Is Buying a Robot Mop Worth It?
If house cleaning is not your cup of tea, then wiping off coffee spills or removing stains on the floor can be very annoying. Dusting off the floor is one household chore you need to do often. If not, your floor can be pretty nasty after just a week without cleaning.
The good news is a robot mop can save your day. Having a robot map/vacuum hybrid can make your life easier. It cuts down the time you need to clean the house.
But are robot mops a good substitute for manual cleaning? Can they really live up to your expectations? Let’s have a look at their advantages and disadvantages.
Robot Mops: Pros and Cons
Before you start checking out the best robot mop in the market today, here are the things you need to know:
Pro: They can clean!
This is the biggest selling point of robot mops – they can clean the floor automatically without needing much help from you. It makes sense since that’s the main reason why you want to buy a robot mop in the first place.
Most robot mops are cordless and have a rechargeable battery. Depending on the brand of robot mop, some have smart cameras and sensors that scan and navigate your home. The same mapping technology can also send you error alerts when the bot is in trouble.
Other notable features include self-emptying and remote control, which will allow you to issue a command using your phone. Most sophisticated features include a webcam to enable you to watch it clean remotely.
In short, using a robot mop gives you free time to do something other than cleaning the floor.
Con: Not as good as manual cleaning or mop/vacuum cleaner.
For the bad news, robot mops are not as good as human’s physical and intellectual faculties in detecting specks of dust and wiping them off completely. They can only see and clean so much, but they have limitations too.
For instance, some work well on the hard floor but struggle on carpets or corners. This is not surprising as robot mops design and motors do not generate enough power to penetrate the rug or pick up pet hairs. Also, the brushes and the mop itself are smaller and do not agitate the surface as much as they should.
To compensate for this shortcoming, you can schedule the bot to clean more often anytime. This is possible since it doesn’t get tired anyway.
Pro: Robot mops can clean hard-to-reach areas
Robot mops have a slim encasing, which allows them to crawl in tricky places such as under the bed or couch. Say goodbye to back pains since you will no longer need to lift heavy pieces of furniture. This mechanical cleaning ability is a gift for those who struggle with using a traditional mop because of injury or disability.
Con: They get stuck sometimes
The whole idea of buying a bot is to let it do its thing on its own. Sadly, it’s not the case for many robot mops. Despite the intelligent sensors, getting stuck in a corner is something you have to get used to. They usually get stuck under furniture, door threshold, or snagged various hindrances like clothes, rugs, and power cables.
To say that you can leave the bot 100% on its own is an exaggeration. All models that have been tested show dependence from their users to some degree. Those with superior technology need lesser attention since they know how to figure things out most of the time.
To prevent your bot from being tangled, it’s crucial to take out anything that can get in its way. Admittedly, you also have to do this even if you’re using a regular mop.
Pro: They’re pretty amazing to operate!
They look cute like your pet and come with a wide range of features that will make your standard stick and mophead combo prehistoric. Even your kids who know how to use a mobile phone can operate a robot mop with intelligent capabilities.
Most models allow you to set a cleaning schedule through a smartphone app. This will enable you to turn the bot on even when you’re away. Other notable things you can do with the app include tracking the cleaning progress and setting up virtual walls to prevent the bot from going to other areas.
You can enjoy using all these features if you handle the bot with care and you know its simple maintenance.
Con: High-end robots are expensive!
Every convenience that a robot mop gives comes with a price. The better the specs of a machine, the higher it costs. This is especially true for robot mops that wash and have a high suction rate.
With all its futuristic features and its ability to give you hands-free housekeeping, its price can be overwhelming. If you are on a budget, they are as cheap as $100 to $500. If you have the money to splurge, you can choose high-end brands that can go as high as $1,300.
Conclusion
There you have it – the pros and cons of owning a robot mop. To recap, a bot is not the all-in-one solution for floor cleaning. Manual cleaning is always better since you are more in control of the process. However, if you don’t have the time to do the cleaning yourself, it can really come in handy.
So, is the robot mop worth it? It depends on your budget, the floor size and layout, and how much you like or hate mopping.