Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Vacuum: Teach ‘Em To Love Cleaning At An Early Age

Perfect timing: The day, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Vacuum ($19.50) arrived, my two year old son was dragging around our real canister vacuum. My son takes his cleaning chores quite seriously, and as always he was very concentrated, making "wrooh-wrooh" sounds, trying to get the hose underneath the TV unit.

When I unpacked the toy, I predicted my son’s reaction: a machine that makes the noise itself when you push a button, but doesn’t actually suck dirt. Instead,colored glittering confetti swirls around in the canister’s see-through plastic body, and lights flash. Not to mention that the device is pink and decorated with birds and flowers. That’s not a vacuum, I thought with disgust, that’s an ersatz electric Chihuahua. My son will never buy into that!

Nevertheless, resisting the urge to discuss the gender problems with him – "Look, my little slugger, just because it’s pink doesn’t mean only girls do the cleaning" – I handed the toy over. And how wrong I was! When the sound went on, Finn’s smile became shinier than the glitter. And he marched off, declaring, “Finn’s wrooh-wrooh!” 

Since then, he has made "vacuuming" the floors a daily chore — he even expertly pulls of the brush and uses the nozzle of the hose to "clean" couches, chairs or bookshelves. For him, this Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Vacuum is real enough, so who am I to judge?

But one complaint I have: For the sake of the parent’s sanity, the device’s sounds should turn itself off after a certain amount of time. As it is, it stays on until the batteries die (it requires three AAs) or Mom comes to the rescue.  But this is a real vacuum cleaner after all, and they don’t turn themselves off just because something more fun caught our attention, right?

– Iris

Note: This product is available exclusively at Disney Stores and DisneyShopping.com.

CBB Deal: Save 10% when you buy the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Vacuum at DisneyShopping.com using coupon code CBB2008 (expires November 29, 2008).

Fine print: Offer expires 11:59 pm PT, November 29, 2008. Validon select merchandise only. No adjustments to prior purchases. Offervalid on phone orders and orders placed online at DisneyShopping.comand DisneyStore.com. Not valid on purchases from DisneyOutlet.com,Disney Store retail or outlet locations. Discounts based on originalretail prices. Intermediate markdowns may have been applied. DisneyShopping, Inc. reserves the right to cancel or modify this offer at anytime. Void where prohibited. Promotion applies only to the followingitems – (Item #I6337I0007P Mickey Mouse Vacuum and Item #H6058G0016PDeluxe Cinderella Doll and Wardrobe Play Set).