Some people might think that robot vacuum cleaners are a waste of money, but others swear by them. So, what’s the verdict? Are robot hoovers any good?
The Pros of Robot Vacuum Cleaners
1. They are very efficient and can clean large areas quickly.
One of the great things about robot hoovers is how efficient they are. Moving around the rooms, they can cover quite a distance and clean large areas quickly. Whilst they may be no match for the vacuum cleaner operated manually by a human, if you’re busy or don’t have the time, then these robot vacuums can take be relied on to clean the carpets, vinyl and wooden floors of large rooms
Don’t worry about the circular shape of the robot vacuums. They can still clean corners of the room. The iRobot Roomba, for instance, has extended brushes that protrude from the body of the vacuum cleaner. These arms collect the dust and debris using their extended reach and brush it into the path of the vacuum cleaner so then it can collect and suck up the dust.
A lot of robot cleaners come with a variety of different attachments and features that can be used for different cleaning tasks. Though the iRobot 800 series features a new technology called AeroForce which revolutionises the way in which debris, hair and dust is picked up, negating the need for a beater bar which is good news for those with different floor types.
2. They are very quiet and can be used in areas where people are likely to be disturbed.
Robot vacuum cleaners operate very quietly which means you won’t be disturbed when it goes around the room picking up crumbs. If it was loud, they wouldn’t be as popular as they are. This is in stark contrast to normal vacuum cleaners which cause that much racket you can’t hear yourself think at times.
The quietness of robot hoovers means they’re especially suitable when used in rooms where pets reside, especially those that frighten easily. You’ll have probably seen on the internet that some cats even use the robot vacuum cleaner as their own personal mode of transport. A vacuum cleaner and cat toy in one!
3. They are very easy to use and do not require a lot of maintenance.
The beauty of robot vacuum cleaners, and the reason why most people purchase them, is that they can clean the home for you with very little input required. It has inbuilt sensors to detect dirt and any obstacles that it needs to avoid, so that it can quietly go about its job of cleaning the floor of your room.
Some Roomba variants can map the room so they know where they’re going and what bits of the room they’ve cleaned. This is really useful if your Roomba runs out of power mid-clean. It can return itself to its charging dock, recharge its batteries and then continue cleaning the room once it has enough power.
Every so often, it’s best to clean the robot vacuum’s bristle and brushes to make sure any hair is removed that may be hindering the operation of the cleaner.
4. They are very affordable and can be used on a regular basis to keep your home clean.
When they first arrived on the scene, robot vacuum cleaners were expensive but as technology has developed and more brands have started to make their own versions, they’ve come down a lot in price making them more affordable for people to purchase.
The robot hoovers are really handy to programme and use to keep your home clean regularly with lifting a finger. If you’re using an app-operated cleaner, you can schedule it in to clean your room at a set time. This is ideal if you have a room which frequently gets messy, such as a room your cat or dog may frequent. During fur shedding season, this is ideal to help keep those allergies under control. Overall, robot vacuum cleaners are a great investment for those who want to keep their home clean on a regular basis without having to spend a lot of time doing it.
The Cons of Robot Vacuum Cleaners
1. They can get stuck
Unfortunately, there are times when robot vacuums can get stuck when cleaning the room’s surface. It requires human intervention to set the robot on the right path and if you happen to be out of the house when it gets stuck then your cleaning plans will be delayed.
If you use an app to operate the robot vacuum cleaner, then you’ll often get notifications if your vacuum gets stuck or runs into trouble. Likewise, it may make an audible announcement about this. In some cases, the robot vacuum may be over-dramatic about its predicament, claiming it’s stuck on a cliff when in fact it may be on the edge of a flight of stairs or simply stuck on the corner of a rug.
2. They can’t clean in hard to reach spaces
It may be obvious but robot vacuums also come up short when it comes to cleaning hard to reach surfaces, such as cleaning underneath a dining table. If you were using a handheld vacuum cleaner, you could easily pull out the chairs to get to the space underneath the table. Unfortunately, robot vacuum cleaners haven’t evolved into the futuristic butlers we’ve seen in the movies so furniture and obstacles such as this will still have to be cleaned manually.
3. They can take ages to clean a room
Robot vacuum cleaners are still no match for the speed and accuracy of a human and a manually-operated electric vacuum cleaner. A job that we can have done in 5-10 minutes will take a little robot cleaner a lot longer to tackle. They’re also not as powerful as the manually-operated vacuum cleaners which means a robot may need time to repeatedly go over a section in order to clean it. If you want a floor cleaned properly quickly, then nothing is going to beat doing it yourself.
4. They can make more mess
You may have already heard horror stories about robot cleaners but if you’ve not, then here’s one you need to be aware of. If your pet or even a family member has had an ‘accident’, the robot vacuum cleaner will likely not realise this and run through the mess and spread it around your room. So if you’ve a puppy that’s got a bad tummy and has soiled the floor, your robot cleaner may unfortunately make this problem 10x worse. This is more often a problem if your vacuum cleaner is set to clean on a schedule or when you’re out of the home and you’ve not encountered the mess it’s about to roll through.
The Verdict
Overall, robot vacuum cleaners are a great addition for those with limited time, restricted mobility or require a helping hand around the home. There’s no denying they have their pros and cons, but in the end, they’re worth the price if you’re looking for a robot vacuum cleaner to help you stay on top of the cleaning.
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