Anybody have a Roomba?

[Casey3043]

Do you like it? Does it do a good job? Does it freak out the cats, dogs, and other small animals? The vacuuming is one thing I just don't keep up with, and I thought one of these might be the answer.

 

[egglicious]

I would get one but I'm worried it might become self-aware and take over my household, and eventually, the world.

Just kidding! I actually want one and am interested in what others have to say...

 

[Highlander]

I would love one but not sure it would cope with all the dog hair here. They do look fun though!

 

[MeatKing]

I used to clean a house that had one, they had laminate and a golden retriver.. Hair everywhere. She said she like it. Not too sure how good it did with dog hair. there was always lots of hair for me.. But with flooring like that and that knd've dog.. To be expected. I don't think he was brushed alot, when you'd pet him, you'd always get a big handful of hair.

I don't think it would work well on carpet, kind've for in between doing a good job I think.. She had dogs and cats, they never bothered with it. (Her dog was so well trained though, if his ball fell into the living room (He wasn't allowed in there, he would leave it.. So well trained

 

[sourland]

The Princess had 2 or 3 - they worked OK, but all died a natural death shortly after their warranties lapsed.

 

[Casey3043]

I have 3 dogs and 7 indoor cats. No carpeting, just a rug in the living room and dining room. All hardwood floors. Cat sand gets tracked out of the "sandbox room" and down the hall, even though there is a resident vacuum in there and a mat at the doorway. One dog is shepherd mix, heavy shedder. They all spend a lot of time inside in the winter, and of course the cats are always inside.

I ordered the thing, and will let you know how it goes. Maybe I need a cleaning woman instead, but......this should be cheaper.

 

[clairabean]

I do and LOVE it. I have had mine for 4 years and have only replaced the battery. Our entire house is laminate flooring, tile and a few area rugs. We also have three kids, a dog, and I do daycare. My house gets crumby fast with sheer amount of use! Roomba gets used every evening. It works great on the rugs as well. My dog is used to it, but does leave the room it is in. My daughter spilled a whole box of baking soda on the floor. Instead of using a broom, she set the Roomba in the middle of the mess and turned it on. It did an amazing job.

Pros:
-You set it and forget it. Literally turn it on and leave.
-The 'laser' walls are great for partitioning off rooms.
-The 'spot' clean is awesome for small messes...
-Filters are washable! Yay!

Cons:
-You need to remember to charge it!
-It does get stuck on things, so you need to be very mindful to put things away, off the floor. Cords, edges of rugs, toys, shoelaces.... (This is not a problem in my house, as I have small kids, everything gets picked up regularly!) So, a bit of prep time before hand.
-Mine does not fit under my cabinet kickplate in kitchen. I use a broom and sweep the stuff out to the middle of the floor... It also does nto go under my couches, so I move them aside.
-Filters need to be cleaned every single time.

So, yes! I recommend a Roomba to anyone.

 

[Casey3043]

So glad to hear that, Clairabean! It probably won't fit under some pieces of furniture, but I'm anxious to see what it can do with the clouds of fluff that are always floating around here. I think it's mostly my shepherd dog. Guess I should brush the dogs more........no kids here, just my 95 year old mom whom I care for, and me. We are not too messy with crumbs and such, but it's the FLUFF always rolling around, and getting out the vacuum is such a chore. Either mom is sleeping, or I just don't feel like it. Can't wait to try it out. I'm sure it will scare the cats, so I'll keep it in the kitchen and family room at first.

 

[fuzziebutt]

It would drive me insane, wondering where it was at, and what it was doing. And just the moving back and forth would make the voices start again.

 

[easttxchick]

If you have a lot of dog hair, it will stop and you'll have to clean the brushes A LOT!
I do love mine, though. I have tile floors all through my house, so it works really well for me.