I’m ashamed to admit that before I had a kid, my husband and I would go to the homes of our friends who have children and vow to never have Cheerios littered all over our kitchen counter or sippy cups wedged between the sofa cushions. (I know, we were idiots.) Fast-forward to the present, and our home might as well be Chuck E. Cheese.
It doesn’t matter whether you do baby-led weaning, transform your farmers’ market haul into homemade purees or give your kid pouches for dinner (guilty)—once you start feeding your child solids, food goes everywhere. Case in point: The other day I found a blueberry in the laundry basket and a sweet potato puff in my makeup bag (at least that’s what I think it was).
I thought I was prepared for this exciting milestone. I had a high chair I loved, some easy-to-clean bibs and colorful spoons made for gnawing. But the one thing I should really have put on my baby shower registry was... a handheld vacuum. Specifically, this one from Holife.
The vacuum’s marketing image (the device sucking up a spilled bowl of Cheerios) probably would have been enough to win me over on its own, but it also boasts more than 1,100 five-star reviews. It weighs less than four pounds, is totally cordless and features 30 minutes of running time. Best of all, this workhorse can tackle crumbs, dirt, pet hair and debris as well as liquids like water and spilled milk.
“Perfect for my baby that loves to throw all the food,” says one user, and “I use it 100 times a day cleaning up after my two little kids,” says another. “It is pretty powerful—sucks up Goldfish no problem,” promises yet another happy customer.
Oh, and one more thing that doesn’t suck? This handheld vacuum also wins rave reviews for its non-noisiness (because any product that wakes up my napping child is going to get returned immediately).
$53 at Amazon
