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I bought myself a ‘smart’ Vacuum cleaner robot in 2020, after daydreaming for months about a clean house that required little effort to maintain.
I called him Victor and thought he would save me hours each week doing one of my most hated tasks: vacuuming.
I lived in a dusty old flat with old carpets, so it was a job that had to be done every few days to keep the house clean and me hayfever free.
Three weeks later I packed up his things and kicked him out. He was more trouble than he was worth.
I spent more time rescuing him from under furniture, from behind a crease in the carpet he had created himself, or from clean corners he kept vacuuming.
I gave up on trendy gadgets and vowed to never invest in them again. That was until I met Neil, my shiny new narwhal vacuum cleaner.
When the team at the Australian robot vacuum cleaner company Narwhal offered me the opportunity to try out their newest model: the Freo X Ultra – I rolled my eyes. Here we go again.
But I was wrong.
My house has only had more obstacles since 2020 with the addition of two children, a dog, and a bird.
I placed sauce, seeds and corn flour on the floor to see how the robot would perform under pressure.
She did a great job with the vacuum and mop and only a cornstarch stain was left. I then vacuumed again with the vacuum and mop and she cleaned the area that she hadn’t cleaned.
The new vacuum sat in its box in the corner, slowly collecting debris for over a week before I decided to plug it in, sure it would fail me like the old one did.
I give all my vacuum cleaners male names. Neil felt like the ideal choice.
Neil took me by surprise.
As they do, he made a map of the house, then vacuumed it, mopped it, and deposited the dirty water and dust at his service station.
He then took a shower to make sure he was ready for his next adventure.
Not only did he do a great job but he didn’t complain once.
It didn’t get caught on my shag rug, kids’ shoes, chair legs, bird cage, or floor cushions.
The app is easy to use: it tells you how long the machine has been running, where it has cleaned, and how long it should run.
I typically use the vacuum and mop setting, which means the robot does both at once, but the vacuum then mop setting is better if there are tougher stains.
He even avoided moving targets, including me, a fast-legged five-year-old dog, and a playful one-year-old Afghan hound.
The robot, like many, is controlled through an app, where you can choose rooms or segments, whether you want a mop or a vacuum, and when you want it to go to work.
I’ve been using it for about a month now and it definitely lives up to the expectations I had before purchasing my first device. Vacuum cleaner robot in 2020.
It hasn’t completely eliminated my need for a Autonomous vacuum cleaner or a mop, which I think I’ll end up wielding once a month, but it has definitely reduced my workload.
The key is to be able to set it to clean key areas like the kitchen and under the dining table once everyone is in bed.
I let Neil vacuum and mop every night, something I’ve never been able to keep up with manually while having a job and living my life.
I like that the dust bin is set to last six weeks of normal use, as it compacts the dirt once it returns to the base station.
The water needs a close look, as it’s a little frustrating when there’s an alert to change it mid-clean and you’re not available.
I’ve been using Neil to mop most days, so I don’t think it’s that big of a problem for most.
The Narwal comes with a base station that has water containers and heating devices to maintain hygiene.
The mop is washed and dried after each use.
The Narwal Cleaners They have been described as “game changers” by customers who claim the technology, design and quality of workmanship make it feel like a much more expensive model.
And after living with mine, I can admit that I stopped rolling my eyes. The robot appears to “watch” where it’s going, scanning the area during big jobs and going overboard with every cleanup.
I poured tomato sauce, spread mud, sprinkled flour and poured birdseed on my kitchen floor to see how the machine performed and was pleased with the result.
There was only a cornmeal stain left. This is probably because I chose the “vacuum and mop” cycle. I repeated the cleaning with the “vacuum and mop” option and it was perfect.
The vacuum cleaner can be purchased directly from Narwal and Amazon.