What home amenity would you automate...?

[CanWeComeIntoTheOutNow]

Having a discussion with a friend about how useful it would be to be able to remotely set a hot bath running for when you got home, or start the shower running to warm up before you got out of bed, much like I can do with the Feb real heating on my Nest app. We then got to discussing what else we'd set up to run remotely/on automated schedules if we could, like the kettle boiling or the oven preheating etc....

So, what (realistically*) would you want to control remotely?

*ie - obviously not feasible to get children to tidy their rooms etc...

Opening/closing curtains.

I can remotely turn lights off/on and preset the oven to warm but it turns out I am the only one who ever opens or shuts any curtains anywhere in the entire house.

A machine to collect dirty laundry, set the machine, hang it, fold it and put it back in the drawer.

Sounds blissful. It's the one job I detest!

Also - you already can turn your shower on from bed and ditto your bath. We have a Smarttap that puts a set amount of water and the right temperature.

Put the percolator on. I think you can get them with a timer I will have to get one next time I need a new one.

An automatic empty toilet tube remover and new roll replacer.

I’ve been getting weekly ‘emergency’ texts from all 4 dc because there’s no paper all though lockdown. And clearing the empty tubes that just get left on the cistern

Something to pick me up, carry me to bed, turn back the covers and put me in.

Preparing dinner. Including ordering all the ingredients from the supermarket.

Actually - I lie. This suggests I make my bed. I need something to make the bed, strip the covers weekly and wash them - as well as re-make the bed.

Dc that put themselves to bed via robot intervention..
No robot would listen to I need a drink /wee /extra blanket /more cuddles /blanket fell off /too hot /too cold.
Goodnight kid now stfu and get to sleep...

I used to have a shower that had a remote control, it didn’t quite work from my bedroom but It worked from the other rooms. When it broke it was £££ to fix so I took it out and had a normal one put in. It’s not much of a stretch that there would be an app version of the same thing now.

I know they’ve been around for years, but I’m waiting for my vacuum cleaner to die so I can buy a robot one.

Remote locking of doors.

The number of times I've gone to bed and realised I haven't locked the front door so have to tramp downstairs in the cold and dark is uncountable.

An app that I could use to just lock or unlock it from my phone would be amazing (obviously with some sort of security measure for when I inevitably loose my phone). It would mean one less thing to loose when out and about too re keys.

I would love a function in my fridge where I put the bag or box of stuff on a tray and it automatically sorts it all into the right shelf or drawer. Also a salad/veg drawer function which detects when they have gone past useability and shuffles all the wangy carrots and soft mangetout into a discard tray at the bottom.

Curtains and blinds opening and closing, something to empty the bin and dishwasher.

Emptying the cat litter trays.

I'd pay good money to not have to deal with their 💩 anymore

Remote control central locking.

Would need tweaking a little but you could set it to automatically put windows on locked vent as well as fully shut, all external doors would close and lock themselves at the press of the button, and, as you opened the car boot with sixteen bags of shopping, or wrestled a sleeping toddler out of a car seat, the front door would silently unlock and wedge itself open for you to avoid that doorstep juggle

A magazine rack that automatically chucks stuff in the recycling as soon as it is out of date, but goes through it first and cuts out any recipes worth trying.

A totally automated laundry system. Put dirty clothes in, and clean clothes appear in your wardrobe.

A fridge-freezer that defrosts its bloody self like it is supposed to.

I have (outrageously) had a WiFi oven installed recently. You can turn it on and off remotely, so I can preheat it from the car driving home, or turn it off from the sofa. Utterly ridiculous

Put the dog in one end and it comes out the other end brushed, washed and dried, nails cut, ears cleaned.

Teleporter machine to get me from home to work and back again without having to drive in traffic.

Set up a weed cutter to do the whole of the block paved drive efficiently and filling the joints with sand so they don't come back.

I was sorely tempted by a WiFi washing machine. Turning the washing machine on is the easiest part of the whole process, so I had a word with myself.

Put me on the list for central locking for the house and automated laundry system.

I’m sure you can get door locks that are app operated.

@pussycatinboots You can buy automated cat litter trays. Been around a while.