Home Cleaning

MECO Power Spin Scrubber review

REVIEW – Cleaning the bathtub has quickly become one of my least favorite chores as I’ve gotten older and my back has gotten more stubborn. Anything I can add to the process to ease the strain on my back and legs is welcome, so the Meco Cordless Power Scrubber is a welcome addition to the household cleaning regimen.

What is it?

It is a cordless electric power scrubber with three removable heads for a variety of cleaning functions.

What’s in the box?

  • Handheld Scrubber
  • Three removable heads: Flat, Rounded and Pointed Corner Brushes
  • Power cord
  • Warranty Card
  • User Manual
  • Adhesive clip for hanging from wall, with clip to attach to handheld unit

Design and features

The power scrubber has a simple design, with an on/off style power button on the handle. The different heads pop off and on with minimal exertion. The unit does come with an optional clip and adhesive mount if you want to attach to/hang from a wall or cabinet. When powered on, there is one speed.

Setup

Simply charge the unit and then attach the desired scrubber head.

  • Rounded Brush: Suggested for Sinks and Tubs
  • Flat Brush: Suggested for Tile
  • Pointed Corner: Suggested for window sills

Performance

We used the power scrubber to extensively clean our tub and shower after letting it get a bit dirtier than usual for the purpose of the test. Here are some before pictures:

For the tub, we used the rounded brush, for the grout seams and corners we used the pointed corner brush and then for the walls we used the flat brush. With our dark tile, you couldn’t really see the difference with the flat brush, but we could tell a difference for sure. Along with the power scrubber we used water and a tub cleaning foam product. Here are the after photos:

The actual scrubbing was pretty easy, just turn the unit on and it starts spinning at 350 rpm. Occasionally, the head would sort of grip a section of the tub and shoot off to the side if you didn’t keep the right pressure or have it at the right angle. It was easy to stop the unit and swap heads as we went along. The only real issue we had was the inability to adjust the speed of the unit, it is limited to a simple ON or OFF setting. It has a nice long handle, so we were able to clean all areas of the tub without having to stoop low or bend over completely at the waist.

What I like

  • Long handle takes pressure off the back and knees
  • Easy changing of cleaning heads
  • Powerful cleaning, it did a great job and make the cleaning process much faster, didn’t have to go back over areas with a magic eraser to get completely clean, as was our previous method
  • Fast charging and ability to hang from the wall
  • Light weight and comfortable on the hands/arms.

What needs to be improved

  • Storage – it comes with no where to put the heads when not in use.
  • One Speed – Would be very nice to have a low, medium and high setting to control the speed

Final thoughts

The Meco Power Scrubber was a great find, it is a powerful cleaning tool that takes a huge physical load off of cleaning difficult areas. Additionally, the different heads allow you the ability to customize your cleaning. I would highly recommend for anyone to add this device to their cleaning tools, as it will probably eliminate a few already in use. The storage issue can but mitigated by possibly buying a plastic storage bin of some sorts, or keeping the cardboard box (though this may not hold up over time). The speed controls would be my biggest suggestion for improving this unit to give the user some options especially if you have any areas, for instance, with weak grout that may get damaged at 350 rpm.

Price: $43.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by MECO.

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MECO Power Spin Scrubber review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 23, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Scrubba Wash Bag Mini – clean jocks and socks!

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – We previously reviewed the Scrubba Wash Bag, a mobile washing device that allows you to clean your clothes easily and environmentally in many situations where washing wouldn’t be an option but let’s face it if you’re traveling light you can put up with a few stains or dirty spots on your T-Shirt or pants. Or if you’re doing a multi-day bushwalk everyone is pretty much smelling the same bad way as you are (which you only really realize till you get back to civilization) so washing most of your clothes isn’t really that important. One thing that is nice however is putting on clean jocks (Australian slang for underwear) and socks every day. Scrubba has addressed this by releasing a Kickstarter campaign for the Scrubba Wash Bag Mini, a smaller, lighter version of their original bag. The original funding target of AU$7500 was surpassed in just 2 hours with over AU$55,800 pledged to date.

My original Scrubba has just spent the last year and a half doing duty in Vietnam.  I’ve used it both as a washing bag and also as a dry bag during diving trips and during tropical downpours.  Yes laundry can be found generally pretty cheaply in SE Asia (sometimes you’ve got to walk down that little, dark alley ) however with one of our experiences being losing half our underwear (and other clothes) and the stuff that did come back smelling horribly of cigarette smoke, it can definitely be a risky proposition.

At just 70g (3 oz.), this is a handy, dandy gadget for any traveller, from 5 star hoteller to a minimalist bushwalker, to keep their “personals” clean. Kickstarter pledges start at AU$40 (~US$28)

 

 

 

 

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Scrubba Wash Bag Mini – clean jocks and socks! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 22, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Roidmi F8 cordless vacuum review

REVIEW – Perhaps one of the most annoying things with vacuuming is the cord. The Roidmi F8 cordless vacuum aims to make that a thing of the past.

What is it?

The Roidmi F8 cordless vacuum is a lightweight yet powerful cordless handheld vacuum featuring a wide range of useful attachments.

What’s in the box?

  • Main vacuum body
  • Large Soft brush head (Includes a hard floor brush and a carpet brush)
  • Small anti-mite brush head
  • Bendable extension pipe
  • Multifunction brush
  • Long flat suction head
  • Long connecting pipe
  • Spare HEPA filter
  • Multi-function brush for cleaning brush heads
  • Operation manual
  • Charging plug
  • Magnetic wall mount



Hardware specs

  • 18,500 Pa vacuum degree
  • 115W suction power
  • 55 minute battery
  • 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)
  • 75dB(A) low noise
  • No nail magnetic mount

Design and features

The Roidmi F8 cordless vacuum features a sleek design that incorporates easy to use controls and a modular system that adapts to many different configurations.

The heart of the F8 is a battery that lasts for 55 minutes under standard mode (3800 square feet), and 10 minutes under maximum power. The charge time is rated at 2.5 hours. The 100,000 rpm brushless DC motor generates strong suction power.

Second to suction power for a vacuum is its ability to filter the air and debris that it sucks up. The Roidmi F8 features a 4 stage filtration system. The filtration system absorbs participles as small as PM0.3, purifying up to 99% of your air.

  1. Metal Mesh
  2. Cyclonic air flow
  3. HEPA filter cartridge
  4. Sponge filter.

The Roidmi F8 also includes many attachments which make it very versatile.

  1. Large Soft brush head. Includes a hard floor brush and a carpet brush.
  2. Small anti-mite brush head.
  3. Bendable extension pipe
  4. Multifunction brush
  5. Long flat suction head
  6. Long connecting pipe





The brush heads are electrically powered, unlike some vacuums that just spin the head via air flow. The soft woven nylon roller brush is designed for hard floors and the carbon fiber brush is designed for carpeted areas. The brush rollers are easy to change without tools.

The biggest advantage to a cordless vacuum is obviously the time saving and convenience factor of not having to deal with unwrapping and wrapping up a cord. The magnetic mount is just for holding the vacuum in an upright position, the charging cord still needs to be manually inserted which does detract slightly from the convenience of it.

As for doing what it’s designed to do, the Roidmi F8 certainly has the power to vacuum quite a bit of space on one charge. I don’t think I would vacuum an entire carpeted room regularly with it, as a regular corded vacuum would do a better job, however for small areas or small cleanup jobs it will do just fine on carpet.

For hard floors, it does a great job. It’s so much easier than chasing around dirt and dust with a broom. It does take a little to get used to the weight being at the top instead of the bottom like a normal vacuum.


The head on the main brush also swivels nicely, making it easy to maneuver around obstacles.

The other attachments make it so easy to quickly clean small things as you see them instead waiting to do them after you get out the regular “big” vacuum. When so see that cobweb or small pile of dirt you simply grab the Roidmi F8, clean it up, and then put it away.

I really like the extension tube as it can be used with all of the attachments. The dust cup is also easy to empty and clean.

There is also a smartphone app available that connects via Bluetooth and provides battery status, filter status, firmware updates and more.





What I like

  • Portable and powerful
  • Simple to operate and configure
  • Many attachments

What needs to be improved

  • Review unit came with a 240v charging plug so I had to use a travel adapter to charge it
  • It would be nicer if the brush went closer to the sides to clean closer to the wall
  • Manual plug-in for charging instead of charging from the mount

Final thoughts

Overall I think this vacuum is a great device, and will definitely see a lot of use around my house. Despite a few of the things I would like to see improved, none of them were a “deal-breaker” for me.

Price: $299
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roidmi.

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Roidmi F8 cordless vacuum review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 5, 2019 at 9:30 am.

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Lefant T700 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner review

REVIEW – The Lefant Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (T700 1800Pa) lives up to its claim as a super quiet cleaning system, with good suction and sensors.

What is it?

The Lefant T700 is a robotic vacuum and mop system.

What’s in the box?

  • Vacuum
  • Charger with homing port and cleaning brush
  • 2 mop pads
  • Extra filter
  • 2 extra brushes
  • Removable dust bin
  • Removable mop pan
  • Interchangeable suction/roll-style vacuum
  • Quick-start and troubleshooting guide
  • Remote control

Hardware specs

  • Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 12.6 x 3.2 inches
  • Item Weight: 6.17 pounds
  • Shipping Weight: 11.02 pounds
  • Batteries: 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required (included)

Design and features

Setup

Setup was very easy. The dust bin or mop tray pop right into place. You just need to charge it completely before the first use.

Similarly, it was quick and easy to pop open the dustbin to empty it. Or to change it to the roller-style vacuum attachment, which we only used for vacuuming carpet, and the suction-style attachment, which we used for tile and hardwood vacuuming, as well as mopping.

Performance

I despise vacuuming, and mopping is a close second. Our house is a tri-level, with a sunken sunroom, making for a fourth level. For me, traditional vacuuming involves moving a heavy canister model up and down lots of steps.

Since I was in a car accident 10 years, I suffer from back pain that’s often triggered by lugging the vacuum around and the vacuuming motion itself. I’ve been in the market for one of these for ages but always hesitant because of our multi-level home. Then again, we have white carpet and tile (not my choice) with two boys and a black dog. It was time to get a handle on my gross floors!

With the Lefant, I just carry it from floor to floor. At only 6 pounds, that’s really not a problem. Moving it wasn’t the hassle I anticipated.

We let it run until it ran out of batteries, which took nearly 2 hours on vacuum mode! Impressive.

For actual cleaning, my opinion gradually changed on this. At first, I was disappointed. However, in all fairness, my baseline was pretty low. Boys. Dog. A hate for vacuuming. Plus, knowing this was in the mail, I was admittedly slacking on housework, not that my house was a beacon of tidiness to begin with. I think if I would have done a big baseline clean first, with an old-school vac and mop, I would have been happier with the initial performance.

It took a few sessions to get my floors where I wanted them. And, of course, in this household, it’s a constantly moving target.

Now I’ve now set up a rotating schedule, where the Lefant hits at least one level of my house each day (with one round to vacuum and one round to mop in the kitchen and bathrooms). And I gotta admit, after seven days my floors are cleaner than ever. In fact, by comparison, my counters and windows are somehow looking dirtier!

Our house has a lot of weird ledges, and we were all set to create barricades. However, the sensors thoroughly impressed us, and worked almost every time! Now I just set up barricades between the carpet and hardwood, so that I don’t accidentally get my carpet mopped.

Note: Cardboard boxes might not be your best bet for barricades. I watched the Lefant bust right through one! It was the one and only time the sensor didn’t seem to work. Hand weights and cases of Gatorade worked a whole lot better as borders.

It did get caught in a few little spots: the carpeted top of our steps, the track of the sliding glass door, and under the lazy susan in our kitchen. So I’ve started blocking those off, so she doesn’t get stuck in an endless loop and burn out her batteries under the lazy susan.

She’s also extremely quiet. (Notice the female pronouns? We named her “Rosie.”) One morning, my son was finishing some homework over breakfast. He asked me to “turn it off” and I thought he meant the vacuum. He laughed and said, “No! The TV.” It’s true, you can barely hear the vacuum. Really, how often can you watch TV or talk on the phone and not even notice a vacuum running? Well, with the Lefant you can!

Programs

There are three choices for programs: spiral from the middle, start at the edges and work your way in, or press the power button for a basic back-and-forth pattern.

We didn’t have much use for the spiral or edge patterns. In fact, in our small square sunroom, we tried the spiral pattern and it basically cleaned a spot in the middle of the room and then decided it was done. The edge pattern left too much dog hair and dirt to be effective. But simply pressing the start button and letting it do its own thing, just a simple back and forth, worked by far the best.

App

We downloaded the app, which says it’s compatible with IOS and Android 4.0 or above. My son is the phone person in our family, and with his Android 7.0, he had trouble getting it to work. Even after deleting and redownloading it a few times, he kept getting the message: Sorry the program is abnormal and will be withdrawn. We’ll post an update if we get the app working.

What I like

  • Extremely quiet
  • Great sensors
  • Long battery life

What needs to be improved

  • App doesn’t work
  • More effective program mapping

Final thoughts

The Lefant Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (T700 1800Pa) may take a few sessions to clean the messiest of floors, but it’s very quiet and easy to use, has a long battery life and accurate sensors.

Price: $299.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Lefant.

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Lefant T700 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 22, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Dirty dog got you down? Try Dexas Mudbuster.

NEWS –April showers bring May flowers … plus, a whole lot of dirty pawprints.

Thanks to my Lefant robot vacuum, my floors are cleaner than ever. But with a muddy yard and white floors, I’m constantly battling puppy prints. Sure, I keep a towel by the back door and wipe off Maya’s little feet. But that never seems to do a good enough job.

Enter the Dexas Mudbuster.

This little cuplike device with silicone bristles claims to quickly, easily and effectively clean up your canine friend. With more than 1,200 reviews and a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, customers seem pretty pleased with the results.

My pup hates getting her nails clipped, and really doesn’t like anyone touching her paws, yet the Mudbuster claims to be very gentle. The instructions say to just add a little water, insert the muddy paw, twist and you’re done, just dab them dry.

The Mudbuster comes in three sizes, depending on your pooch’s paw size.  It retails for $14.99 (small), $18.30 (medium) and $21.89 (large) on Amazon.

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Dirty dog got you down? Try Dexas Mudbuster. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 16, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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