Alison Keenan was just on with that annoying little man that chucks dirt on the floor. They were demonstrating some sort of round robot automatic vacuum cleaner. The idea is that you leave it while you go out and it goes round and round, vacuuming the floor. I quite like the idea of this device and it looks fun. Has anybody used them? Are they any good? I saw something similar a couple of years ago but it was expensive. It looks like it might be good for my laminate floors. Thank you for any information.
Robot vacuum help.
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maymorganlondon
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best thing to do is to google them and then read reviews on other sites. I notice this thing they were pushing is from the H2O stable, which would immediately set alarm bells ringing.
The daddy of this category is the roomba, and Ideal World are currently selling a model from the roomba range. There is also a Vileda product. Best reviews are the ones on Amazon.
I hate vacuuming and also have very little concept of time (like remembering when did I last do that...) so have been toying with the idea. It does sound like they are not a complete substitute for really heavy use, or hard to get-to areas, but great for day to day maintenance. Some have a docker which they return to and charge. Otherwise you have to remember to charge it... and you have to remember to empty it to ensure it's got optimum pick-up performance.
The daddy of this category is the roomba, and Ideal World are currently selling a model from the roomba range. There is also a Vileda product. Best reviews are the ones on Amazon.
I hate vacuuming and also have very little concept of time (like remembering when did I last do that...) so have been toying with the idea. It does sound like they are not a complete substitute for really heavy use, or hard to get-to areas, but great for day to day maintenance. Some have a docker which they return to and charge. Otherwise you have to remember to charge it... and you have to remember to empty it to ensure it's got optimum pick-up performance.
Thank you, May, I will look into this. I usually just vacuum once a week. I actually quite like vacuuming as I hate dust, but I thought I could get the robot and just set it loose 2 or 3 times a week and then I wouldn't have to worry about dust etc. I could get one and try it on the 30 day MBG. I'm half tempted to order one. I was quite taken with the idea of this robot.
iloveshopping
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I have the Rooma 555 which has a scheduler. I have set it to vacuum the sitting room 3 times a week in the afternoon. It does have a small container so needs emptying quite frequently on carpeted floors. It will need less emptying on hard floors. Mine comes with lighthouses which allows me to set them up so that the roomba will avoid certain areas or rooms. It will eat the cords from mobile phone chargers though it does try to spit them out. I make sure there are none on the floor. It is still necessary to vacuum the edges of the room every month or so at least on carpet. It may be ok on a hardwood floor.
I bought my original one from John Lewis about 4 years ago and pad for a warranty which I invoked and got a new one after about 2 years as it was unrepairable. The new one is probably 2 years old now and seems ok. If it breaks soon I will use sale of goods act as 2 years is not sufficient for such an xpensive item.
Mine occasionally cannot find its way back to its charger but generally does.
I love mine and would not want to be without one
If you buy one without a scheduler then you can just start it off and it will dock itself when it has decided that it has finished its job.
Mine seems to spend different amounts of time cleaning from one day to the next but it does seem to cover everything eventually
Thank you, Shopping for this useful info. It seems like you've had one of these robots for a while. They sound good. I might try it under the 30-day MBG and see if it works.
Tinkerbelle
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We had one in our office and it worked perfectly well but the cable chewing was a real issue. More a people problem than the hoover's fault. Things like paper clips gummed it up too. It also used to struggle to find its way back to the docking station. We used to call it Stupid but actually it was a very clever piece of kit.
stratobuddy
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Based on the above comments, I've just "invented" a new design, and this is my copyright for it!
The docking station would be about 4 inches/10cm high, with a ramp for the cleaner to get onto the top of it to charge.
The bottom of the docking station would actually be a dirt container, and easy to empty.
Whenever the cleaner needed charging, or if it was becoming full, it would go onto the docking station and empty its own dirt container into the much larger docking station container, which you could just empty when convenient, and MUCH less frequently than the cleaner itself.
Therefore the cleaner would always operate at full efficiency, without a clogged up dirt container spoiling the suction.
The docking station would be about 4 inches/10cm high, with a ramp for the cleaner to get onto the top of it to charge.
The bottom of the docking station would actually be a dirt container, and easy to empty.
Whenever the cleaner needed charging, or if it was becoming full, it would go onto the docking station and empty its own dirt container into the much larger docking station container, which you could just empty when convenient, and MUCH less frequently than the cleaner itself.
Therefore the cleaner would always operate at full efficiency, without a clogged up dirt container spoiling the suction.
I bought my IRobot Roomba in 2008 and wouldn't be without it. I took out an extended warranty and when that ended I took out yearly cover. It has needed repairs a few times and I think that further cover may be declined next time it needs renewing but I will then buy a new one.
I use it everyday because it gives that clean just hoovered look to the house. My ground floor is open plan so I just start it and off it goes. It does occasionally get shut in the downstairs loo when it pushes the door shut when cleaning in there. At the end of cleaning it goes back to its docking station. For upstairs I take it up with its docking station and open all the bedroom doors and it goes in and out cleaning each room. I only use it when I am home and don't know if it will set the alarm off if it is going around the house with the alarm set.
We also vacuum once a week with the Dyson because it gives a more intense clean. Beware that the robot sweeper being sold by QVC is a sweeper and not a vacuum cleaner, hence the price. Ideal world have the IRobot Roomba for £299. That's a good price and I paid a lot more for mine 8 years ago.
Hope this helps
I use it everyday because it gives that clean just hoovered look to the house. My ground floor is open plan so I just start it and off it goes. It does occasionally get shut in the downstairs loo when it pushes the door shut when cleaning in there. At the end of cleaning it goes back to its docking station. For upstairs I take it up with its docking station and open all the bedroom doors and it goes in and out cleaning each room. I only use it when I am home and don't know if it will set the alarm off if it is going around the house with the alarm set.
We also vacuum once a week with the Dyson because it gives a more intense clean. Beware that the robot sweeper being sold by QVC is a sweeper and not a vacuum cleaner, hence the price. Ideal world have the IRobot Roomba for £299. That's a good price and I paid a lot more for mine 8 years ago.
Hope this helps
Great idea! Patent it!
iloveshopping
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Generally the ones that are cheaper only do laminate floors. The roomba does both. I only have carpets at the moment which it does well.
I have the utterly amazing irobot roomba 880. It is a superb and reliable steady worker and super efficient. I treated myself after my husband died when I realised that I couldn`t cope with all the housework on my own and I would definitely buy one again. It is however very very expensive, over £500 but it enables me to cope without a cleaner coming in. My neighbour has a cleaner but I value my privacy and not being tied. In the time I have had it and comparing with the cost of a cleaner, it has well and truly paid for itself and all I have to do now is dust and bathrooms and having got rid of dusting clutter, well dusting is now just a quick flick. Off for a shower now, I`ll just set fred to work in the kichen and dining to start with. Then the living area, snug, hall and utility. I have to empty the large collection bin but that is so satisfying, I just wonder where the dust comes from as there is just me and no pets
Thank you snip. I am sorry to hear of your loss. It's nice to know that the technology relieves you of the burden of the chores. It seems like these robot vacuums are good. I don't think I can stretch to the Roomba but I will buy the Robopal and give it a try on QVC's 30-day MBG. Thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge about these things. This forum can be immensely helpful.
