Cleaning your home can feel like a never-ending chore. As much as we’d love to have a personal maid or housekeeper, it’s just not in the budget for most of us. However, technology has made great strides in developing handy gadgets that make cleaning your home faster, easier, and more efficient. I’ve tested out various smart home cleaning gadgets and want to share the ones that have become indispensible additions to my cleaning arsenal.
Robotic Vacuums
Robotic vacuums, also known as robovacs, have come a long way from those early models that would get stuck under furniture and beep helplessly. Today’s versions efficiently clean floors with minimal supervision. Here are my top picks:
iRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba is the OG of robotic vacuums. It uses intelligent mapping technology to methodically clean floors by row. I like that I can schedule it to run daily so I come home to clean floors. The Roomba learns the layout of my home and even returns itself to the charging base when the battery gets low.
Neato Robotics Botvac D7
The Neato Botvac D7 has a unique D-shape design that I’ve found can better clean corners and along baseboards. It has strong suction power and can be controlled from my phone. I also appreciate that I can set no-go zones on the map so it avoids carpets or rooms I don’t want vacuumed.
Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI
The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 takes robotic vacuuming to the next level with AI and advanced mapping. It can identify and avoid objects like shoes or pet bowls and mops hard floors after vacuuming. I like using the voice controls to tell it to clean the kitchen or living room without having to move it between rooms.
Robot Mops
After my floors are nicely vacuumed, having an automated mop saves me time on getting them squeaky clean. Here are the robot mops I recommend:
iRobot Braava Jet M6
The iRobot Braava Jet M6 is my go-to for mopping hard floors. It uses smart navigation to mop in efficient rows and spray jets to tackle messes. I like that I can attach different types of cleaning pads for damp mopping or heavy duty scrubbing.
Ecovacs Deebot OZMO T8+
For a 2-in-1 vacuuming and mopping robot, I recommend the Ecovacs Deebot OZMO T8+. It vacuums and mops in one pass, so floors are completely clean. The plus model has an auto-empty station that holds up to 30 days of debris so I don’t have to empty it as often.
Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra has powerful suction and sonic mopping that scrubs up to 3,000 times per minute. I’m amazed at how well it cleans stuck on messes. It empties and cleans its mop pads automatically after each cleaning. It’s pricey but worth it for the hands-free hard floor cleaning.
UV Sanitizing Devices
Killing germs in my home became more of a priority during the pandemic. UV sanitizing gadgets use UV-C light to eliminate up to 99% of bacteria and viruses without any chemicals. I use these often:
HoMedics TotalClean UV Tower Air Purifier
The HoMedics UV Tower draws in air and uses UV-C light and carbon filtration to purify the air. I run it daily in rooms we use a lot to keep air clean. It also has ambient lighting options for mood lighting.
PhoneSoap Smartphone Sanitizer
PhoneSoap kills germs on my phone and other small items with UV-C while also charging devices. I like that I can toss in pacifiers, keys, etc to sanitize quickly. It fits all phone sizes and cases.
Samsung AirDresser Steamer Closet
The Samsung AirDresser uses steam to sanitize clothing, remove odors and wrinkles, and dry clothes. I use it to refresh clothes between washes and it makes laundry day less frequent. It kills germs without chemicals and needs no venting.
Smart Home Assistants
I never thought I’d use a smart assistant but now I rely on them for help with cleaning reminders and controlling my smart gadgets.
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Alexa lets me add cleaning tasks like “mop kitchen” or “dust living room” to my household to-do list. I can then assign those tasks to different family members.
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The Google Home assistant integrates well with my robotic vacuums and mops. I can use voice commands like “Hey Google, start vacuuming” to get them cleaning.
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I also use the Apple HomePod mini to set reminders to clean out the fridge or tidy up at the end of the day. Siri makes controlling my smart home routines quick and hands-free.
Having these smart assistants help keep the whole household accountable for chores and makes cleaning seamless.
Smart Home Security Cameras
One last smart home addition I’ve made for keeping things clean is installing security cameras. Being able to check in remotely gives me peace of mind and has cut down on cleaning emergencies:
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The Arlo Pro 4 system lets me check on the house from anywhere and speak through the camera. I can tell the kids to pick up or the dog to get off the couch!
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Eufy cameras store recordings locally so I can review footage. I caught the cat knocking over a plant when we were out. Mystery solved!
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Ring cameras integrate with Alexa so I can see live feeds just by asking. I checked who rang the doorbell while cooking dinner – just the package I was expecting.
Having cameras makes it easy to monitor messes and catch culprits! They provide an extra set of eyes when I can’t be home.
The Verdict
While nothing can fully replace good old fashioned elbow grease, these smart home gadgets have absolutely made cleaning and maintaining my home easier. Being able to automate vacuuming, mopping, sanitizing, and monitoring has given me back precious time. I’m able to keep things tidier in between deep cleanings.
The technology has improved tremendously and the apps and voice controls make the gadgets easy to use and schedule. I can start cleaning from anywhere just using my phone. While my home isn’t self-cleaning yet, these tools get me one step closer to a constantly tidy home! I consider them essential additions to my cleaning toolkit.
