Camping In Seattle With My Vacuum

I Fell In Love With My Roomba

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I resisted for a long time and now I wonder why.

Once I made the decision, I couldn’t believe it took me so long to make the choice. It was an inevitable answer to the age-old problem.

I hate housework.

That’s not exactly true. I do like some things, like cooking and painting walls. I enjoy hanging pictures and decorating too.

Here’s a weird secret - I actually like washing dishes.

I really don’t mind it. It’s soothing and satisfying at the same time. I do own a dishwasher and use it all the time, but there always seems to be something that shouldn’t go in it.

The special china with the gold edges for one. It would survive, but the gold would peel off. And the wine glasses. We have to take care of the wine glasses.

That said, I wouldn’t give up my dishwasher for a moment.

It’s a labor-saving device, like the machine that washes my clothes. I do not ever want to go back to the time where we had to wash clothes by hand and hang them up to dry.

No thank you very much.

So it seems strange to think I would even consider saying no when a machine came along that would work for me and save me time.

I do have a couple of excuses.

I'm pretty frugal, and it seemed like a lot of money to spend.

I already had a top-of-the-line built-in vacuum that had worked well for years. A robot vacuum wasn't on my radar and it seemed a bit frivolous.

That all changed when we went camping

When I found out my sister-in-law had a Roomba in her rather large fifth wheel, I secretly mocked her. I didn’t understand why anyone would need a robot vacuum while they were camping.

Camping to me was plaid shirts and firepits. A bit of sand in the camper was to be expected. I saw it in action a couple of times and it seemed to do a good job. When she confessed that she loved it she also shared that she would sometimes put it in the back of their large SUV, to clean up the cargo area.

Now that was over the top.

Who vacuums their trunk? Who cares if their trunk is that clean? Now I was embarrassed whenever she came to our camper for a visit.

After we returned home I thought about it the next time I vacuumed. I dragged those heavy hoses up the stairs and lugged them back down again when I was finished.

As I was putting them away, I had a revelation.

The Roomba was like a dishwasher.

It was a labor-saving device, designed to do a menial job I really don't enjoy.

Why was I saying no? There was no reason to drag hoses around or to struggle as I carried large awkward appliances up and down the stairs.

There was no way I’d ever say no to a dishwasher. It was worth every penny we had paid for it.

So I gave in and ordered a Roomba.

The first time we used it, we were afraid it would fall down the stairs, so I put a barricade across the top. Then I almost tripped, flying headlong down the stairs.

I realized that wasn't the safest option so I did some research and guess what I found out?

It has built-in Cliff Protection.

What a concept.

It was equipped with sensors to prevent it from going off the edge of a cliff.

We sent it off on a cleaning run, watching as it ventured closer and closer to the stairs. I stood ready to launch a rescue if necessary.

When the Roomba reached the edge, the sensors kicked in, and it came to a stop. Then it went into reverse and backed up a bit. I was surprised as it proceeded to come back again and again to map the entire edge of the 'cliff' for future reference.

Basic Machine Learning.

When we downloaded the app, we saw an option to send it out on training runs, where it wouldn't vacuum, but it would map one floor of our house instead.

So we sent it out to map. Like an old-time explorer.

It took it a couple of hours of bouncing off walls and chairs, roaming under beds, and getting acquainted with lamps to complete the job. There was one return to base for recharging and then it was ready.

I keep a neater house now. Before I tell it to vacuum, I pick up all the loose ends, charger cords, and odd socks, then I press clean.

It sings a cheerful song and goes on its merry way.

Roomba does a magnificent job. I've never been as good at cleaning as it is. That's ok. I'm willing to take a second-place in vacuuming any day.

I don’t have to carry around hoses, or heavy vacuum equipment.

Our house is cleaner than it has ever been. Ever.

I’ve taken to talking to it.

I cheerfully say things like "good job" when it returns to base and sings its little song. Ta Ta Da!

At Christmas, I ventured into the large closet under the stairs to find the decorations. It was full of dust and spider bodies so I put the Roomba in the closet and set it free.

It started up and sat there a moment, trying to figure out where it was. Then it set out, ping-ponging around the space until it was finished.

If I come into a room where it's busily cleaning, I've been known to cheer it on.

"You're doing great!" I'll say, "way to go!"

In the beginning, it got lost under the bed in our spare room and we had to rescue it, twice. It must have sorted out the mapping because it hasn't done it since.

It doesn't go in straight lines. Instead, it moves around in a rather erratic way until it finishes. It's fascinating to watch as it figures out it's going around a chair and watch it pivot to circle each leg.

When I carry the unit downstairs to clean, it leaves the docking station and pauses for a moment to get its bearings. I swear I can see it shrug, then it embarks on a journey into the unknown, bouncing off things until it gets its bearings.

Sometimes, I can almost hear it muttering, 'that isn't supposed to be there'.

I bought the higher-end model with the docking station that allows the Roomba to empty itself into a bag. At first, I wondered if it would have to be emptied all the time but so far we've gone several months and only replaced the bag once.

Here are the details on the one we bought:

• Brand: iRobot, Roomba s9+ (9550) Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal- Empties itself, Wi-Fi Connected, Smart Mapping, Powerful Suction, Anti-Allergen System, Corners & Edges, Ideal for Pet Hair.

You can purchase smaller ones, without the dirt disposal base, but our house is pretty big so I figured I'd be happier with this one.

I'm surprised at how much I love it. I told my family about it and now some of them got one of their own. They love them.

But, there’s one thing. I’m not taking mine camping.

In the meanwhile, be kind to yourself my friends. And stay safe. ❤️

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