unproven,' Gombrey wrote. 'To be clear, I do not find the vacuum noise is reasonable. My finding is that the strata did not prove with sufficient evidence that the noise is unreasonable. The strata's duty to enforce it bylaws is ongoing, so my decision should not be interpreted to approve Mr. Hu's use of his vacuum to clean the patio and terrace without limitation.' The strata filed a counterclaim seeking, in part, an order that Hu's vacuuming be restricted to five minutes a day, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Given that the tribunal found the bylaw breaches were unproven, Cambrey declined to grant the order. In addition to reversing the bylaw fines, the strata was ordered to pay Hu $225 in tribunal fees.
Gizmodo
14-05-2025
- Gizmodo
Amazon's Choice Shark Stick Vacuum Is Back Down to Its Black Friday Price and Way Cheaper Than Dyson
No one likes to vacuum, but you can make it much easier on yourself with this deal. If you're still dragging a corded vacuum from room to room, or worse, avoiding vacuuming altogether because it's such a hassle, you might want to think about making a change. While it's true no one loves vacuuming, you've still got to do it. How else will you keep a clean house? It has to be done, so make sure you have an appliance you actually like to use while doing it. Head to Amazon to get the Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum for just $150, down from its usual price of $260. That's $110 off and a discount of 42%. See at Amazon Your new favorite stick vacuum This model is part of Shark's Rocket lineup and is built to move, so you can get around your house and finish up vacuuming fast. It's a 2-in-1 design, meaning you can use it as a full-length stick vacuum or convert it into a handheld unit when you need to clean upholstery, stairs, or even your car. Weighing just 7.5 pounds, it's light enough to carry up and down the stairs and can get around furniture super easily. Performance-wise, it's definitely no slouch. The high-speed brushless motor gives it enough suction to pick up everything from pet hair to fine dust across both carpets and hard floors. It has a pretty big dust cup too, so you won't need to stop and empty it as often, and the CleanTouch system makes dumping debris super easy and hands-free. One of the most useful features here is the built-in LED headlights on the nozzle, which help you spot crumbs, fur, and dust bunnies hiding under furniture or in low-light corners. It also comes with a crevice tool and pet multi-tool, which are great for tight spaces and picking up stubborn hair from couches or bedding. Battery life is solid. You'll get up to 40 minutes of runtime on a full charge, which is usually plenty to get through a full clean if you work fast enough. And because it's cordless, you're not constantly switching outlets or getting tangled up in cords. That all makes for a much more efficient clean, so you'll be getting things done fast. If you want a vacuum that actually feels substantial enough to use on a regular basis, this Shark pet-centric cordless should be your next buy. You'll actually like pushing it around, You can get this one for a surprising $150 (-42%), so make sure you get it's still up for grabs. See at Amazon
CNET
06-05-2025
- General
- CNET
You've Been Vacuuming Wrong Your Whole Life and No One Told You
Vacuuming has never exactly been a thrill. It's loud, awkward to drag around and somehow always more effort than you expect. Still, it's one of those chores that really matter. Sure, it makes your floors look cleaner, but more importantly, it helps improve the air you breathe by picking up dust, dirt and pet hair that build up fast. And if you use one of the best cordless vacuums to get the job done, you can rest assured you're cleaning up much of the dirt trapped in your carpet and on your floor. Regular vacuuming cuts down on allergens and gives your space a cleaner, healthier feel overall. A good cordless vacuum definitely makes the job easier, but let's be honest -- it's still not anyone's idea of a fun afternoon. We've done a lot of in-depth hands-on and lab testing to ensure we are recommending the best cordless, robot and budget vacuums on the market, but the best tool isn't going to help much if we don't use it properly. If you combine our top vacuums with these professional cleaning tips, you're sure to have tidy floors in no time. The right way to vacuum clean your home CNET Those short, quick, back-and-forth motions that the majority of people do when vacuuming isn't sucking up all that dust, dirt and lint that is embedded into carpets and floors. The more efficient way to vacuum -- and the way professional cleaners do it -- is to go forward, in structured rows. You'll first start by vacuuming a row of your carpeting in one direction, wall-to-wall. This first pass should be against the nap of the carpet to make it fluff up and to make the deeply embedded dirt come up easier. A way to tell if you're vacuuming against the nap correctly is if the carpet piles stick up or look a little darker. Next, push the vacuum back over that strip you just vacuumed. This will lay the carpet back down flat and will suck up the rest of the dirt you missed on the first pass. Once you're back to your starting place, vacuum another strip right next to the first, overlapping slightly. Keep repeating this routine until the whole room has been vacuumed thoroughly. Once you've completed that step, go perpendicular: If you were vacuuming north to south the first time, vacuum east to west on this second pass. If you think of your floor as a grid, you're going to want to pass over each square both ways for the best results. Yes, it's extra work and maybe it even seems like overkill, but this method ensures you get every bit of dirt and debris, which will keep your carpet cleaner and looking newer for longer. For more helpful vacuum info, explore the best Roomba alternatives to keep your floors clean and the best robot vacuum deals available now. More vacuum tips FAQs How many times should I repeat this technique? You should repeat this technique as many times as it takes to vacuum overlapping strips across the entire room. Then, you should start the same process vacuuming the floor in the direction perpendicular to when you started.
