Christmas may be about a new Lexus for some crazy people, but this year I wanted a Roomba. Those Roomba commercials and a review on another blog got me all psyched up for trying one. And I'm so mesmerized by her that I literally stop what I'm doing to watch her vacuum the dining room, thereby completely decreasing my efficiency (and probably adding to her little robot anxiety).
Now Mike isn't sold on this new family member. And the children fear she will eat their toes. But I love the idea that I could just set her up and leave to take a shower and come back with a swept kitchen floor (after I learn to stop staring, of course).
There's some truth to the fact that she still learning to manage around all the chair legs and furniture. And she gets perplexed by a certain portion of my sisal rug. However, I am learning more each day about how I can help her be more efficient and utilize some of the settings better.
Now, if you've ever wondered about Roombas, here's a few quick details:
- They're expensive (boo!), but Mike got ours at deeply discounted Costco and you can find refurbished ones on Amazon.
- You have to be disciplined about cleaning it out after each use (I'm the worst at this but I'm trying).
- The Roomba comes with virtual "walls" that you can position in entry ways (sorry for rotten photo quality). These walls keep the Roomba in the area you want.
- Using the "spot" setting makes sure it gets your crazy messy areas taken care of first (like under our dining table). I do a couple of "spots" and then let it go crazy on it's own.
- You have to get used to the Roomba taking a much longer time than vacuuming yourself. Sounds obvious, but I find myself getting nervous that it's missing spots, but when I walk away, it does it's thing eventually.
So now I want to know... Any Roomba advice? Or other secret awesome cleaning tips that you're willing to share?
5 comments:
oooh, I've been wondering about/mildly coveting a roomba for years. I want an updated review after you've had it longer!
is it too loud or could you set it at night after the kids are in bed? I think some people have it running around unused rooms around 9 or 10 p.m. but it sounds like you're more of a middle of the day gal.
It's a little loud, particularly given that the kids rooms are so close to the dining room. I suspect I will use it most regularly after the kids go to school in the morning and after dinner (but prior to kid bedtimes).
I've been wanting one forever! I want the pet version because our dog sheds so much. Is it a bitch to clean out?
I've been wanting one forever! I want the pet version because our dog sheds so much. Is it a bitch to clean out?
Jessica, no, it's not bad, it's more just remembering to do it. I don't think it's difficult at all. Mine says it's designed for pet hair.
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