5 Best Portable Toilets of 2024, Tested by an Outdoorsman

Best Overall Portable Toilet

Thetford Porta Potti 565E Curve Portable RV/Marine Toilet

The Thetford Porta Potti 565E unit is packed with more features than I’ve seen in just about any other portable toilet, especially those in this price range. Running on electricity supplied by included AA batteries, the 565E has a push-button flusher connected to an electric pump. I found adding water for flushing through the fill port at the back to be a breeze, and the bottom waste pipe made dumping as safe and easy as possible.

The upper and lower tanks (for water and waste, respectively) total nearly 10 gallons of capacity. Even though this unit is on the tall side for a portable toilet (nearly 18 inches), I found it surprisingly light and easy to carry. A big part of this ease was thanks to a very well-placed handle at the back. It’s even got a toilet paper compartment built into the side and a capacity gauge at the back. Note: The manufacturer recommends using liquid waste treatment in the top tank and sewage treatment in the lower tank to keep the toilet as clean as possible.

Pros

• Water flush makes it more like a standard toilet
• Convenient push-button flushing action
• Comfortable height
• Built-in toilet paper storage
• Large waste capacity
• Comes with batteries

Cons

• Needs water to flush
• Requires sewage treatment liquid

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Article source here: 5 Best Portable Toilets of 2024, Tested by an Outdoorsman

7 Ways to Generate Leads for Your Contracting Business

Most contractors get into the industry because they love to build or fix things, and they’re good at helping clients. However, there’s a sales component to contracting.

Even if the contractor is adept at promoting his or her services, they need leads to do so. “Leads” are potential customers interested in what you have to offer. And they’re critical to growing a business.

In this guide, we’ll go over some of the best ways to generate leads for your contracting business. These are time-tested, socially-proven techniques. Keep reading to learn more.

7 Ways to Generate Leads for Your Contracting Business

Most of these methods involve the World Wide Web, for good reason. The internet is the first resource most people turn to when they need to fix something in their house or have something built. Every month, there are thousands of Google searches for contractors. If you don’t have an online presence, your name just won’t show up.

Because of the overall importance of the internet, the first two methods below are also the most important for generating leads. Without basic internet marketing, the other options might not be as fruitful. All can help you build your marketing and lead generation strategy with fundamental tactics.

SEO-rich website

Potential customers expect a contractor to have a website. But just having a site with a few low-resolution photos and a contact number will not do the trick.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It refers to designing and loading a site with content that makes it easy for Google and other search engines to rank it in their search engine results pages (SERPs).

SEO best practices are far too involved to list here, but here are some of the basics:

• Include relevant search terms in web page construction and content.
• Structure the site so search engines can easily crawl and understand the content.
• Publish posts that build your expertise around the industry or projects you serve.

With enough inbound traffic, websites have tremendous potential to generate leads. If there is a contact form and some level of incentive to fill it out, leads will pour in.

Social media

Customers also expect a contractor to maintain a social media page or two. They want to know the people behind the brand, as well as the types of projects they build and the services they provide. It’s one of the best ways to build brand awareness and increase leads.

Social media platforms are unique from each other, as are the folks using them. It’s best to stick to one or two platforms, understand how they work and produce high-quality content. Every follower is a lead. If your content keeps their attention, they’ll remember your brand when it comes time to start a project.

Sales funnels

If your social media and website are in tip-top shape, it’s time to focus on serious lead generation. Sales funnels are most typically used for selling a product, but they’re just as useful for collecting and nurturing leads.

Here are the steps of a social-based sales funnel:

1. Build your social media following with great content.

2. Create a landing page and drive followers to it by giving away downloadable content.

3. Collect email addresses from the download form (every email is already a lead).

4. Send a series of welcome emails followed up by newsletter-type content to build trust and awareness.

5. Create offer-specific sales pages and drive traffic by promoting them in email newsletters.

6. Book appointments with an automated appointment setting software or app.

Email marketing

If sales funnels don’t drive home the importance of email marketing, nothing will. But you don’t have to utilize full-fledged sales funnels to make use of email.

If you start with an offer, a giveaway, or downloadable content, collecting emails is straightforward, and so are the emails you’ll send.

Your emails should be simple, relatively short and packed with value. What are valuable topics to include in an email? Try how-to content on winterizing your home, building a deck, finding studs behind drywall, getting a building permit and similar topics that homeowners might not understand. Also, include photos and videos about projects and community events.

Every email builds brand awareness. Many experts believe it’s a critical element in building red-hot leads.

Paid ads

Sometimes, paying for targeted ads is the best way to generate leads. These ad campaigns can get expensive and require some design and copywriting expertise, but their payoffs can be tremendous. The most common ad campaigns pay-per-click (PPC), where the contractor pays the publishing channel every time a customer clicks the ad.

When setting up a paid ad campaign, contractors can choose who sees their ads. They can target a specific locale within a state, county or city. They can also target people of certain age groups or specific search terms. When these folks use search engines to find their content, ads will push contractors to the top.

Some examples of paid ad channels include Google, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Community events

Up until now, we’ve focused primarily on widespread lead generation. But you can still use sales funnels and email marketing for a localized crowd with a booth at a community event.

Fairs, trade shows, craft fairs, touch-a-truck events, festivals, marathons, parades and other events are incredible opportunities. The results will be a smaller list of potentially hotter leads.

Most contractors botch these interactions. They use hard-selling techniques like free consultations or buy-two-get-one deals. This might work for some folks, but there are better opportunities:

• Partner with a local restaurant and purchase a few $5 off coupons at a discount, then give them away in exchange for an email address.
• Give away coffee or lemonade and introduce yourself to everyone who comes up for a cup. Give away flyers with QR codes connecting them to your landing page.
• Set up a raffle where the winner gets a free service, like a window or front door replacement, and collect contact information (name, email, and phone number).

Community events are not for selling. They’re for building awareness.

Optimize your Google profile

Finally, give yourself another boost by making your company as searchable as possible for local customers. This is a relatively simple process that boosts local SEO and generates more leads.

Here’s a rundown of how to optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP):

1. Head to the Google Business Profile site.

2. Find your business and claim it following the verification process guidance.

3. Complete the profile and provide a detailed description of your business and services.

4. Choose the correct business categories for your services.

5. Encourage customers to leave reviews (refer back to your email list!)

6. Post high-quality photos and update your profile regularly

You can dive as deeply into the GBP as you’d like to, down to creating a website with GBP, but it may not be necessary. If your efforts are pushing your site to the top for local search terms, you’ll generate more leads from customers searching for your services in your local area.

Start Generating Leads Today

With these techniques, you can put together a plan to start generating leads right away. A few hours with the computer and your phone will have the names of potential customers flooding your inboxes. Then all you’ll have to do is close the deal.

Article source here: 7 Ways to Generate Leads for Your Contracting Business

Why Did My Furnace Pilot Light Go Out and How Do I Relight It?

If you heat your home with natural gas, oil or propane, chances are your furnace or boiler has a pilot light. With the help of two experts Joshua Smith from Berkshire Heating and Cooling and Alexander Siv from Amherst Plumbing and Heating learn what a pilot light is, some reasons it may go out, and what to do if it does.

What Is the Pilot Light on a Furnace?

A pilot light is a small flame that’s constantly lit within a gas furnace. It’s the ignition source for the main gas burner when it’s activated by the thermostat. Other gas appliances like stoves, ovens and water heaters may also have pilot lights.

Electric furnaces do not have a pilot light. And starting around 2010, gas furnaces haven’t, either.

“Pilot lights are an older technology,” Smith says, “Modern gas furnaces use a hot surface ignition source that relies on electricity.” But there are still plenty of pilot light ignition systems still in use.

What Causes the Furnace Pilot Light To Go Out?

There can be several reasons why your pilot light is out:

• Faulty thermocouple: A thermocouple is a temperature detecting device that works with the pilot light to control the gas valve. If the thermocouple breaks, the gas valve will close, snuffing out the pilot light. Smith says this is the most common cause of the problem.
• Broken gas valve: “Sometimes the gas valve itself fails and stops releasing gas, which can also cause your pilot to go out,” Siv says. Smith cites this as the second most common cause.
• Wind blows it out: “If there’s a crazy storm with high winds, it can blow out the pilot,” Smith says, “But it’s unusual.”

How Can I Tell if the Pilot Light on My Furnace Is Out?

You’ll need to do a visual inspection. Consult your furnace owner’s manual to determine the pilot’s exact location. Most are near the bottom of the furnace, behind a removable access panel.

Take off the panel and look for a small bluish flame. If there’s no visible flame, your pilot’s out.

Here’s another obvious sign: You turn up the thermostat but your house stays cold. “You’ll have no heat because the pilot’s not there to ignite the burner,” Smith says.

Does Gas Still Flow When the Furnace Pilot Light Goes Out?

No. The thermocouple will stop detecting heat and shut off the gas valve.

Can I Relight the Pilot Light Myself?

It depends. “Anyone can relight a pilot,” Siv says, “but the reason your pilot light went out in the first place will determine if it’s able to be relit.”

If it’s due to a bad thermocouple or gas valve, these will need to be repaired first. Also, if the pilot light orifice is clogged, it will need to be cleaned before relighting will be successful.

The pilot lighting instructions should be right on the equipment. If you’re not comfortable relighting your pilot, call an HVAC pro to do it for you.

How To Relight the Pilot Light on a Furnace

If you know why your pilot light is out, and you feel confident in your skills and abilities, here are steps to relight a pilot light. Make sure to consult with your furnace’s owner’s manual for more detailed instructions.

1. Turn off the thermostat.
2. Turn off the power to the furnace by flipping the breaker.
3. Wait 10 minutes for any gas to dissipate from the line.
4. Remove any control panels from the side of the furnace. These often simply lift off.
5. Locate the pilot light control knob. This usually has ‘On,’ ‘Pilot’ and ‘Off’ printed on it.
6. From the knob, follow the gas line (a thin metal tube) to where it ends. This is where you hold the flame to relight. It’s called the flame deflector and is usually L-shaped.
7. Turn the control knob to ‘Pilot.’
8. Press and hold the starter button, usually next to the control knob. This opens the gas valve.
9. Light a 12-inch match or 12-inch barbecue lighter. Hold the flame near the open end of the flame deflector.
10. A flame should appear and stay lit after you remove the match or lighter flame.
11. Continue to hold the starter button for about 30 seconds. “This allows time for the thermocouple to engage and keep the gas valve open,” Siv says.
12. Release the starter button.
13. Turn the control knob to ‘On.’
14. Watch the flame for a few minutes to ensure it stays lit.

If the flame doesn’t stay lit or needs to be manually relit often, Siv says this indicates a mechanical problem with the thermocouple or gas valve. “It’s best to call in a pro at that point,” he says.

About the Experts

• Alexander Siv owns Amherst Plumbing and Heating in Amherst, Massachusetts. He has a master plumber’s license in Massachusetts and more than 10 years of plumbing experience.
• Joshua Smith is operations manager at Berkshire Heating and Air Conditioning in West Springfield, Massachusetts. He has more than 20 years of HVAC experience and holds a Massachusetts oil burner and refrigeration license.

Article source here: Why Did My Furnace Pilot Light Go Out and How Do I Relight It?

8 Farmhouse Bathroom Ideas

Vertical Shiplap

Farmhouse style bathrooms from a few years ago incorporated a lot of horizontal shiplap paneling. Install vertical shiplap for a more updated look, as seen here in this space from @blessedandhumbledhome.

The vertical shiplap and peg rail add interest as well as a place to hang towels. Finish the look with even more layers of texture, like this antique stool and vintage-style rug.

Article source here: 8 Farmhouse Bathroom Ideas

8 Fireplace Mantel Ideas

Large Art

One large piece of art might be all you need above your fireplace mantel. Seen here in this example from @mldesignskc, the art creates an elegant focal point for the room.

The organic composition of the painting creates a nice juxtaposition against the straight lines of the fireplace. A good rule of thumb for sizing: The width of the artwork should be larger than the fireplace opening, but smaller than the width of the mantel.

Article source here: 8 Fireplace Mantel Ideas

7 Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

What Can Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Lots of things in and around our homes can cause carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, including fuel-burning appliances and engines.

CO is a byproduct of combustion, so “anything that burns will produce some carbon monoxide,” according to Kelly Smeltzer, the Minnesota Department of Health’s indoor air unit enforcement coordinator.

The following appliances can produce CO:

• Gas furnaces;
• Gas- and wood-burning fireplaces;
• Gas stoves;
• Gas clothes dryers;
• Gas water heaters.

It’s not just appliances, though. Smeltzer says cars are another significant source of CO. That’s why you should never idle your car in your garage.

And then there are gas-powered generators. Smeltzer says hospital data shows a clear spike in CO poisoning cases during times of high generator use, like after natural disasters.

How does carbon monoxide kill you?

By depriving the brain and vital organs of oxygen. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that “messes with your body’s ability to move oxygen around,” Smeltzer says. Rather than carrying oxygen to your organs and tissues, red blood cells pick up CO instead.

“Exposure to high levels can lead to death, but even low levels of CO exposure can impact the health of sensitive individuals,” Smeltzer says.

Here are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

Headache

Headache is one of the most common symptoms, “similar to what you would experience with the flu,” Smeltzer says. Nonspecific flu-like symptoms make diagnosing CO poisoning difficult, Smeltzer says. One clue it’s CO poisoning vs. a virus? “Symptoms will clear up after you leave the environment with high levels of CO,” Smeltzer says.

If you’re getting recurring headaches, pay attention to when and where they occur. But don’t rely on symptoms alone CO can kill with no warning. That’s why it’s “very important to have working CO alarms in the home,” Smeltzer says.

Dizziness

Do you get dizzy when you spend time in the basement? Feel a little wobbly in the attic above the laundry room? Dizziness is another common symptom of CO poisoning, and potential sources include basement water heaters and improperly vented gas dryers.

Properly maintaining your equipment diminishes risk. “Make sure combustion-powered appliances are in good working order, and are vented to the outside,” Smeltzer says. It’s a code violation for your dryer to vent into the attic, but it happens more than you think. Have your furnace checked annually to make sure dangerous gases don’t build up indoors.

Fatigue

“At low levels, a person might be fatigued,” Smeltzer says. Unfortunately, fatigue can signal multiple ailments, from anemia and sleep disorders to thyroid problems and heart disease. An inexpensive CO detector can save the day, and your life.

Nonspecific symptoms like fatigue can make CO poisoning a difficult public health issue to deal with, Smeltzer says. “A lot of times people will assume that they are sick from a virus, when it is actually a CO problem in their indoor environment,” she says.

One way to know? Household members with the flu tend to get sick one after the other, while everyone falls victim to CO at once.

Nausea or vomiting

Queasiness or feeling sick to your stomach can be another symptom of CO poisoning.

If you or members of your household experience waves of nausea or vomiting, especially all at the same time, get to fresh air right away. According to the Cleveland Clinic, mild nausea can signal low levels of exposure, while extreme nausea and vomiting are a signal of more severe CO poisoning.

Again, because symptoms are so interchangeable, Smeltzer says CO detectors are the way to go. When installing CO detectors in your home, at the very least, place one outside of each bedroom. (Check your state regulations.) “It isn’t a bad idea to have one on every level,” Smeltzer says.

Confusion

More extreme cases of CO poisoning can involve confusion and disorientation caused by lack of oxygen to the brain, aka cerebral hypoxia. The longer the brain goes without oxygen, the worse the prognosis and recovery time.

Brain death can occur in as little as 10 minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But mild hypoxia may resolve with few long-term effects.

Populations at the greatest risk include the very young, the elderly and people with heart disease, asthma and other underlying conditions. “Even a very healthy person can die if they are exposed to enough CO,” Smeltzer says.

Chest pain

Chest pain can be a sign of heart attack, acid reflux disease, asthma and yes, CO poisoning. Have any chest pain checked by a doctor. And if you think it could be CO related, go outside before calling for help.

If you are with someone having chest pain, move them outside to fresh air and call 911.

Loss of consciousness

When CO exposure reaches the highest levels, loss of consciousness can occur. If someone reaches the victim and moves them to fresh air and treatment, recovery is possible.

Depending on the age of the victim and other factors, long-term affects of CO poisoning after loss of consciousness include memory loss and personality changes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Unfortunately, sometimes people simply fall asleep and never wake up. That’s why, Smeltzer says, “it is so important to have working CO alarms in your house. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and can save your life.”

About the expert

• Kelly Smeltzer is an enforcement coordinator in the indoor air unit at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Article source here: 7 Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

We Tried This New Mattress Vacuum Cleaner, Because Your Bed Deserves a Little TLC

If youve been on the cleaning side of TikTok lately, youve probably swiped up on at least one cleaning guru who swears by a mattress vacuum when completing their Sunday refresh. To be honest, Im always a little skeptical of these vacuuming devices, and wonder how much good they truly do. So, after seeing enough mattress cleaning and couch vacuuming videos, I decided I needed to try a mattress vacuum cleaner for myself.

Thats where the Jigoo mattress vacuum cleaner comes in. Its a handheld vacuum with a dust mite sensor that glides across and cleans fabric surfaces. Heres how my testing of the new Amazon bed vacuum went.

What is the Jigoo mattress vacuum cleaner?

As mentioned, this mattress vacuum cleaner is a handheld, corded device with a built-in dust sensor that tells you when your mattress is clean. It has a light-emitting diode (LED) screen that displays a red light when a surface is dirty and a green light when the surface is clean. The screen also tells you the dust mite index of a surface while vacuuming. Beyond that, this vacuum eliminates allergens and hard-to-see dust particles from mattresses, pillows, furniture and other fabric surfaces.

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We Tried It

Jigoo Mattress Vacuum Cleaner

This cleaner is a powerful handheld vacuum that eliminates dust and dander from your mattress.

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Jigoo Mattress Vacuum Cleaner Features

Equipped with a metal brush roll, powerful motor and ultraviolet (UV) light, this mattress vacuum cleanersuctions and deep cleanssurfaces of dust, dander and pet hair. It has an advanced high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system that filters over 99% of tiny particles to ensure clean air output on your most-used household surfaces. The filter itself is designed to be washed and reused, but its recommended that you replace the filter every six months or so, depending on usage.

The corded bed vacuum comes with a 16-foot cord that will reach across almost any any bed or couch. It also has a dual-cup canister design that funnels dust and debris into a separate waste chamber thats easily emptied with the push of a button.

The Jigoo cleaner has a 254-nanometer (nm) UV light, which is proven to eliminate bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. With 500 watts of power and a suction of 1.89 pounds per square inch (psi), the Jigoo vacuum provides cleaning power that can be hard to find in other handheld vacuuming devices. Plus, its high-speed brush picks up dust and pet hair quickly, so you dont have to hover over one area for an extended period or vacuum the same spot over and over again.

How We Tested It

If you thought using your regular vacuum on your couch and mattress was doing it cleaning justice, think again. I was used to swapping out the head on my Tineco Pure One Station to vacuum my couchnot any longer. If Im cleaning my couch for guests or changing out my sheets, Im pulling the Jigoo bed cleaner from the closet and putting it to work.

After seeing several TikTok videos featuring different mattress vacuums, I was skeptical that the Jigoo would be any better than my regular vacuum on household fabric surfaces. Quite frankly, I was anticipating it to be just another gimmick or unnecessary household appliance. However, living in a home that seems to accumulate dust and dander more than any other place Ive lived, I still held out hope that the bed vacuum would bring some relieve to my fabric surfaces. So, when the Jigoo box arrived at my doorstep, it took about five minutes for me to tear open the box, plug in the device and start using it on my couch.

Upon opening the box, I was impressed with the wide brush head (just over 9 inches) and rose gold finishing on the vacuum. Two additional filter and inlet sponges were included in the box, along with a cleaning brush for the device.

I should pause to say that my partner and I have purchased a new couch and bed within the last six months, and with it being the holiday season, I had recently vacuumed my couch for guests before the arrival of the Jigoo vacuum. That said, I wasnt expecting the vacuum to pick up much.

I was shocked. As I rolled the vacuum over the surface of my couch I was stunned (almost disgusted) with the amount of dust and dander I saw in the canister. It seemed to pick up everything on the surface of my fabric couch, and it also helped to reduce any lingering smells left behind by pets. My regular stick vacuum was not suctioning the surface of my couch like the Jigoo was. I vacuumed everything: the pillows, throw blankets and ottoman.

Then, I went to change my sheets and vacuumed the surface of my Cocoon mattress, along with the surface of my Eight Sleep Pod cover. Did I realize how much dust was sitting beneath my bed sheets? No, I did not. I found that the Jigoo vacuum reduced odors there and made the surface of my bed much smoother and cleaner looking. I also like that I can feel the heat output beneath the vacuum, which helps sanitize surfaces.

However, and this is a big however, my vacuums UV light doesn’t kick on when the vacuum is in use. Im still impressed with the suctioning and cleaning power, but I am disappointed that the UV light it came with is defective. I didnt notice this until after a few uses, and I havent contacted Jigoo or Amazon about a replacement yet.

Pros

• Strong suction power
• Visibly removes a ton of dust and dander from fabric surfaces
• High-speed brush roll
• LED screen tells you when surface is clean or dirty
• Easy to remove and clean canister
• Advanced HEPA filter
• Heat output kills germs

Cons

• Corded, but at 16 feet long, it should work for most people
• UV light on the bottom of my specific vacuum came defective

FAQ

Is it good to vacuum your bed?

Vacuuming your bed and mattress can help remove dust, allergens and debris from your sleeping space, in turn promoting a healthier nights rest. Of course, a cleaner, dust- and dirt-free bed looks better, too.

Can vacuuming your bed get rid of bed bugs?

Vacuuming alone cannot get rid of bed bugs, no matter how powerful the vacuum. Only very hot water and/or chemical treatment can get rid of bed bugs.

What Other Reviewers Had to Say

With an average of 4.8 out of five stars on Amazon, other reviewers are finding the Jigoo mattress vacuum cleanerimpressive, too. Overwhelmingly positive reviews also lead me to believe that most buyers didnt receive a somewhat defective product like I did. Heres what they have to say about the vacuum.

Mark Ziemann, a five-star reviewer, writes, Wowwho knew! This is one of those items that you never knew you neededuntil you used it! We live in Arizonathe land of dustand we work hard to keep our home dust free. We have long used a handheld beater-style vacuum that has always seemed pretty effective on our couches and mattresses, and we do a full bedding wash weeklyso I didn’t expect much from this gizmo… Color me surprised!

I’ve previously had a bed vacuum from another vender and it was OK,” shares D.R. Brown, another five-star reviewer. “It was smaller than this Jigoo mattress vacuum cleaner, meaning it took longer to use. This Jigoo mattress vacuum is larger than other mattress vacuums I’ve seen and has a powerful suction. I say this vacuum is delightful and disgusting because it does exactly what it’s supposed to do, but seeing the results of a filthy mattress you’ve been sleeping on is a bit disturbing. Despite the gross collections in the dustbin, I feel so much better after using this mattress vacuum.

Final Verdict

The Jigoo mattress vacuum cleaner is one of the most powerful and effective handheld vacuums Ive tested. It does wonders for keeping my mattress and couch clean and odor free. For those reasons, I would recommend it as a top choice when it comes to mattress vacuums. I also like the split canister that filters dust, debris and hair into one side for easy emptying and cleaning. While I appreciate the clean/dirty LED display light on the front of the vacuum as a guide while vacuuming, I am disappointed that the UV light on the bottom of mine doesnt work. My guess is that it’s a one-off issue, and I still find the Jigoo bed vacuum highly effective. Ill be using it every time I want to clean household fabric surfaces.

Where to Buy the Jigoo Mattress Vacuum Cleaner

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We Tried It

Jigoo Mattress Vacuum Cleaner

Meet the handheld vacuum that tells you when dust mites are eliminated from fabric surfaces.

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You can shop the Jigoo mattress vacuum cleaner onAmazon or Walmart. A cleaner night’s sleep is just a click away.

Article source here: We Tried This New Mattress Vacuum Cleaner, Because Your Bed Deserves a Little TLC