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And maybe I’m just messier than average, but that means tidying up every little thing, strap, shoelace, etc that might be on the floor multiple times a week so

by cactus2093 7y ago

And maybe I’m just messier than average, but that means tidying up every little thing, strap, shoelace, etc that might be on the floor multiple times a week so the roomba can run. And lifting up my area rug because the roomba thinks any dark stripe is a “cliff” that it’s about to drive over (no way to tell it you live in a single floor unit and turn that off). I’ve really stopped using mine for the most part, the continuous overhead of babysitting the roomba is more work than just vacuuming once a week with the cordless vacuum.

stevenkkim 7y ago
I hear you on this, I’ve been through similar issues. Few comments though: - We have 3 kids, and you would think that would be a hostile Roomba environment but instead, it motivates them to keep the toys off the floor e.g. Legos. Sometimes we say “Better clean up your stuff or else Roomba’s gonna get it!” - We only buy rugs that are Roomba compatible - Our house is just one story with wood floors in every room which is also lucky and helpful - Another positive is Roomba is much better than a vacuum in terms of getting under sofas and beds. However, I agree with you on having to babysit Roomba. Roomba still gets stuck in random places - wedged underneath certain pieces of furniture. Sometimes it goes into a bathroom and somehow manages to close the door on itself. Sometimes there will be an obvious mess - small pile of dirt tracked in by the kids - Roomba will vacuum for 1 hour and travel all around the dirt and still miss it. It’s also loud - not as loud as a regular vacuum cleaner but pretty close. And considering that I can vacuum my entire house in about 15 minutes and Roomba does an equivalent job in 3 hours (3 x 1 hour sessions)... Bottom line is that we still use Roomba. But we also still use a vacuum once every 2-3 weeks or so.
Loughla 7y ago
I'm seeing a use case for individuals who are isolated and want something to care for. Give it big googly eyes and an old person name like Harold or something. Legitimately, I could see people being super into that. They have to care for the Roomba by making sure it doesn't freak out because of shoelaces or the cliff you describe. Maybe it beeps and whistles.
- wazoox 7y ago
  Mine has eyes and is called Anatole. Also has pads stuck all around, because it used to make marks on walls by bumping them repeatedly.

stevenkkim 7y ago

I hear you on this, I’ve been through similar issues. Few comments though: - We have 3 kids, and you would think that would be a hostile Roomba environment but instead, it motivates them to keep the toys off the floor e.g. Legos. Sometimes we say “Better clean up your stuff or else Roomba’s gonna get it!” - We only buy rugs that are Roomba compatible - Our house is just one story with wood floors in every room which is also lucky and helpful - Another positive is Roomba is much better than a vacuum in terms of getting under sofas and beds. However, I agree with you on having to babysit Roomba. Roomba still gets stuck in random places - wedged underneath certain pieces of furniture. Sometimes it goes into a bathroom and somehow manages to close the door on itself. Sometimes there will be an obvious mess - small pile of dirt tracked in by the kids - Roomba will vacuum for 1 hour and travel all around the dirt and still miss it. It’s also loud - not as loud as a regular vacuum cleaner but pretty close. And considering that I can vacuum my entire house in about 15 minutes and Roomba does an equivalent job in 3 hours (3 x 1 hour sessions)... Bottom line is that we still use Roomba. But we also still use a vacuum once every 2-3 weeks or so.

Loughla 7y ago

I'm seeing a use case for individuals who are isolated and want something to care for. Give it big googly eyes and an old person name like Harold or something. Legitimately, I could see people being super into that. They have to care for the Roomba by making sure it doesn't freak out because of shoelaces or the cliff you describe. Maybe it beeps and whistles.

wazoox 7y ago
Mine has eyes and is called Anatole. Also has pads stuck all around, because it used to make marks on walls by bumping them repeatedly.