I keep seeing those ads about the floor vacuum that does it all by itself. I think they are called Rumba or Roomba. I know we have all seen the kitty cat riding on one. But I've never known anyone that I could ask about them. Have any of you bought one, or know anyone that has? I can keep this big old place clean, but sweeping or vacuuming kill my back, so I was wondering if one of these little machines would work for me. I afraid to ask what they may cost. So, have any of you got any opinions on these little contraptions?
We don't have any carpeting but I think they have similar things for hardwood floors as well. I would love to have one of them, not so much for the cleaning, although having something capable of going under furniture might be nice, but mostly I want one because I'm sure it would freak out the cats and that might be amusing.
Ina, I'm no help, but I've wondered the same thing for years. I was in the store Sunday buying room humidifiers and saw a big Roomba display. It got me thinking again how I had previously tried to look into how this robot works. It seemed to me that after setting up the room's parameters some corners might be missed by the vac. I also hope someone here has info.
I'm sure Pickles would get a kick out of it, when I vacuum he's always barking at it and then running away, then coming back, lol. They've been around for awhile Ina, so I would guess the price has come down and they must do a good job if they're still in business ....I just can't picture working for me though. I have so many different surfaces. Carpeting, tile, wood floor and area rugs.
Chrissy my doggie runs away from the vac...and runs back to it. Away, back, away, back. She doesn't bark though. What's up with the back and forth do you think?
Wow, I just looked them up on Amazon, and they go from $350. To $900. I think I'll just have to take a pain pill after doing my floors. And you guys know how great I am with technological things, so I'd best leave the little gadget alone. Oh well, another great idea fizzles out once more.
Wow, that's a lot! If they worked really well though $350 wouldn't be too bad but $900 is way too much. I have the same issues vacuuming, it kills my back! I don't do the whole house at once. One room every month, lol and just kidding.
I think a robot vacuum or floor mopping thingy would drive our kitty up a wall! She absolutely hates the regular vacuum and goes running to hide every time I open the closet door where it's kept... she knows that sound and *I* know that I'll be able to find her cowering in the corner or under something. If I get too close to where she's hiding, I suddenly see her jump out and hiss at that big ol' loud monster that's out to destroy the world. I just looked them up... seems to be all sorts and sizes. I don't think I'd want to "buy cheap" on something like this because that would probably mean an inferior product. They seem to run from $300 to $900 for the middle of the road models. There's one that must almost be like a toy... it's manufactured by O'Cedar and is $20... any bets on how long *that* would last?!
Ina, about 10 years ago, when my youngest daughter was pregnant, I bought her a Roomba vac. She was working long hours and on her feet most of the time, so I thought it would be a nice gift. It seemed to work fairly well on the bare floors and carpeting they had. As I recall, it would get hung up sometimes in tight places and need to be directed, but in general it did pick up pretty good. She had dogs too. Sorry ..don't remember how many years she got out of it ... She's back to a standard upright these days. For me and my back problems, I finally found a vacuum I love. A Shark!! I think it was invented by a woman , a woman with back problems ..lol It is the best vacuum I've ever owned. Can't say anything bad about it, and I actually look forward to cleaning the floors. I have both carpet and tile. No pain pills needed. ... really .. A link to the Shark on Amazon, and their reviews . I bought mine at WalMart. http://www.amazon.com/Shark-Navigator-Lift-Away-Professional-NV356E/dp/B005KMDV9A/ref=sr_1_1?s=vacuums&ie=UTF8&qid=1452798401&sr=1-1&keywords=shark+vacuum+cleaners
My expensive Hoover upright is still too new to retire in favor of a Shark at this point, but after that last time doing the living room carpet and ending up in the emergency room this past summer with the back, my grandson, a young man, does it now. Whew!
A few years ago, Robin got me a Roomba and I loved it ! She found a sale where she got one either free or half price, and bought us both one. . @Ina I. Wonder , I think that you would love having one ! They will not get every inch of the house every time; but there are little sensor gadgets that block the Roomba into the room where you want it to work, so you can let it do a room at a time, or just wander around everywhere. They will go under beds and couches that you can't get a vacuum underneath, so they will keep all of those hard to get areas clean, too. You DO need to be home when you run Roomba though,because it can get wedged into a corner if it is under the couch or somewhere that there are enough obstacles to get itself stuck into. When it does this, it will send out a cute little "call for help" and then you just have to come and get Roomba loose from wherever she was stuck and let her finish doing her job. The Roomba has a homing sensor, and when the battery starts to get low, then Roomba will stop whatever she is doing and head for her docking station and put herself away to be charged, so it is always charged up and ready to use. Even though they do not get every single bit of the floor each time, they do get most of it, and you can just "let Roomba out to play" for a while every day or so, and they will keep all kinds of dirt and hair scooped up. It is easy to take care of, and should last for years. There is also a mopping robot called Scooba, and this one will actually do a great job of keeping the floors mopped and clean. We used that one in the kitchen and bathroom, because there was carpet every where else. With the little sensors that keep the robot in the area where you want it; you can stop it from going into other rooms that you do not want them to go in. There are other brands of robot cleaners that are cheaper than the actual Roomba. I have seen some for around $200; but I do not know how the quality would compare.
Wow, I thought the prices had come down more than that. They're still pretty expensive. I had a Shark when I first heard of them, but for some reason it didn't last long. It seems the newer ones work better and have a longer life span, which is nice. I have an Oreck right now, but it doesn't work nearly as well as it should. My friend laughs at me because I've gone through about 5 vacuums in the time we've known each other, versus one time for him. I think I have that thing in my system that kills mechanical devices, because nothing seems to last long around me. That Scooba sounds interesting. I only have small non-carpeted areas, but I'd be happy to have something like that in the kitchen, since that's the door I usually come in, and track a mess in almost every time.
Don't know much about them...but remember reading about some couple that let theirs roam and clean while they slept. Do not remember details...but end result was not good.