I recently bought an inexpensive robot vacuum cleaner after years of easily resisting the trend. After a very bad ankle break last summer that won’t heal, and two knee replacements in recent months, I have mobility challenges that keep me from a lot of chores I used to keep up with easily.
I am far from Suzy Homemaker, and I don’t keep an immaculate house, but I have a thing about thorough dusting and well cleaned floors. My husband took on many things, including vacuuming, and my daughter in law helps, as well as grandchildren. Still, I decided to try out the little robot, just to help out.
I am pleased to say that my $89 investment has paid off big time. The vacuum cleaner isn’t perfect, but it is so much better than I expected that it satisfies even floor picky me. If you really want it to work its best, put away clutter, of course, and put chairs and barstools up. It will really clean under couches and beds, go from room to room, and it has little stiff brushes sticking out that rotate and clean at baseboards and in corners.
It has been a pretty long time since I’ve spent under a hundred dollars and been so well pleased. So, I decided, for curiosity’s sake, to see what else you guys come up with. What is your favorite buy lately, large or small?
If this post is enjoyed, I think I’ll do one soon on home improvement and repair items. I spent many years working in the home improvement industry, from my start selling kitchen and bath fixtures, cabinets, appliances and electrical fixtures, moving on the my greater love for lumber, building materials, and milwork, including high end windows and doors. Hint: when I win the lottery my modest home on the banks of the Tennessee River, or one of her lakes, will have only Marvin Windows in it. Unless Kolbe and Kolbe has closed the gap in the years since I left the trade.
But that passion of mine is for a later post. Today it is all about hickeydoodles and hooti, a plural for hootus. That’s a favorite WeeWeed term that makes me smile.
I bought this little silicone tube that takes the skin off garlic.. Cost about 7 dollars… best thing I ever got… You put the unpeeled garlic in the tube and roll it… Skin comes right off…
And then there are those of us who ENJOY peeling garlic (like me)!
And those of us who lightly smash the sides of the garlic clove(s) with the side of a large knife blade while the clove(s) sit(s) on a cutting board. Loosens the skin, much like the tube nigella bought…
I never thought I’d ever consider one of those robo-vacs but back and leg disabilities are making it look good. And the price isn’t bad. Thanks for the review. (I like home improvement stores, too… unfortunately disabilities make it hard to do what I used to love doing around the house.)
Same here. Smash the garlic with the side of a thick knife and the outer layer will almost fall off.
Me too!
What’s the name of the tube and where was it made?
I got it at Sur la Table . Not sure of the name
I’m going to check it out. Thanks.
I just checked and Amazon has several different types
lol, but i thought Treepers would boycott Amazon.
Find company on Amazon then order direct.
Exactly
Yes! I’ve done that with quite a few companies. I consider the shipping $$ a contribution to sticking it to Jeff B.
Please don’t buy from Amazon. Why put one more dime into Jeff Bezo’s pocket?
Most companies are going online to sell anything,guess they use a middle man & take a percentage.got an e-mail from Home Depot with a sale on household furniture.
put it on a cutting board w a sprinkle of salt to prevent sliding…smash it with the flat of the knife…skin comes right of and it is already flattened for easy mincing with the knife
Put your garlic in a paper bag (unpeeled). Shake the bag. It will be then very easy to peel the garlic.
I have one of the silicon gizmos. The paper bag –well I don’t have to use it and wash the silicon gizmo.
Those are great! I have one, too!
We buy them bulk by the prepackaged net bag, then vacumn pack them 2 bulbs each and throw them in the freezer. When they come out of the freezer and thaw they are super simple to remove with your fingers alone. Just squeeze and it basically slides off on its own. I can do 2 bulbs in about a minute or two, with no utensils.
Then I make garlic paste with them. Puree with olive oil and a bit of salt, then freeze it in a small airtight container. You grab it out of the freezer and break off a few chips with a sharp knife every time you need garlic and you are done. No muss, no fuss.
Thanks for this response. I grow about 75 garlic bulbs a year in my home garden and as hard as I try to eat and give away most of it I end up with some that spoils. I never thought of freezing them! I do now…thanks again.
Any tips on growing? Mine are just too small..
You’re welcome. I try to keep my ear to the ground on any pending food shortages and invest ahead of time in bulk. I heard garlic was going to be scarce earlier this year so we bought in bulk and starting the freezing process after doing some research on different storage methods.
I had no idea they would be so easy to peel, so that was a YUGE bonus. I had also never made garlic paste before, but it is so easy and so time saving when it comes to food prep. There flat out is none.
This article is what I used for my research:
Garlic: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8m47003z
Also, I assumed the garlic was already cured when it got to me. If you are growing your own, that is a necessary step before freezing.
No need to peel garlic if grating it. When a recipe calls for minced garlic, many restuarant prep chefs break apart the cloves and grate them each as they are. They are not dirty this way. The thin layer of what we usually peel is just a drier version of what’s underneath. It will not affect flavor/texture of finished product.
I bought one of those years ago from Williams Sonoma. It works very well. These days, however, I simply buy large containers of peeled garlic from the Korean market.
all you have to do is put the cloves in a glass pickle or peanut butter jar, close the lid and shake hard
The garlic will peel and flake off
You’re welcome
I know this is not an inanimate object but I have to include the reintroduction of manna provided by God in the Sinai wilderness. He, in his majesty and unending kindness, has brought it back in the form of jumbo sized marshmallows stuffed with a dollop of milk chocolate. I discovered the new manna walking past the marshmallow section in the grocery and had a veritable spiritual experience, indeed.
SMR: Yes, but, is it kosher?
Sorry to hear about your ankle and knees, hope you feel better soon??.
About two years ago I bought a little purple steamer for $4.99 at Ross. For $4.99 I thought i’d take a chance on it. That little steamer is my best purchase ever(and I didn’t think anything could ever out do my $20.00, very weird, Disney crock pot?) I used to iron a lot, now I just steam everything with that little purple steamer and in half the time.
I love my robot vacuum!! It gets the dust and pet hair off the floor and I run it every other day. It’s something I did not have high expectations for and it is the best thing in a million years!
In dust I trust.
Professional Dust Collector!
I call my collection dust kitties, not the usual dust bunnies, because I have cats, not rabbits.
Well actually I do have rabbits, but they’re outside and unwanted.
Today I actually watched a hawk eat one in the yard. Nature!
Have to say that my favorite gizmo I’ve bought over the recent while is a little foldable cell phone stand called an iZel! Made in USA and can hold any cell phone in either the landscape or portait position. Great for sitting down at a resturant and reading CTH while eating. ?
My Kitchen Aid mixer is the best. I can make ice cream, grind grain, juice tomatoes for canning sauce and knead bread dough.
pressure canner and water bath canner, immersion blender, food saver and dehydrator.
Gotta say YouTube has offered me quite the education in canning and growing vegetables in my raised beds.
Use your grinder attachment to grind your own beef or pork or venison, etc. Beef can be cooked medium rare because you know what you put into it. You will never buy ground beef again.
We have that attachment too.
I once made steak burgers with prime grade ribeyes, eggs, salt and pepper. At room tempersture we cooked them to a bit above rear.
Those were the best “burgers” we ever had.
I’ve done that. You are right about the quality.
I’m going to invest in the grinder so I can try out making my own masa for corn tortillas.
https://ansonmills.com/recipes/712
Yup. We are growing 300 seeds of corn next spring. Some for flour and some for ummmm something else that’s drinkable.
Love my dehydrator.
Same here. We use ours every week to make beef jerky and dehydrated apple slices.
I was going to buy a dehydrator before I realized I don’t need one. I have a convection setting on my oven. I make beef jerky by the cookie sheet full for my dogs in my main oven.
We got an Air Fryer that includes this option, but have not used it yet.
I’ve been thinking I would like one for dehydrating herbs. I have an herb garden and as of rignt now I have herbs hanging everywhere including my bedroom. Have to be out of the sun….smells good.
You can dry herbs in the microwave.
Ssshhh!!! Don’t tell fakebook. They banned a Canning group. ‘Cause people who are into canning are rayciss, white supremacists, insurrectionists you know…
I have my favorite homesteaders and gardeners that I check in with everyday. So much wonderful information that walked me through canning for the first time.
I remember that and actually linkcd a copy on CTH.
Not sure how this fits into gadget forum. But 1 upvote.
We also have a robot vacuum that we love. We have wood floors and golden retriever and it does wonderful! My favorite gadgets are
Ditto on the air fryer!
my hubs worked for Marvin until he broke his back after he retired from GE…great product, wonderful people,,,,,and my gizmo is a can strainer, I call it a tuna squasher
I want one of those! Where did you get it?
Love my stainless steel one, many versions don’t remember “brand” suggest whichever is cheapest as they all come outta the same factory in china.
Amazon.com : stainless steel tuna press
Also drains water from cans, for me, corn.
Remember that these devices map your home and typically with wi-fi communicate with manufacturers’ designated servers. There are privacy and security issues involved therefore with their use, which should also be considered.
Which devices? And source, please…or is this an internet rumor?
Robot vacumn.
Some do and some don’t.
https://www.consumerreports.org/robotic-vacuums/is-your-robotic-vacuum-sharing-data-about-you-a1563001307/
Samsung got caught a couple years back — their refrigerators monitored your internet traffic and sent the data to the Home Pagoda for lord only knows what use.
No smart appliances in my house, thank you very much. You can’t trust the bastards.
I have one that doesn’t map. It uses magnetic strips to you adhere to floor to stop vacuum from entering that area.
My favorite gadget is my 3D printer. It prints all kind of gadgets we use around the house. I make personalized Christmas ornaments, cooking gadgets like orange peelers, replacement parts, and right now I’m printing skull shot glasses for a Halloween party in Oct. When I consider cost and shipping time its quicker to make things. Most things cost less than $1 to print.
Is the CD printer capable of printing itself?
Business opportunity for both of you.
I got a “Ground Beef Smasher” made of nylon, and fell in love. I can mash up my ground meat so much easier with my artritic hands, it’s a blessing. The thing was cheap, and cheerful, so I got one for my best friend. Everytime I use it, I smile!
the two sisters that do the instant pot recipes online love this gadget…it looks like it works well…I just use a fork
I recently bought one of these. They are terrific!
This has been one of my favs and I just recently purchased it.
Honestly, Roombas are fine. I ended up getting one because, well, we just have too much stuff on our circuits, and we need them to not get interrupted if somebody’s taking customer calls in the workroom. A vacuum cleaner in most cases would throw a circuit breaker here.
But a Roomba is battery powered and charges nice and slow, so it doesn’t cause trouble.
Only problem is if the cat pukes and I have to get out the floor scrubber.
I had a Roomba when they first came out. I hope they have changed because when I used it, all it did was bump into things and then go the other way. It wasn’t thorough at all. Yes, you have to clear it’s path but it wasn’t methodical in it’s movement’s so never got the job done. I’ve looked at them recently and they cost a fortune. It’s good to know there is at least another brand out there that is less than $100.00.
I bought a Roomba about 3-4 years ago for a large finished basement, 2 dogs and 2 cats. It’s amazing how much it will clean everywhere. Yes, it bumps into things, but it turns and keeps cleaning. It’s also amazing how bad the floor looks after just a couple days if it is not running.
It gets stuck under the couch because it does a kamikaze run under them, or other objects, but it’s worth it to unstick it and let it go on.
We like it so much that we bought another cheaper version, Shark Clean for upstairs. We should have stuck with Roomba. The Shark Clean wouldn’t move more than a couple feet after a few months suggesting something was stuck under it. It was replaced under warranty, but the new one did the exact same thing. Stopped moving more than a couple feet because something was stuck under it. No matter how thoroughly it has been cleaned, it refuses to move.
The Roomba is still cleaning.
Cut a pool noodle to fit under couch and prevent roomba from getting stuck
I had the same experience when I tried one. Not sure what I was expecting, but was really surprised to see how strangely it moved about as it sensed obstructions. I guess I was hoping for something that went back and forth a bit more efficiently, but can understand there’s a lot of obstructions even in the most minimal of homes. Then I discovered it wasn’t good for the type of carpet I had and it went back.
I do not understand the word “if” in this sentence:
Only problem is if the cat pukes and I have to get out the floor scrubber.
Didn’t you mean “when”?
For anyone hanging Christmas lights, buy the red extending pole made for hanging lights(costs about 20-25 dollars), best Christmas light gadget ever, saves a lot of ladder time and eliminates falls. I string plastic easter eggs on floral wire to make plastic egg garland for my trees on Easter, and that pole works great for hanging those also. No more ladders after buying that pole, it extends to 20 feet.
This brought a smile to my face. After finally convincing my husband to put permanent hooks across the front of the house to hang the lights instead of stapling every year he was still using the ladder until several years ago when he cut a notch in the end of a long piece of pvc pipe to easily raise and lower the light strands. So easy to put up and take down that I did it last year. We live in a single story house so we don’t need as long a pole. Truly makes putting up the lights a breeze.
If you don’t have a Battery Daddy®, then you ain’t livin’…
Best $20 Mrs. Claus ever spent.
This doesn’t mean the “junk drawer” is empty, by the way. Indeed, it allows you to make room for more crap in there. So you no longer have to keep the I’m-Not-Sure-What-This-Bracket-Was-From-But-I-Should-Probably-Keep-It’s stashed away in Secondary Storage in the basement… keep it right up there in Primary Storage in the kitchen, in case you ever need it.
That’s what we call “A Win-Win” in the business.
I’ll have to look for one of these.
By the way, tossing your 9-volt batteries in the junk drawer with steel wool is a really, REALLY BAD idea!
I have one. It’s great!
Is that the ‘home business’? Perhaps we could trade some of the “I’m not sure” thingies.
This looks like a wonderful Christmas gift idea….
Mr. P.
Thanks to you and the smart Mrs. Claus for this super storage container idea. It just so happens that 2 smoke alarms, with strobe lights went off 90 mins. apart—in the middle of the night, last night.
Dug new batteries from a bag, didn’t expect to change them after only 6 months !
But, will be looking to buy this asap. Mrs. Claus will hopefully we dropping by for Halloween.
On most battery storage cases, there is a battery tester included so you finally know which batteries in the junk drawer are dead/dying
Batteries touching steel wool = fire
Have never had batteries near steel wool, but this was new info for me and I will surely make sure I never put them side-by-side. Good piece of info. Thank you (and another Treeper up the thread) for sharing that!
That’s awesome!
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! You have everyone in my household laughing so hard over your comment. I mean, really hearty and much-needed laughter.
I bought a robot vac a few years ago. I named it Harry. I had a nasty habit of putting Harry on my counter near my trash can. One day, while I was emptying Harry’s container, he turned himself on and leaped off my counter. He died. I don’t know if he got bored with the same daily routine or why he lost the will to go on. I miss him.
I replaced him with Harry 2 which was a newer model but I don’t think Harry 2 likes to work as much. Harry 2 gets turned upside down when I empty him, as I’ve learned my lesson.
Cat in a shark suit.
Cat Wearing A Shark Costume Cleans The Kitchen On A Roomba. Shark Week. #SharkCat cleaning Kitchen! – YouTube
Perhaps Harry 2 feels too much pressure having been named after the original Harry. Or, and perhaps more likely, with each month that passes, stuff just gets made with less and less quality, as if everything is disposable. I hope Harry 2 will improve his work ethic and you can have some happy days together! One thing’s for sure, Harry 1 trained you well and you learned your lessons. Robot vac 1, Lilanna2012 0.
Sorry to hear about the ankle! Prayers for you.
Although I do love my Roomba, probably the best investment I’ve ever made in the floor cleaning dept. is the Dyson Absolute Stick Vac. It’s light, the battery life is excellent and man, does it suck 🙂 I don’t believe I’ll ever go back to a full size vacuum.
Other than that, swiffer dusters are worth their weight in gold.
I do not know what the state of my house would be in without my swifter dusters. Those things are amazing.
Norwex for floors and the rubber brush removes all the dust/dirt in seconds. Never have to buy swiffer pads again. Wet or dry mop. Works better than anything I’ve used.
Ninja foodie 8qt.
We use it more than the stove or oven.
Makes the best chicken!
Also use it to pressure cook our tomatoes, about 5 minutes, sqeeze off the skins, then use the Quasinart submersion blender to mix. Pop in a dish, freeze, pop it out of dish and vacuum pack with our Food Saver.
The Food Saver is a must for the freezing when buying in bulk etc.
I use a straw (my lungs are fine @ 86+)… but, I AM considering a vacuum pack machine… maybe next year.
Love my food saver. I use it for a lot of lovely things grown in my garden. Dried herbs to chopped peppers and corn on the cob for freezing.
Housemate uses th4e Food Saver for everything we buy in bulk. It is worth it’s weight in gold.
I got a food saver as a gift years ago and use it pretty much every day. It reseals chip bags for fresh chips to the very end of the bag. I can also freeze meats, veggies, even sauces in bags that prevent freezer burn. LOVE THAT MACHINE!!!
I have 4 Ilife robot vacuums. They are very affordable-much less expensive than the name brands and do a better job IMHO. I have parrots who are messy and my robots are a big help in containing the debris field. I love them and consider them to be electronic “pets”.
OMG, that’s great!!!
I LOVE this thread…can’t wait for the home improvement one..!!!!
I want that one too. May do a bathroom remodel this winter if I can find workers and they can find materials.
With Xiden-flation boiling upwards, I figure putting $$ into real-world value is a good plan.
Finding workers AND materials is a challenge these day, no? Not to mention, top quality on both scores.
My favorite; my wife and I call it “the clicker”, not sure what the product name is.
Neither of us are early alzhiemers, but do have a condition which causes brain fog.
Getting ready to go “out”, have my glasses and wallet, looking for ten minutes for my car keys, …find them, only to realise in my search, I set down my glasses and wallet.
And things like this happening, multiple times a day, with cries of “I just HAD it!”.
Situation NOT helped by the popularity of the color BLACK, for sure!
The clicker has a master control, which we mounted a little can to the wall, so we wouldn’t lose IT.
And, 6 color coded responders; push the yellow button (glasses) on the control unit, and the yellow responder beeps, with flashing red LED.
I have responder on glasses, cell phone, wallet, etc.
A real lifesaver for us!
Forgot to add that I do like my Instant Pot for a few things – rice, beans, yogurt and chicken stock!
Instapot is my favorite appliance, spring, summer, fall, and winter. I like to fill it with wonderful food (one pot wonders!), turn it on, and walk away. No heating up of the stove or oven. I can make big batches and freeze the extra in ziplock bags, only to be dumped back into the Instapot for another time. Sometimes I wish I had several of them. I have a daughter who is a gourmet cook and she eschews the Instapot. LOL. I guess when you get older, EASY is the ticket.
The floor thingy – not so much. I have two very furry dogs and it would clog up in minutes… unless they make one with a large drag along canister that would empty itself every 5 minutes! Too funny. Also, my dogs would hunt that thing down and kill it. Maybe in another life. The people I know that have them, love them. My dream is to have full time maid service! LOL.
I bought some reusable silicone muffin cups – best ever. I was panicked that I wouldn’t be able to get paper cupcake liners during the pandemic, so I splurged on the silicone ones. Oh My! It’s a totally different baking experience. The cupcakes and muffins are moister, and they slip right out of the cups – they even keep the pretty little ruffled edges.
My other favorite purchase is the Bissell Pet Carpet Shampooer. I have a dog with incontinence issues, and I use the carpet shampooer 2 or 3 times a week. I couldn’t be without it.
Oh, and my third favorite “luxury purchase” – Russian Piping tips! If you like pretty cupcakes these are a game changer. Even my 8 year old could make beautiful cupcakes.
My granddaughter has a whole silicone muffin pan. She loves it and doesn’t have to worry about liners. Have no idea where she got it but I want one. LOL. I also have the silicone liners and lover them.
If you would enjoy some incredible examples of American craftsmanship, you might enjoy several post I made on my Instagram page this weekend. They are from the Glen-L Marine boatbuilders gathering on Chichamauga Lake in Tennessee.
All boats were owner built, and stunning to behold.
Look at “East Tennessee Scenes” on Instagram, and overlook the self promotion. Just thought some might enjoy. I didn’t have a boat there.
My favorites are my two room a vacs (one upstairs and one for downstairs), swifter dusters, and my portable ice machine.
On a side note: I had my husband replace my HE washing machine with a 1987 Maytag that fills completely with water and doesn’t take forever to wash a load of laundry. I also purchased a bucket of Sodium Tripolyphosphate to add in with my laundry and dishwasher detergents so that I can wash clothes and dishes like it’s the 1980’s again, before the eco-crazy’s made life harder on the domestic housewife.
“Roomba Vacs”
^^^^THIS^^^^. The “greenies” utterly destroyed homemaking. Nothing gets clean. Everything breaks easily. You can pay a small fortune for top of the line appliances, and they still break down.
I recently splurged, and I mean $$$$, for a set of SpeedQueen washer and dryer – American made – fill completely up – and rarely require service. I had hoped to find a really old set that had been refurbished, but I couldn’t. My guesstimation is that 1998 was the last year they made appliances that work! I thought in my spare time, not, I could find out when the entire appliance industry got outsourced to cheap labor and cheap parts. A family could buy ONE set of appliances and they would last a lifetime – maybe that was the 70’s or earlier.
For certain, newer is not always better.
Took me a long time, and years of disappointment and frustration to realize this.
My old washing machine isn’t pretty, but it does the job my overpriced new HE ones did not do, in less of the time. Plus, should it break down, my son can easily repair it.
Same experience with a brand new stove that came with our house that we purchased last December. It wouldn’t heat the water in my BIG canners. The stove shuts off if it thinks the pot is getting too hot. We replaced it with a gas stove so now I can get back to canning all my goodies from my garden.
I used to add phosphate to my regular detergents. Now I buy Bubble Bandit (with natural phosphates) dish washing detergent. My dishwasher and my dishes are both sparkling clean! It is made in Texas.
I have heard good things about Bubble Bandit.
Once I use up all the useless dishwasher gels, pods, powders, and tabs I purchased looking for something that worked (but did not without my adding phosphate), I will try Bubble Bandit.
Yes they removed this from laundry detergents a long time ago, it 10 bucks or less from the paint supply isle in your local hardware store.
I use it almost daily in a commercial environment for mopping greasy floors, also for greasy carpet cleaning… spot cleaning or pre treat carpet for my hoover carpet cleaning machine.
Beware use this with gloves or it WILL take the oil right out of your skin!!!
I used to add this to my detergent, but it doesn’t work as well as Bubble Bandit. Honest.
Love this piece and all the comments!!!
I’ll never love washing floors. But I love my Hoover Floormate. Lays down clean water from one tank, sucks up the dirty water in the other. Does an amazing job on my tile floors.
My daughter has one and loves it! I just bought a Hoover carpet cleaner with an attachment that lets you do hard floors too. I’m looking forward to that.
I have a round silicone cover for the microwave . It has tiny holes in the center to let the steam escape. Bought it at Peppercorns in Boulder CO (yeah, I know lefty-land, but if they don’t have it you don’t need it). The handiest gadget ever for reheating. I also have a neat bowl-shaped potholder for microwaving as well. Will not burn your hands removing stuff from the microwave.
Someone mentioned Sur La Table. I was in our local one the other day, first time in years. Oh my, I could have spent hours there.
I miss browsing kitchen gadget stores…
Those fabric soup bowl holders are very handy – I have three and use them under every bowl of any size I put in the microwave.
You can easily find them at local craft fairs.
Tumbleweeds for starting my bbq smoker. Set one in the middle of the wood charcoal, light it and wait till the coals are ready. No more chimney and newspapers.
Dust: the final frontier…
Hahahahahaha! Think it will be the last thing to survive on planet earth, or will it be ants?!
Light from bedside lamps did not reach our bedtime reading so we tried the rechargeable book lights that can clip onto the top of the book or book stand. With 3 levels of light our book pages are fully lit! Even better is the Levo bookstand that holds a book with the ability to raise and lower stand height and a flexible arm that swings and positions the book right in front of your face. Hands free reading!
The Levo ipad stand holder saved my neck and hands! Just put your ipad in the clamp holder, raise or lower the height of the stand and swing the arm over in front of you. Both stands are hands free and on rollers to move from room to room.
Last year as we locked down, my geek husband got us the LitterRobot; the cats and I love it. Only empty it out once a week.
Also love our Shark version of the Roomba. They work well so far.
My Aerogardens get me through the winter months with fresh lettuces, peppers, and herbs.
And yes to all those battery tools; we liked Ryobi, but have loved Kobalt.
It’s fun being married to a geek—he loves new gadgets, and I benefit!
Thank you so much for this piece and the comments. Most fun I’ve had all day!
Great topic Menagerie!!
You “hit it out of the park”!!!
For those of you who are pleased with your robot vacuums, would you let me know what brand you bought?
Thanks
I own an iRobot Roomba and a Shark. I prefer the performance of the Roomba over the Shark. It is heavier and has greater suction.
Thanks very much.
Commented above about Roomba (like) and Shark Clean (don’t like), but plan on trying an iLife robot vac.
Thank you for the info.
Check out these channels…
I’ll check these out – much appreciated.
I have a Roomba 692. No frills basic model. Super easy to clean. It does a great job on pet hair and dirt. Downside is it’s not like the more expensive models where you can tell it what rooms to clean. It just does the whole house. In my opinion best for hard floor surfaces, less effective on carpet.
Thank you. I’ve got two cats (one of them is white) and dark hardwood floors. Getting a vacuum that takes less of my time is sounding better and better.
One thing to consider when looking for one is the type of flooring you have. Some robot cleaners are better on hard flooring others on carpet, others perform equally well on either. The other thing is w/respect to carpet, is the kind of carpet you have. If you have a loop pile I don’t think there’s any robot vacuum out there that won’t destroy the carpet.
Good to know. Thanks.
We’ve had a Roomba for 5 years or more. Our current house is a bit crowded and so it bumbles about, but covers most of the territory. Ideally, run it several times a week and Ruby would cover everything. We don’t do that because we have a couple of pieces of furniture she gets ‘attached to’. She is run when we’re around to pull her out of her fix and continue on.
We have a golden doodle with velcro fur, and he sheds just enough to create a presence. However, the leaves and grass he can carry through the dog door is a worthy challenge for Ruby.
Our Roomba has been trouble free, but I think the battery is tiring. Not sure which brand we will go with, but we’ll almost certainly get another. If you are anal about a vacuum wandering around, you’d better pony up for the navigable model.
? Great information!
I heard that there are horror stories of robot vacuums vs animal droppings….I never thought of that disaster until stumbled onto photo evidence.
Mine are well trained but what if a Mousie treat was found by Mr Robot?!
No gadgets. Essential oils and carrier oils and encyclopedia by Valerie Worwood are my best discoveries. My nearest and dearest now come to me for lotions and potions instead of my offers meeting with worried skeptism.
Bullet blender? For smoothies.
Hope you feel better!
There is a new robot vacuum on the market that claims to be able to detect pet accidents and not disturb it. Simple vacuums around the mess.
I do not know if the claims are true or not. But, for those with pet messes it might be a gadget to look into.
I recently bought a thing that quarters grapes, strawberries, or whatever small fruit/veggie I put in it. I thought it was a useless invention, until I bought one. My toddlers are eating so many more grapes now, because it’s so much faster than cutting by hand.
I bought a 6 egg Rapid egg cooker from Amazon. I’m in love with this little thing. You can do hard-boiled (15 minutes) or soft. It shuts off by itself and chimes an alarm if you want to remove the eggs right away. Brand: Dash 16.99
Bought my husband an egg cooker at WM. He loves it. Does up to 14 eggs, hard or soft boiled. It even has little trays for poached eggs and mini omelet.
Lee Valley sells a pot called Mehu-Liisa-, it’s a juice extractor and steam cooker. If you make jams or jellies this thing does the work for you-no need to hang the fruit in bags the pot has a center chamber that does the work for you and it also has a rubber hose to drain the juice.
About a month ago I bought an Air Fryer that a fellow was talking about in front of me at the grocery store. He said it was a game changer. Three weeks later I bought one. He was right, it’s a game changer. So quick, fast, easy clean up. No oven to warm up. I love it!
Housemate has been doing some household remodeling this summer, after retiring from their business last fall. With their adult divorced son they redid the bathroom, partially, on the July 4th weekend. I cooked dinner that evening which included salmon. In the middle of eating his salmon, the son says you should get an air fryer. This would be great in an air fryer.
Not a great way to compliment the chef, but he went on to say he was going on vacay for 2 weeks and we could borrow his to see if we liked it. We did like it, especially when the air conditioner conked out.
Needless to say, housemate decided to purchase one. They got the Kalorik MAXX Air Fryer Oven, AFO 47269 SS. It is a sweet unit that comes with 7 accessories, including a rotisserie.
We are still figuring it all out, but love what we have tried so far. We finally got some Cornish game hens to try with the rotisserie and are looking forward to trying full chickens as well. I love how I can cook a full meal in there if I want.
On another note, does anyone have any experience with bottle cutters? I have always wanted one and have some wine bottles that I would love to turn into tumblers.
Not the same #, but appears to be the same model type.
https://www.kalorik.com/products/maxx-air-fryer
This one comes with 9 accessories vs 7. The one they bought does not have the bacon rack or the steak/dehydrator tray.
It’s made in China. I wonder if any are made in America? So far, I haven’t found one .
There are a few places online that maintain a data base of things made in the USA. I like this one the best because I think it’s the most current. One caveat I would add, however, is that a lot of products say “Made in the USA” but some or all of the materials needed to make the product are sourced from China so I always make a point of calling the manufacturer to ask where they source their materials and if they say China, I give them my little spiel and continue trying to find something better. But, wow, this journey is depressing as it makes you realize how we gave away the entire store.
https://www.usalovelist.com/
I agree. At this point I am mainly just trying to keep American businesses that I love in business.
Hoping for our own MAGA cultural revolution so that PDJT can encourage our companies back home again as he started to do…
Housemate did the research and made the purchase. I just use it. I agree though and asked only to find out that it was probably not Made in the USA.
I tried a bottle cutter. I got 1 out of three to work. Meaning bottles to not chip. Keep in mind you will still have to burnish edge of the bottle because it is sharp. I have cut a lot of glass for fusing but the bottle was rather frustrating. Also keep in mind that you have to break the scored bottle immediately or it will actually seal up Glass may be hard but it is still fluid.
Thank you.
Best purchase ever? Shark Navigator upright vacuum. Had it
10 years, and it is the only appliance that I have ever bought that
exceeded expectations. Love it! Was mad when my late wife
bought it. Found it on the door step, and we were pretty broke at
the time. Found out that she had bought it on the installement plan.
Still not happy. Until I put it to work on the hardwoods. Great machine.
has never let me down.
2nd favorite? My 5 month old E-GO rechargeable battery powered
20 inch push mower. A little pricey at $400 for a non self-proppeled,
but it was light enough not to need it. The mowing has been turned
over to my son, since I am still on oxygen post covid.
But: had awful luck with gas mowers. Killed them off every 2 years.
Wanted something basic, that did the job, without having to worry
about having something gas powered stored in our basement.
My son actually cuts the grass without grumbling. He loves it.
He cuts the lawn at night when it is hot, because it has a headlight.
Very happy with it up until the point. Also , freakishly quiet. My kids
think it sounds like a box fan.
Without a doubt my #1 purchase in the last year has been a toilet seat bidet. Loved the cheap $40 one I bought on Amazon so much, that last month I decided to buy a new Toto toilet and Washlet (their version of a bidet). How did I not discover these gadgets earlier?!
My favorite thingamabob is very low tech – produce bags. I live in an area that has an abundance of farmers’ markets. A co-worker recommended Debbie Meyer Green Bags to keep produce fresh longer and gave me an initial supply. I can keep lettuce two weeks sometimes, so I know they work. I rinse them out and use them multiple times before disposing of them. I believe my co-worker ordered from Amazon but I refuse to buy there. I need to find an alternative source since I am almost out of the bags.
This is fun and is such a great idea. Made me reconsider a robot vacuum.
HSN.com carries Debbie Meyer’s green bags.
Oh man!!! Gadets!!! Where do I begin….
With your favorite one, or your wierdest one, or the one you can’t stand yet can’t get rid of, etc!
Lets see.
Corn de-kernelerrer thingy
Vegetable spiralizer
Vegetable Chopper
Mandoline with cut resistant gloves to keep me from slicing off my finger tips
Snazzy electric wine opener
Garlic crusher
Herb cutter – great for time and Rosemary
The thingy with the needle like tip to inject seasoning, oil etc, into chicken/meat
…
A manual can- opener that removes the entire lid rocks.
~ Easy on the hands & fingers.
No sharp edges either.
Large cans make nifty canisters.
~Drill a hole in center of lid
~Screw a drawer pull/knob through the hole
If you like the label leave it on and just spray it with clear varathane/sealer
We all know that cans (and lids) have been repurposed for forever.
~Now a days there are many ideas and how- to’s on the internet. (Of course, many are really cheezey)
I have almost given up on manual can openers, though I don’t own an electric one. I find that it’s nearly impossible to get the opener lodged into the can to begin, then once I finally get that I turn it a few times and it stops opening, so I have to start all over again. Then it barely goes, so I start it a short bit from where it ended and inch my way along, my jaw clenching as I go. When I’m finished, the chances are high that the contents of the can have sloshed and spilled about onto the counter (gggrrrrr) and I’m still not done because I have to take a knife (at this point hubby is yelling, “Be careful what you’re doing there!”) to try to pry the darned thing open because of all the little gaps I left. I am always in search of flip top cans! Just can’t find that “manual can open that removes the entire lid” that “rocks!” If you’ve found one, please share!!!
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Unfortunately, there are no markings on the one I’ve had (for at least 15 years now) that works like a charm . The closest –in looks– is the photo posted; except that mine has a point on the bottom. I know that mine came in crazy-bright colors; lime green, powder blue.
Thank you!
Pampered Chef, this is a newer version as mine is about 15 years old and still works just fine.
Pampered Chef Smooth Edge Can Opener – YouTube
Love this! Plastic wrap is in the freezer. List of easy use appliances started. I still love Sundance and his hard work in keeping us informed with need to know info. Bless Menagerie and he’ll her heal. Thanks again. Needed a little reprieve today.
“Plastic wrap is in the freezer.” Never heard of that one. Please share more. It sounds like something I might need to do urgently!
Someone commented earlier that they put their plastic wrap, saran wrap in the freezer and it made it easier to use. I am not very successful with the wrap so thought I would give it a try. The list I am making is from everyone’s ideas and suggestions. I love kitchen gizmos and gadget s.
Of course y’all do realize that bragging about your favorite gadgets–especially those that run on batteries, electricity, and fuel–means they’ll hear you and immediately bite the dust, right?
Hahahahaha! Superstition is warranted these days!
My Roomba did a decent job on my floors, but met an untimely end courtesy of my boxer dog, who destroyed it.