Clean and Clutter-free: Scooba-by iRobot

Forum: Clean and Clutter-free Replies: 13, Views: 143 Print -

Author Content slowtornado Belle Plaine, KS January 13, 2008 2:35 AM Post #4394761 Do any of you have one? Do you like it? Which model do you have? Yes, I want one. Lora:)) Yuska San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) January 21, 2008 12:50 PM Post #4433038 Looks intriguing! Especially the cleaning under cabinet edges. But the price tag would discourage me. Tgrbttrfly Toledo, OH (Zone 6a) January 23, 2008 8:48 AM Post #4442046 My son actually has two and he LOVES them. He said they do a great job, and his house is always very clean and tidy. I'm thinking about getting them too. I just wonder how my Westies will react to them. slowtornado Belle Plaine, KS January 26, 2008 1:48 AM Post #4455469 They say pets get used to them. I have a boxer that doesn't like anything that moves, especially with wheels. So I would have to use it only when I'm home. I just want a Scooba right now. BTW, I was at Sears today. They have both. Including 3 models of Roomba. I wish they had lay-a-way too. I was hoping I wouldn't have to order one online. Lora☺ scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) April 27, 2008 12:03 AM Post #4869890 I had hours of entertainment, laughed until I could hardly catch my breath and tears were streaming down my face, watching my Maltese try to tell the Roomba that this was her territory and it had to leave. I really believe she thought it was alive. She would follow behind it barking, but it would just ignore her which really seemed to anger and confuse her. The funniest part is how the thing suddenly spins around periodically to go in the opposite direction. Suddenly, the dog would be running backward while still barking at the thing and trying to look tough while it was coming right at her. A few times she tried to bite it, but that didn't work either. The whole thing was beyond hilarious. The whole cleaning thing aside, I decided the entertainment alone was worth the purchase price. Of course, the dog eventually accepted the Roomba as part of the family, like an annoying little brother or something. It was never as much fun after that. : ) Sorry, I can't answer the question about the Scooba, but just had to weigh in on the issue of having dogs around these things. Love the Roomba, BTW. If Scooba is anything like Roomba, it should be great. Only problem I've found with Roomba (and imagine Scooba will also suffer from this malady) is that it, naturally, can't deal with clutter. It gets tripped up by anything from a magazine, dog toy, sock or other article of clothing, etc and even by things like throw rugs (esp with fringe), drapes that puddle on the floor, and even phone and lamp cords. I left mine alone in the kitchen once when I 1st got it. I though everything was going well until I heard a disparaging crash and ran in there to find Rumby (that's what i named mine) happily puttering along dragging the phone behind it (it had picked up the cord when it tried to clean the baseboards and had then dragged the phone off the table) along with a small (now broken) lamp from the same desk. Edited to add the part where (in above scenario Rumby also dragged his cache of lamps, phones, cords, etc into a huge, framed mirror I had recently acquired and leaned against the wall until I could get it placed on the wall (in a decade or so). This sent the mirror crashing to the ceramic tile floor (bye, bye mirror). You definitely have to keep these 'robot' things away from electrical cords and clutter. This message was edited Apr 27, 2008 12:10 AM sarv48 south of Grand Rapid, MI (Zone 5a) April 28, 2008 7:24 AM Post #4875701 I just got one - it was a 535 model. Used it once (man did it pick up a lot of junk too) and then it went kaput...I am NOT a happy camper. Called the roomba place, tried a couple of things and ended up sending the unit back. I had to keep parts of it (crazy I think) and they will send a replacement. Took four days to get the roomba and 4 to 6 weeks for a replacement...not happy about that either and told them so...I'm sitting on the fence about it all... slowtornado Belle Plaine, KS April 29, 2008 11:02 AM Post #4881856 You've got a funny story scutler. I know my dogs will do the same thing for awhile. I want the scooba first because I hate my kitchen floor. And a robot wont care! Sorry to hear about the mirror though. That would make me mad too. And sarv48, I've heard those stories too. I dont know the odds of getting a good/bad one. Everything is like that I think. I'm stubborn though, and I still want one in-spite of the trouble. I like to punish myself!? ha. I'm willing to risk it, 'cause my floor is the nightmare. Lora☺ scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) April 29, 2008 12:27 PM Post #4882238 Thanks, Lora, After hearing some of the accounts of people who have them, including sarv48 who despite her frustrations indicates that the thing did a great job of cleaning the floor - at least once, I'm increasing tempted to spring for one myself. sarv48 south of Grand Rapid, MI (Zone 5a) April 29, 2008 3:23 PM Post #4882893 yikes...I don't have a scooba...I have a roomba! LOL ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) April 29, 2008 3:28 PM Post #4882919 They're made by the same company though, so most likely the quality of the product and customer service are going to be similar. mgpaquin Savannah, GA April 29, 2008 7:20 PM Post #4883890 On Sunday (I think?) Good Morning America (maybe?) did a "face-off" between old-style and high tech things. The automatic toothbrush beat out the manual toothbrush, and the GPS system beat out the map. HOWEVER, the old-style mop and bucket cleaned just as well as the Scooba, in a lot less time, and for a lot less money. You won't be getting your floors any cleaner with a Scooba, but if the price is worth it and you don't care that it might take an hour or two, it will clean your kitchen floor as well as a mop and a bucket. slowtornado Belle Plaine, KS April 30, 2008 11:18 AM Post #4886903 That settles it then. I like turning something on to do the work. I'm not getting rid of my washer to use a wringer. And I will never get rid of my D/W to use the *old style cast iron, one bowl, 5 in. deep, 25in. long, wall mounted* monster we have. I cant afford a maid, but I would enjoy watching a robot wash the floor. Maybe that tax money will cover it! Thanx for the input, I'll let you know. Lora☺ mgpaquin Savannah, GA May 1, 2008 9:29 PM Post #4894165 Lora, please let us know if it works for you. I work two jobs, and would just as soon not be shoving a mop around the floor. I just wonder how my cats would handle it...! Keep us posted. slowtornado Belle Plaine, KS May 2, 2008 1:46 PM Post #4897005 Of course I'll let you know. I started this thread for the input, I'll brag *or admit defeat* if it comes to that! Heres a little history for you, *Why I hate to mop*. I worked for Halliburton, (remember them)? My job was to clean the trailers the men lived in. Mopping the floors was included. The *woman* who hired me was a witch on the weekdays! She insisted I do the floors on my hands & knees! But she only insisted when I did the office floor, where she worked. And believe me she had a permanent smirk on her face. It's been 30 years, but I can still see that face. So while I love a clean, shiny floor, I hate getting up close & personal with it. Lora☺

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