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What's A Dust Bunny?

By
Real Estate Agent with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty

I'm about to tell you, there are two meanings of a Dust Bunny or dustbunnies. Neither one should be seen in your house if it is on the market to be sold.

First Wikipedia, defines it as also called dustmice, small clumps of dust that form under beds and furniture in areas that are not cleaned often. They are made up of hair, lint, dust, rubbish and debris, and held together by static electricity. Besides being unsightly, they are harmful to electronics, because they can obstruct airflow, and ultimately shorten the live of electronic components. 

The second one is the product of a 19 year old college student. She loves and cares for her bunny, but does not always have time to fully clean her room.

While she was training her bunny to run free in her room, he went straight under the bed and came out with dust on his whiskers.

dust bunny


“Look a dustbunny!” I exclaimed. My daughter laughed and then snapped these photo’s. Isn’t he cute?


Dust bunny cleans up


In the end you see, even the bunny knows you have to clean up after dustbunnies!

Peter Pfann @ eXp Realty Pfanntastic Properties in Victoria, Since 1986.
eXp Realty, Victoria BC www.pfanntastic.com - Victoria, BC
Talk To or Text Peter 250-213-9490

HI Ellen,

Not that long ago we had so many bunnies running aroung our University and the regional hospital that they actually had to catch them and try to give them away to good homes all over the region.

But I think you may have found a much more productive use for the bunnies (dusting) but can they do dishes....;-)?

Mar 06, 2012 07:24 AM
Joshua Zargari
MJ Decorators Workshop LI staging and home decorating - Lynbrook, NY
MJ Decorators Workshop

Hi Ellen.

I enjoyed reading your post.

A nice story...No dust here either...lol

Have a great week.

Mar 06, 2012 07:50 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Yes, the bunny is so cute.  sometimes, the way one of my cats sits, he looks like a bunny and I tell him that and how cute he is.  He purrs, so he's happy...but then again, he might just be happy because I'm cuddling w/ him and he loves that.

Mar 06, 2012 08:05 AM
Ginny Gorman
RI Real Estate Services ~ 401-529-7849~ RI Waterfront Real Estate - North Kingstown, RI
Homes for Sale in Southern RI and beyond

You are a wit for sure Ellen...i definitely need one of those..oh, my large cat does tend to come out from under & is covered with stuff!...good thing i keep the sparkly red shoes contained!

Mar 06, 2012 08:27 AM
Jill Sackler
Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500 - Long Beach, NY
LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate

I'm so glad your daughter is loving and caring for her new bunny.

Mar 06, 2012 08:38 AM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Peter & Linda, I know what you mean, we left our two bunnies (Pes we had during vacation in Italy) with friends, we came back the next year to hundreds, several were dinner already. And no no dishes yet, but i may wet him and have him hop/mop around! LOL

Josh, having a bit of fun today!

Debbie, This bunny loves to be held too, his freedom is new, so when he's out discovering he wants no part of us.

Ginny, I surprise myself with what I come up with sometimes, must be in the water I drink!

Jill, she sure does.... ofter more than her family! LOL

Mar 06, 2012 09:11 AM
Janis Borgueta
Newburgh, NY
Retired RE Salesperson

Ahhhhchooo.. Dustbunnies certainly don't do well in homes for showing.. Homes need to be clean and dust free.

Mar 06, 2012 09:57 AM
Lee & Carol Barbour, REALTORS
Murphy and Hayesville, NC; Hiawassee, Blairsville, Blue Ridge GA - Murphy, NC
Mountain Living Team in Murphy NC and North GA

Oh how cute. Now that's a self dusting bunny I'd have in our home.

Mar 06, 2012 11:31 AM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Janis, no sneezes just a few Cheerios as a reward!

Lee & Carol, thanks, but I'd have to admit my house is to big for one dust bunny, he'd need to multiply!

Mar 06, 2012 11:47 AM
Kristine Ginsberg
Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ
NJ Home Stager

Ellen - that's so cute and I'm so glad your daughter is enjoying and loving her new bunny - what a cutie! I'll take your dauther's "dust" bunny any day over Wikipedia's dust bunny! As a clean freak I vacuum at least 3 times a week to avoid the gross dust bunnies you find under beds. Now I have a second reason to keep them away - I did't know they can effect electronics. Thanks for the tip and I hope to talk soon. I was in Sedona when you called with no reception. We'll catch up this week GF!

Mar 06, 2012 11:38 PM
Gail Fabiani
Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage - Burlington, ON

Love it.  My dad's house had a lot of dust bunnies under the bed.  Guess he rarely vacuumed.

Mar 07, 2012 12:07 AM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Kristine, Gad to see you back. She still is emotional over the one she lost, but does love this one as well. And in my house you don't usually find dustbunnies anywhere, but I try to get my daughters to keep their own rooms clean, and they think if you don't see it, its not there. I need to yell to get them to look under the furniture, of do it myself, which I often do when I get frustrated.

Gail, These days a swifter is just as easy with wood floors.

Mar 07, 2012 05:44 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Hi Ellen, came to see if you were writing the Dust Bunny chronicles 2 yet. :) I use swifter type cleaners too...love wood floors. Nice to chat today, and a I love your marketing creativity.

Mar 07, 2012 07:09 AM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Debb, love your boxers....old ones make good rags for cleaning up! LOL I will fix those that I told you of after I do another Whale Tale, and a volunteer design project for the school junior prom. Thats me always busy!

Mar 07, 2012 09:32 AM
Rob Lang
At Home Kansas - Shawnee, KS
Local Expert in NE Central Kansas Real Estate Home

Hi Ellen, what a humurous post. Looks like a good cleaning helper!

Mar 07, 2012 03:38 PM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Lawrence, Thanks, my usual style is to give a bit of humor and tie it to something in Real Estate. Why not use the things that surround us!

Mar 07, 2012 07:40 PM
Rebecca Gaujot, RealtorĀ®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Ellen, wow that is a lost of dust ... Glad to see photos of the bunny...(s)he sure is growing.

Mar 08, 2012 03:11 PM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Rebecca, he is a cutie and loves some independence, but leave the dust for my daughter to clean.

Mar 08, 2012 07:38 PM
Gail C. Harris
Resource Network, LLC SFR, AHWD, ACRE, SMAR Board Director - Chesapeake Beach, MD
Reach the BEACH with Gail C. Harris (cell: 703.868

Very, very cute.  Hope all is good with you. We're doing good down here. :) Gail

Mar 09, 2012 01:45 AM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Gail, That cute bunny just got put away in his cage....misusing his freedom power.

Glad your well! And we are all doing well... a busy year at that. Joe's getting back to building, my daughter 2nd year in college, my son looking for colleges to start in the fall, and my youngest learning to drive. Me blogging, keeping home, dealing in RE and creating a website for my husbands business.

Mar 09, 2012 02:15 AM