Do you have a Roomba? Do you like it?

[Julie in CA]

I find myself coveting a Roomba. I have a huge allergy flare-up when I vacuum my bedroom, so I put it off, then I find myself having terrible problems because I'm sleeping/spending time in a dusty room! :glare:

 

I think I want to try a Roomba, but do I *really* want to try a Roomba?

 

 

p.s. I'm doing Christmas shopping, trying to get it done early, so I have Christmas in mind. Now's the time for me to start dropping hints if I want dh to *get* what I want! ;) I'm torn between a Roomba and one other item, and I'm lookin' for input.

[elfgivas]

yes, you really, really, reallllllly want a roomba. we love ours. our oldest dd and her husband love theirs.

 

oh, and you need a scooba, too, so you can send it to me. ;)

 

ann

[Julie in CA]

yes, you really, really, reallllllly want a roomba. we love ours. our oldest dd and her husband love theirs.

 

oh, and you need a scooba, too, so you can send it to me. ;)

 

ann

Have you had yours long? Have you had to replace the battery? And finally, do you have furry pets in the house?

[Parrothead]

Does it work on linoleum or possibly hardwood?

[MotherMayI]

I think I want one for Christmas too! I am also curious about the scooba since it says you don't have to sweep first...any input :bigear:. I did purchase the above ground swimming pool robot (I can't remember the name of it) and I love it!

[Amber in AUS]

I bought a Roomba about 1 month ago and have used it every day since. I LOVE it! This was absolutely the best purchase i have ever made in the gadget department. We have a Dyson regular upright vac and i just couldn't help myself getting the Roomba. I love that i can put it on when i go out. That the kids can put it on. That i no longer have to sweep under the table after every meal the Roomba does it. My house is SO much cleaner as a result. It is a very effective cleaner and i clean out the chamber and brushes every day or 2.

 

I have been so very impressed that i now have the Scooba on my Christmas wishlist :D

[Mom in High Heels]

My mom has 2 Roombas (one for the front of the house and one for the back-they have a really big house) and loves them. She's had them for about 5 years now and had to replace the battery in one. She has 2 very furry little dogs (Lassa Apso) so there is lots of dog hair. They have hardwood, carpet, and ceramic tiles in their house and it works on all of them. She wants a Scooba next so she doesn't have to mop the kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms or sun room anymore. :)

I'm thinking of getting one myself because they are awesome.

[hana]

Love our Roomba--use it daily. (Use the Dyson about twice a week, too.)

 

Instead of the Scooba, we're getting a Mint floor cleaner. It uses wet cleaning cloths, so it doesn't wash as well as the Scooba, but it gets corners better and is less messy/work because it doesn't have the water tank. I don't mind doing an occasional down-on-the-floor scrub, so I think the Mint will meet our daily/every-other-day washing up needs.

[NanceXToo]

Want mine? I never use it!

 

Heh. My husband bought me one for mother's day a couple of years ago. We all gathered round to watch it vacuum. We thought it was the neatest thing ever. Like, we seriously just sat on the couch and watched this thing vacuum.

 

We even named it. Cindy (short for Cinderella, because it did the work for me)!

 

With all that said, the novelty quickly wore off, I found that it was taking FOREVER, and I mean FOREVER to vacuum a room, it would go over the same spot about ten thousand times, and if I left it to vacuum overnight and went to bed, I'd wake up to find that it had returned to its docking station at some point to recharge, inevitably leaving some spot that hadn't been finished (probably because it wore out its batteries going over some other spot forty-two thousand times), and I'd find myself dragging out the "real" vacuum to get that spot.

 

Or I'd find myself looking around the house and thinking "okay it really needs to be vacuumed and it's going to be much quicker and easier to just do it myself than to get the Roomba and wait for IT to finish" and so on.

 

So at this point, I can't even tell you the last time I used mine, and I don't foresee using it again.

[Word Nerd]

My prents gave us one for Christmas last year, and I love it. I talk to Wall-E, too. We have ours set to run every day at 10. We haven't had to replace anything, but it does find all the little things the kids forget to pick up. Yesterday I had to unwind a string of plastic beads. It's not hard to clean, but it's a chore to get the hair off the brushes.

[teachermom2834]

I really like mine. I have a hard time keeping up with housework and being able to put the roomba out at night before I go to bed and wake up to clean floors is such a big help. I don't have pets but I do have 4 kids and we wear shoes in the house (tsk, tsk, I know).

 

I am not a perfectionist about my house. I suspect if you were you would not feel like Roomba always gets the job done.

 

I was so in love that I bought the Scooba and that one has been a bust for me.

[Angie in VA]

A friend told me hers scratched her hardwood floors. We have no carpet, so that would be a big risk factor for me.

[Ferdie]

I love our Roomba. I have had it about 3 years and bought it with an extended warranty. It has been replaced twice in three years so mine haven't been very reliable. Best Buy's warranty has been wonderful. I just take it in and if it can't be repaired they replace it. I wonder if the new Roomba are more reliable.

 

The battery needs to be replaced about every 9 months to a year, which are not covered under my extended warranty. We have a large home though so mine runs every day.

 

We have a dog and it does a great job on dog hair.

 

I have their mop too. Love, love, love the iRobot products.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Ferdie

[melissel]

yes, you really, really, reallllllly want a roomba. we love ours.

 

What she said. I LOVE my Roomba. I actually don't use it to do the main area carpeting, because it's very thick and dense, and I don't feel like it does a good enough job (and it leaves visible tracks everywhere, which drives me nuts--yes, I'm nuts :lol:). But I use it in every other room of the house--on linoleum (kitchen), tile (bathroom), and the other plush carpets (not as dense as the living room).

 

Have you had yours long? Have you had to replace the battery? And finally, do you have furry pets in the house?

 

We've had this one a long time and the battery hasn't become an issue yet, but I don't use it as much as I used to (simply because I can't get the floors picked up as often as I used to). I do use it often in the kitchen and bathroom though. Someone on another thread here mentioned that when she bought hers, she paid for the extended warranty because she knew the batteries tended to wear out quickly, and the warranty covered the battery replacement and ended up being cheaper. I don't know if that's still the case, but you could consider it. No, no furry pets, but my aunt, who has a big dog, bought her Roomba on my recommendation, and they still love theirs, so it must do an OK job.

 

Does it work on linoleum or possibly hardwood?

 

Definitely, though I can't speak to the scratching issue. I love the way mine works on linoleum--that's its main use around here!

[kim.4dogs]

I'm on my second one and I would agree you definitely need an extended warranty! My first one died once during the warranty and the company was very good about replacing it. After the warranty was over, it died again. I finally bought another one with an extended warranty. It's already been fixed once, and I need to check if it's still in warranty to be fixed again. When they're working, they are great, though!

[Word Nerd]

Want mine? I never use it!

 

Heh. My husband bought me one for mother's day a couple of years ago. We all gathered round to watch it vacuum. We thought it was the neatest thing ever. Like, we seriously just sat on the couch and watched this thing vacuum.

 

We even named it. Cindy (short for Cinderella, because it did the work for me)!

 

With all that said, the novelty quickly wore off, I found that it was taking FOREVER, and I mean FOREVER to vacuum a room, it would go over the same spot about ten thousand times, and if I left it to vacuum overnight and went to bed, I'd wake up to find that it had returned to its docking station at some point to recharge, inevitably leaving some spot that hadn't been finished (probably because it wore out its batteries going over some other spot forty-two thousand times), and I'd find myself dragging out the "real" vacuum to get that spot.

 

Or I'd find myself looking around the house and thinking "okay it really needs to be vacuumed and it's going to be much quicker and easier to just do it myself than to get the Roomba and wait for IT to finish" and so on.

 

So at this point, I can't even tell you the last time I used mine, and I don't foresee using it again.

 

My guess is that if you used it frequently as it was intended to be used, you would have a different opinion.

Edited September 22, 2010 by WordGirl

[melissel]

My guess is that if you used it as it was intended to be used, you would have a different opinion.

 

How so? I've not had the problem Nance has, but I'm wondering what it is she's not doing correctly. Is there a specific method to its use? As I read this thread, I started thinking I should really find a way to utilize mine more :lol:

 

ETA: Ha!I just saw your edit, and I understand now. Thanks!

[OH_Homeschooler]

Want mine? I never use it!

 

Heh. My husband bought me one for mother's day a couple of years ago. We all gathered round to watch it vacuum. We thought it was the neatest thing ever. Like, we seriously just sat on the couch and watched this thing vacuum.

 

We even named it. Cindy (short for Cinderella, because it did the work for me)!

 

With all that said, the novelty quickly wore off, I found that it was taking FOREVER, and I mean FOREVER to vacuum a room, it would go over the same spot about ten thousand times, and if I left it to vacuum overnight and went to bed, I'd wake up to find that it had returned to its docking station at some point to recharge, inevitably leaving some spot that hadn't been finished (probably because it wore out its batteries going over some other spot forty-two thousand times), and I'd find myself dragging out the "real" vacuum to get that spot.

 

Or I'd find myself looking around the house and thinking "okay it really needs to be vacuumed and it's going to be much quicker and easier to just do it myself than to get the Roomba and wait for IT to finish" and so on.

 

So at this point, I can't even tell you the last time I used mine, and I don't foresee using it again.

 

 

I could have written this post. DH took ours into his office because I felt bad seeing it there everyday, not being used. I hated emptying it and fretting over the spots it missed. It was a replacement for an old vacuum that went kaput, and I have now replaced it with a couple of cheap vacuums, a stick vacuum for our small carpeted area upstairs and a cheap bagless for downstairs (I got the Roomba in the first place because I'm lazy, after all). I seriously vacuum so much more now than I used to turn on the Roomba.

 

I have pets, and it seems like the vacuum cleans up a lot more hair. I think I heard the Roomba described more as a sweeper than a true vacuum. Don't know if that's true or not, but my carpets seem a lot cleaner using a true vacuum.

Edited September 22, 2010 by OH_Homeschooler

[Word Nerd]

How so? I've not had the problem Nance has, but I'm wondering what it is she's not doing correctly. Is there a specific method to its use? As I read this thread, I started thinking I should really find a way to utilize mine more :lol:

 

ETA: Ha!I just saw your edit, and I understand now. Thanks!

 

The Roomba isn't meant just for spot cleaning or to pull out once a week or occasionally. It keeps my carpets clean and covers my house because it works every day—it doesn't get every spot every day, though.

[Mekanamom]

I've had 4 (!) of them...

 

LOVE them when they're working. But in my house, they just don't last much longer than a year. I blame the thick carpeting; I think the dense pile just burns their little motors out.

 

I can't justify spending the money on a new one every year, no matter how handy they are. But my long term plan is to get rid of the carpeting, get low pile area rugs, and an army of Roombas. Vacuuming bliss.

[kim.4dogs]

I've had 4 (!) of them...

 

LOVE them when they're working. But in my house, they just don't last much longer than a year. I blame the thick carpeting; I think the dense pile just burns their little motors out.

 

 

Glad to know I'm not the only one! Although in my house I can't blame them on thick carpet- we have all hard floors! We do have 2 dogs and 3 cats, though, so lots of pet fur to be sure. I specifically ordered my last one from the Home Shopping Network because I could get a 2 year extended warranty on it for a good price. That gave me a total of 3 years for the warranty (with the 1 year manufacturer's) and I figured it was worth the price for a guaranteed 3 years. When my warranty is up, I figure I'll have to buy a new one or do without.

[Murphy101]

I want one just for my sunken living room that gets a TON of heavy traffic. We vacuum it daily. The rest of the house can go with just once a week, but my living room would be a nasty mess if I let it go that long.

 

Anyone have the scuba or mint? I'd love that in our kitchen and dining area IF it works. Do you have to sweep first? Can it handle kitty litter? We have a bathroom and laundry area off the kitchen and there's a cat box in there... Plus there a rabbit hutch on the floor under a built in desk in the dining room... Not to mention 11 people eating in there.

[elfgivas]

Have you had yours long? Have you had to replace the battery? And finally, do you have furry pets in the house?

 

hi julie -

 

1 (very) large dog, and 1 cat. we are rural in the high desert here in SoCal so we have lots and lots of fine dirt, too.

 

we send "Reba" off to vacuum while we tidy and dust. the more frequently she vacuums, the better it works. because it takes all of two minutes of my time, we run her more frequently.

 

we have a combination of rugs and laminate floor and she negotiates that with no problem. we have not had a problem with her missing spots at all; that has been one of the fascinating things aobut her. : )

 

hth,

ann

[Julie in CA]

So if you have an open floor plan, do you use "virtual walls" to keep it in one area, or do you just let it go and it does the whole area?

[Ferdie]

I want one just for my sunken living room that gets a TON of heavy traffic. We vacuum it daily. The rest of the house can go with just once a week, but my living room would be a nasty mess if I let it go that long.

 

Anyone have the scuba or mint? I'd love that in our kitchen and dining area IF it works. Do you have to sweep first? Can it handle kitty litter? We have a bathroom and laundry area off the kitchen and there's a cat box in there... Plus there a rabbit hutch on the floor under a built in desk in the dining room... Not to mention 11 people eating in there.

 

I have a Scooba that I use in the kitchen, nook and laundry room. Even though it has a vacuum feature, I always sweep first before I turn it on. The vacuum tray is very small so I don't think it would handle kitty litter.

 

Just like the Roomba, you need to confine it to a smaller area. Unlike the Roomba it needs to finish the complete cycle, which takes about 40 minutes. It is very noisy on tile so I don't like running it at the end of the day when everyone is home. Some people complain that it leaves the floor wet, but that is not an issue for me. I also think the set up and clean up is more time consuming than the Roomba. We have textured tile that I really dislike mopping so the extra set up clean up time is worth it for me.

 

I have had ours for about 2 1/2 years. I bought an extended warranty and it has been sent out for repair twice.

[Ferdie]

So if you have an open floor plan, do you use "virtual walls" to keep it in one area, or do you just let it go and it does the whole area?

 

They work best it you confine them to a smaller area. You can use virtual walls, (mine came with 2) or a physical barrier, (chair on its side).

 

I have an older unit so the largest area it does is about 15' X 15'.

[Parrothead]

The iRobot website says a room size is based on 100 sq. ft of hardwood or low pile carpet. So do you that have a roomba have very small houses or does it run several times a day to clean the entire house?

 

I have roughly 1000 sq. ft of hardwood downstairs. How long would it take to clean that area?

[ahousefullofjs]

Who has the best deals on the Roomba?

[elfgivas]

The iRobot website says a room size is based on 100 sq. ft of hardwood or low pile carpet. So do you that have a roomba have very small houses or does it run several times a day to clean the entire house?

 

I have roughly 1000 sq. ft of hardwood downstairs. How long would it take to clean that area?

 

1. i don't vacuum every day. we have one great room, and we use Reba (our roomba) in our nook (sitting area part of hte great room) with virtual walls more than anywhere else, but then i use her in the dining room part quite often, too. the rest of the house gets a dyson vacuum once a week.

 

i would guess it would take several hours for a roomba to do that much space.

 

hth,

ann

[kitten18]

Who has the best deals on the Roomba?

Bumping for this ??? There are so many models and prices, any advice?

[cylau]

I got mine from Costco.

[Amber in AUS]

The iRobot website says a room size is based on 100 sq. ft of hardwood or low pile carpet. So do you that have a roomba have very small houses or does it run several times a day to clean the entire house?

 

I have roughly 1000 sq. ft of hardwood downstairs. How long would it take to clean that area?

 

I use mine everyday in a different area of the house. By the end of the week every room has been vac'd at least twice. It does work best when you limit the room size and yes that does mean moving it from room to room and setting up the virtual wall, but my kids can do that :D while i am busy doing other things. It isn't hard to move to a room and push the on button when you are heading out either.