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Housekeeping

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Original poster

SOOOO after day one of the ROOMBA.......the verdict is.........

181 replies

NotAnOtter · 12/10/2008 20:03

the jury is out....

although i lurve it and it does a REALLY good job afaic

i t CHARGES for longer than it is on..

i am now timing it as i am astounded by how long it takes to charge

it was on for one hour exactly and now it has been docked again for 45 minutes and counting

does his sound right?

OP posts:
chloemegjess · 20/10/2008 08:26

Forgot to say, ours is called Mike. DH named him (he is just as sad as me!). DH annoyed me actually as I set him off again when I went to bed and asked DH to plug him back in before he came up as he was staying up watchinfootball. Well he didn't so now I have to wait for him to charge I wanted to set him off in my bathroom when I woke up so that it was done before school run and then I could set him in the kitchen while I was doing school run and then mop both when I get back. Then I could put him on charge so he could do upstairs after DDs morning nap.

He keeps getting stuck under the wardrobes. Trouble is, I can't reach there so there are probably bits under there he is getting caught in as hight wise he is small enough and he managed to do under the toy box inthe living room perfectly, which means I don't need to do it. Might even put the legs on our sofas! They were new this year and we didn't bother putting them on as that would mean cleaning under them all the time

We let DD sit on the floor yesterday when he was going and it was so funny. She was crawling after him but as soon as he came towards her, she w diving out of the way. She liked him though and it kept her amused. She is 9 months by the way. When he stopped, she was touching him but really carefully as she was still very wary of him!

Its really sad how much I have to say about this little hoover but I just think I got such a bargain!

Suedonim · 20/10/2008 10:20

LOL at not putting the sofa legs on! And the baby/roomba interaction is cute.

Felicity is whirring away as I type, although it's not really saving me any time as I just stand there watching it bimbling around.

ilove · 20/10/2008 10:59

I want one. I do I do I do

chloemegjess · 20/10/2008 12:22

ilove - I have the £40 version so could be an xmas pressie?

Suedonim · 20/10/2008 12:49

LOLOL! I emptied Felicity (have new carpets so lots of fluff) and set her back to work. I went in later to check on her and found I hadn't put the dirt container on properly so it had detached and she was merrily moving dust and fluff around without it actually being gathered up!

I was impressed that there was a large stone inside, it's really quite effective. She's having some fud now.

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 20/10/2008 14:17

chloe ~ You've convinced me!! I've ordered mine and its coming tomorrow afternoon .... oh heck, don't think I can wait, I'm far to excited

chloemegjess · 20/10/2008 15:06

hehe, it is good. I am sure you will be happy with it Jellyshoes. Do leave it on charge though. Mine kept stopping on day 1 although didn't go red light so not 100% sure it was the battery but it has been in almost constant use ever since and hasn't done it again. COnsidering most good toys are £50 or so, this is a good buy for £40.

God I sound like I am trying to sell him!

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 21/10/2008 08:13

chloe ~ oooooooo, today is my due date . Oh yes, thank you for reminding me that I must not to wish away his first and most important nap and put him to toddle too soon . £40 + the delivery is a bargain, although whether it will have the same lifespan of the Roomba I don't know. I always go on the theory that you get what you pay for ...... but then I don't know how well the Roomba would last so £40 rather than £200 is worth the gamble.

I was tempted by the £99 Roomba but I've only recently treated myself to one of those iron presses (absolutely the bees knees for ironing BTW) so fancied "saving" £50. Thanks again chloe, and I'll be back to update about my new little chap.

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 21/10/2008 13:41

Oh flip, I just saw a deliveryvan and thought it was for our house, ran out into street (thinking I had missed him knocking on the door) just to be told it was a delivery for a neighbour . I hate waiting!!!

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 21/10/2008 17:01

Phylis has been unpacked and is napping ... I did cheat and put her to go in the LR and sat and watched as she chased my dust bunnies around .... I couldn't resist

chloemegjess · 21/10/2008 17:34

I am actually very tempted to ask for a second one for xmas . It is so good BUT as we live in a cotaage with lots of small rooms, I can't get him to do the house in one day as it doesn't give me enough time to charge. Would be so good to have one upstairs and one down.

I can honestly say, I haven't used my expensive dyson ball since I got him. We have a mini chargeable dyson thing which we do the stairs and sofas etc with but Mike has done the rest!

I finish childminding at 5.30 - child just gone home. So my plan is that each day at 5.30 he will do my living room and hallway while I sort dinner, DD and clear up after mindees. And then I can also set him off somewhere else in the morning when I do the school run, depending on where needs doing most. On the days DH is on lates or staying up late, I can get him to do a 3rd run when I go to bed as DH can put him back on charge before he goes to bed.

Love it!

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 21/10/2008 18:17

I don't see why not at £40!! Its my Bil and Sil's 25th wedding anniversary next month and was unsure about what to get them, I might get them one of these now. They aren't into ornaments so something silver would just be classed as clutter, they both work and are always complaining about who does the most housework

chloemegjess · 21/10/2008 22:53

I just wich I could afford to get the one that washes the hard floors too but I looked on ebay at we are talking £200 ish I think.

Think this would be a good gilf for the anerversery pressie. I was thinking about getting one for my sister but she has all hard floors and 2 dogs so I think it wouldn't help her too much as I think she just mops everyday and doesn't really hoover much so wouldn't help.

How are you getting on with your new edition? Hope she is good as I recomended it!

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 21/10/2008 23:30

Phylis is now napping . I've got laminate downstairs apart from the kitchen so I've got those dirt catcher mats at the front door and back door. I shook off the mat for the front door and set her to go on S. When she had gone around a couple of times I could still see grit left on the laminate so at first I thought I'd made a mistake getting her, anyway, I shut the door and let her do her thing. Go back in later to check on her and everything had gone .

I then put her to go in the kitchen, utility and breakfast room, the dog wasn't impressed with this and the DCs kept teasing Phylis but she just toodled around them even chased the dog at one point making him do a hoppy kind of dance to escape her.

I've discovered that I have too much furniture, I just want to see her go whizzing without getting caught up in legs of chairs, tables and stuff on floors that shouldn't have been there in the first place. I'll need to make sure that upstairs is Phylis-proof before setting her loose up there.

TBH I can't see her replacing my Dyson completely, its a much deeper clean with Dyson, but she is saving me sweeping downstairs before I have to swift so good on her

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 21/10/2008 23:42

I've got one of these for my hard floors I fill it with diluted Dettol and swish over everywhere, no drying marks and it dries quickly. The pads I have are washable for up to 25 washes also so I don't need to buy disposable pads. I have to do this everyday for the hallway, kitchen, utility and BR with the dog so need something quick.

Suedonim · 22/10/2008 01:03

Felicity is sick! She keeps stopping and beeping, telling me her brushes aren't working. But I've cleaned it all, twice and she still keeps stopping.

ninedragons · 22/10/2008 03:45

Can anyone tell me what the model number is of the latest one? I want to get one for Christmas but am scared about being sold an old model.

DD is crawling and it's the only way I'm ever going to ensure she doesn't do her BLW on cat hair, mysterious bits of plastic and dust.

chloemegjess · 22/10/2008 09:47

oh no sue. I hope she feels better after a good rest? Is she the proper rooba? How old is she?

I set mike to go round the living room and hallway when I did the school run but came back and I can't find her and the job is not done. I think she is unde the toy box but my bump doesn't allow me to get there very easily!

Ninedragons - My DD is also crawling and I was finding it impossible to stop her getting bits off the carpet but Mike has solved that problem completely.

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 22/10/2008 10:23

Sorry to hear that sue . Have you looked at the troubleshooting section in your manual? Checked the filter? Something caught in a wheel? Phoned a helpline? Sorry if I'm no help, I'm just suggesting what I would look at.

chloemegjess · 22/10/2008 10:32

I am really amazed at how much dirt mine collects. I am emptying him every time I use him.

I am not sure if I am being silly but when the man came this morning to fix our loo and Mike was hooving, I switched him off as I was a bit about having a robot hoover! I just didnt want to appear to be somebody who spends loads of money on gadgets etc when he was actually cheaper than most hoovers.

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 22/10/2008 10:36

If you want to rehome him, he can come here and chase dust bunnies to his hearts content

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 22/10/2008 12:30

I've just put Phylis through her paces upstairs, we have carpet up there. Although she is doing a good job making the carpet stand up nicely, I think I'll keep her to the hard floors downstairs afterall and leave my Dyson to take the strain. Don't want to burn her out before she is run in.

I love the gentle bump bump bump she does

Phylis picks up loads too, I thought the house was clean

Suedonim · 22/10/2008 13:55

Felicity seems to be ok now I don't know why she kept doing that, I cleaned everything I could see. Maybe it was a tantrum! She's only 4 days old, so shouldn't give up the ghost just yet. She's the basic Roomba, btw.

This morning I put her work in my bedroom/bathroom and landing and she's done a really good job. The carpets in the bedroom and bathroom (I know, yuk!) are really hard to vacuum but she seems to have picked up so much dirt. The only problem is that my old-fashioned furniture has curved lower edges, which dip down in the centre. She got underneath at the side then got well and truly wedged when she tried to move into the middle. I had to set up an elaborate system or barriers, lol!

chloemegjess · 24/10/2008 11:47

Sue - Is she still ok? Hope so!

My poor Mike has been used as soon as he is charged ever since I got him! He is used at least twice a day! Poor guy!

I am going to ask for another one for my Christmas present. I love it too much. Would love to have one to keep upstairs and set him off when I get up in the morning.

My downstairs gets so dirty that he doesn't get a chance to go up there. 3 cats and a baby, a messy Daddy and a Lazy mummy! Opps!

chloemegjess · 24/10/2008 14:44

Have just given him a try upstairs in DDs room and it couldn't cope with her rug, which is very small/thin so I thought it would be ok. Not too bad though, have just shaken it off and put it out of the way for now.