We've had shag carpet in the living room since 1981 (Mom chose it as a 50th birthday gift and yes, it's ever bit as hideous as you're imagining, especially if you're picturing it in shades of brown and orange, which she chose specifically to "hide stains from spilled coffee and Pepsi"). Because it's a rather small room, Dad or I usually just run a carpet sweeper over it but the last few times we used it, the roller brush fell out. Every year after Christmas, we haul out an ancient vacuum cleaner--complete with a nasty bag!--and give the living room a good vacuuming, but this morning, I plugged in the old vacuum cleaner and while it runs, it doesn't pick up even the lightest dropping (like the few needles the fake tree shed this season). The ONE thing in the house that should suck doesn't suck.
Do you have a vacuum cleaner you love and would recommend?