3. January 2013 04:51
Floors dusty, cushions covered in dust bunnies, carpets soiled? Usually that’s a sign that you and your home are in need of a good vacuuming. But vacuums have more capabilities than just their standard yet versatile floor-cleaning functions. Especially nowadays, with the added features of air filtration, wet pickup, and a slew of other previously unimaginable uses, vacuums are proving to be the go-to appliance for otherwise unmanageable or perceptibly unsolvable situations, from giving hair cuts without making a mess to using a fire-proof vacuum to clean out fireplaces. And it seems like every week somebody else out there finds a new and useful purpose for his or her vacuum cleaner.
Most recently, The Vatican has announced that they will be installing a massive vacuum cleaner system for a use that many people have probably tried but nobody has actually considered making the primary purpose for their vacuum. Every day, tens of thousands of tourists pour into Vatican City, the tiny sovereign nation recognized as the religious headquarters of the Catholic Church where the Pope and other high-ranking members of the church reside, and an overwhelming majority of these swarming tourists have come to see one primary site, among the beautiful artwork, exquisite architecture, and fascinating history, and that is Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel ceiling painting. While gazing at and observing the painting and other centuries-old canvases won’t do any damage to them, the dust, moisture, and foreign particles that the tourists bring with them into Vatican City can, over time, deteriorate the aging wonders of The Vatican. After what may have been hours, months, years, or decades of brainstorming or perhaps just one Vatican custodian’s bright idea, the tiny independent nation has decided to install a complex vacuum cleaner system intended to remove dust, debris, and moisture from the tens of thousands of daily Vatican entrants.
The primary result of not having a high-powered vacuum system in place has been a buildup of grime on the paintings, sculptures, and the fine details of the architecture. The grime is a mixture of dust, skin flakes, hair, and miscellaneous debris that, when combined with the moisture from sweat and humidity, turns into a gradual layer of intrusive grunge on the beautiful artwork, a hazard that is both harmful to the integrity of the pieces but also makes them less attractive. The new vacuum system will integrate high levels of traditional suction and state-of-the-art technology to allow for unique strategies to clean the tourists such as carpeting that will literally suck the debris from people’s shoes.