I Confess, I'm In Love With An Appliance

I resisted for a long time and now I wonder why.

I'm pretty frugal, and it seemed a lot of money to spend when I already had a top of the line built-in vacuum that had worked well for years. A robot vacuum wasn't on my radar. 

Then we went camping.

My sister-in-law had a Roomba in her rather large fifth wheel, and I secretly mocked her. After all, why would you need a robot vacuum while you're camping? She confessed that she loved it and shared that she would sometimes put it in the back of their large SUV, to clean up the cargo area.

That seemed a bit outrageous to me. Vacuuming your trunk? What ever happened to the dustbuster?

We returned home and the next time I vacuumed, I was dragging around the heavy hoses and I had a revelation. 

The Roomba is like a dishwasher.

It's a labor-saving device, designed to do a menial job I really don't enjoy. 

Why should I drag hoses around, struggling to carry large awkward appliances up and down the stairs?

I couldn't imagine saying no to a dishwasher. It was worth every penny we had paid for it. So I gave in and ordered a Roomba.

The first time we used it, we were afraid it would fall down the stairs, so I put a barricade across the top. Then I almost tripped, flying headlong into the stairwell. I realized that wasn't the safest option so I did some research.

I discovered Roomba has built in Cliff Protection.

What a concept. 

It was equipped with sensors to prevent it from going off the edge of a cliff. 

With trepidation, we sent it off on a cleaning run, watching as it grew closer and closer to the stairs. When it reached the edge, the sensors kicked in, and it came to a stop. Then it went into reverse, coming back again and again to map the entire edge of the 'cliff' for future reference. 

Machine Learning at its very basic level.

There was an option to send it out on training runs, where it wouldn't vacuum, but it would map the entire upstairs floor of our house instead. 

It took it a couple of hours of bouncing off walls and chairs, roaming under beds, and getting acquainted with lamps. There was one return to base for recharging before the mapping was complete.

Now when it's time to vacuum, I pick up all the loose ends, charger cords, and odd socks, then I press clean. 

It sings a cheerful song and goes on its merry way.

Roomba does a magnificent job. I've never been as good at vacuuming as it is. That's ok. I'm willing to be second-place in this race.

I no longer have to carry around hoses, or heavy vacuum equipment.

Our house is cleaner than it has ever been. Ever.

I'm talking to it now.

I've taken to saying things like "good job" when it returns to base and sings its cheery song. Ta Ta Da!

When I ventured into the large closet under the stairs to find Christmas decorations, it was full of dust and spider bodies. I put the Roomba in the closet and set it free. It started up and sat there a moment, trying to figure out where it was. Then it set out, ping-ponging around the space until it was finished.

If I come into a room where it's busily cleaning, I've been known to cheer it on. "You're doing great!" I'll say, "way to go!"

In the beginning, it got lost under the bed in our spare room and we had to rescue it, twice. It must have sorted out the mapping because it hasn't done it since.

It doesn't go in straight lines. Instead, it moves around in a rather erratic way until it finishes. It's fascinating to watch as it figures out it's going around a chair and watch it pivot to circle each leg.

When I carry the unit downstairs to clean, it leaves the docking station and pauses for a moment to get its bearings. I swear I can see it shrug, then it embarks on a journey into the unknown, bouncing off things until it gets its bearings.

Sometimes, I can almost hear it muttering, 'that isn't supposed to be there'.

I bought the higher-end model with the docking station that allows the Roomba to empty itself into a bag. At first, I wondered if it would have to be emptied all the time but so far we've gone several months and only replaced the bag once. 

Here are the details on the 'bot we bought:

Brand: iRobot

Model: Roomba s9+ (9550)

Price: $899.00

Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal- Empties itself, Wi-Fi Connected, Smart Mapping, Powerful Suction, Anti-Allergen System, Corners & Edges, Ideal for Pet Hair, black

I'm surprised at how much I love it. I've recommended them so often, two members of my family got one.

And they love their Roombas too.

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This story also appears on Medium by Tree Langdon, the author.