iRobot Roomba Combo j7+
Roombi: Our little helper…
06/07/2023 17:43
I've always loved the idea of having a Roomba but was sceptical of how well they would clean. I have been pleasantly surprised and delighted!
The Roomba Combo J7+ (which we've affectionately named Roombi), came beautifully presented in very modern packaging. We could tell we were getting high-end technology from the way the accessories were individually packed in neat cardboard boxes. It was easy to unpack and prepare for work.
He didn't need long at his base station before being easily set up, following the simple instructions on the app, then setting off to work mapping out our downstairs. We gave it a couple of goes, as we hadn't cleared all temporary obstacles and wanted to make sure his initial map was as complete as possible. It was easy to fine-tune room dividers and label the rooms accurately, and set up any avoidance zones (such as our cat's eating area). I set up a separate zone for deep cleaning under the kitchen table, which can only be done if we've removed the chairs in advance - so I've set this as a standalone job.
Our kitchen/dining/family room is open-plan and has both hard floor and thick carpet, so this was a perfect test. Roombi differentiates with ease, getting his mop out for the hard floor after vacuuming, retracting returning to carpet. He's endearing to watch, trundling along, leaving his neat lawn-like tracks in our carpet. He self-emptied a few times (thanks largely to cat hair). He needed some manual intervention to clear out once, but generally has no problem.
Mopping works well, and the cleaning fluid provided smells very pleasant. We stick with medium water-flow, as we deal with any big spillages as they happen, and it's been ideal. Floors are never excessively wet, and dry quickly.
We took him and his base station upstairs to map and he did this in one go. He is very keen to please - we heard him bulldozing the ground floor of my daughters' dolls house and wandering into the shower! But again, it's easy to tell him to avoid these areas in future.
It was easy to set a schedule - we've gone for once a week downstairs and upstairs, and that seems to keep on top of things nicely.
He does make a whirring noise when operating, but not deafening. The self-empty is very loud but only takes a few seconds. His battery life seems adequate for doing a complete run of one floor.
All in all, he is a delight! I'm now totally sold on the 'little and often' approach to mopping and vacuuming.
Gemz82UK
Northwich , Spojené království
Age: 41
Gender: Female