I hated my robot vacuum – it was nothing but a hassle. That was until I tried one that changed my outlook forever – and I’ll never go without again
Contains affiliate content. Products mentioned in this article are selected by our writers. If you make a purchase through links on this page, Daily Mail Australia may earn an affiliate commission. Click here For more information.
I bought a ‘smart’ one robot vacuum cleaner in 2020 after months of dreaming about a clean house that required little effort to maintain.
Three weeks later I packed up his things and threw 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 rug he made, or from clean corners he kept vacuuming.
I swore off the trendy gadgets and vowed never to invest in them again. That was until I met Neil, my shiny new Narwhal vacuum.
When the team from the Australian robot vacuum cleaner company Narwhal offered me the opportunity to try out the latest model – the Freo X Ultra – I rolled my eyes. Here we go again.
But I was wrong.
Since 2020, the arrival of two children, a dog and a bird has only added more obstacles to my home.
I put sauce, seeds, and cornmeal on the floor to see how the robot would work under pressure
It worked great – in vacuum and mop mode – with only a tiny bit of cornstarch left. Then I ran the vacuum again with a vacuum and mop mode and it shot through the missed spot
The new vacuum cleaner sat in its box in the corner, slowly collecting debris for over a week before I decided to plug it in, certain that it would fail me just like the last one.
I give all my vacuum cleaners a male name. Neil felt like the ideal choice.
Neil surprised me.
He mapped out the house, as they do. Then he vacuumed it, mopped it, and dumped the dirty water and dust into his home station.
After that he took a shower to make sure he was ready for his next adventure.
Not only did he do a great job, but he never complained.
It didn’t snag on my shag carpet, the kids’ shoes, the chair legs, the birdcage, or the floor cushions.
The app is easy to use – tells you how long the machine has been running – where it has cleaned and how much longer it has to run
I usually use the vacuum and mop mode, which means the robot does both at the same time, but the vacuum and mop mode is better for more stubborn spots
He even avoided moving targets, including myself, a fleet-footed five-year-old, and a playful one-year-old Afghan hound.
The robot, like many others, is controlled via an app. This allows you to select rooms or segments, choose whether you want to mop or vacuum and when you want the robot to get started.
I’ve been using it for about a month now and it definitely lives up to the expectations I had before I bought my first one. robot vacuum cleaner for 2020.
It has my need for one standalone vacuum cleaner or mop, which I think I will use once a month, but it has definitely reduced my workload.
It is important that you can set the machine so that it also cleans the most important areas, such as the kitchen and under the dining table, once everyone is comfortably in bed.
I have Neil vacuum and mop every night, something I’ve never been able to do manually, on top of my job and my regular life.
I like that the dust container lasts six weeks with normal use because it compacts the dirt as it returns to the base station.
Keep a close eye on the water, because it can be frustrating if you receive a message during cleaning that you need to change the water and you are not available.
However, I use Neil most days to mop, so I don’t think this will be a huge problem for most.
The Narwal comes with a base station with water containers and heaters to keep things hygienic
The mop is washed and dried after each use
Narwal’s cleaners are described by customers as ‘game changing’, claiming that the technology, design and quality of workmanship make it look like a much more expensive model.
And after living with my own children, I can admit that I don’t roll my eyes anymore. The robot seems to ‘look’ where it’s going, exploring the area during big jobs and going above and beyond with every cleaning.
I sprayed tomato sauce, smeared mud, sprinkled flour and poured birdseed onto my kitchen floor to see how the machine held up – and was pleased with the results.
Only a smudge of cornstarch remained. This is probably because I chose the ‘vacuum and mop’ cycle. I repeated the cleaning with the ‘vacuum then mop’ option and it was perfect.
The vacuum cleaner can be purchased directly from Narwal and Amazon.