Regular readers will know I’m somewhat of a clean-freak so it’ll be no surprise that I jumped on the chance to try a top of the range robot mop! I already have a robot vacuum, Bertie, and we are great friends, so I couldn’t wait to see how a mop version could change my life! I’m here to give you my honest review, and the best part is, there’s a chance for you to win one of your own! More on that later.
My friend Phoebe is the kind of person who does her research before committing to a big purchase (she probably had a spreadsheet comparing different models!) and she recently bought the iRobot Braava jet m6 robot mop. So when I was offered the chance to try the same, I already knew I was probably onto a good thing!
The m6 is iRobot’s first ever Wi-FI connected mop and the first to pair with the company’s newest robot vacuums. This means when the vacuuming is done, the Roomba i7+ can communicate with the new m6 that it’s time to start mopping. Mind blown? I know!
This smart home gadget mops multiple rooms, floor types and large spaces to deliver fresh floors throughout the entire home. You simply attach your preferred cleaning pad – wet mopping or dry sweeping – and the robot takes it from there. It uses fancy technology to get to know your home’s floor plan (and it will get better at it with practice), giving you total control to choose which rooms are mopped and when.
Using the easy iRobot HOME app, the m6 can be scheduled to mop a certain area at a certain time. Or you can manually press the CLEAN button and away it goes. You can even use Alexa or Google Home to start it cleaning but best not tell my five year old as he already drives me nuts with all his “OK Google!”
When the robot mop is finished cleaning, you simply place it over a bin (if you’re using the disposable pads) and hit the ‘eject’ button to drop it into the rubbish. I much prefer to use the washable and reusable pads though. If you set it to mop while you were out, you can view reports in the app to see where it cleaned and view other stats about the cleaning job. The m6 takes itself back to its docking station, complete with drip tray, when it’s done, or if it runs out of battery power before it’s done, it’ll take itself home, recharge, then resume by itself later.
So, what do I think? I (neat)freaking LOVE it! It does a good job, it’s great at getting around corners and right up to the edges of rooms and objects, it detects rugs and goes right around them and I didn’t see it spray a rug or a piece of furniture once. Like my robot vacuum, it goes under furniture and gets to places I would never normally have the inclination to! It’s also very quiet which means I can happily have it on in the background while I’m working from home (not the case with the vacuum in a one-storey house).
It’s really easy to set up (including the app), fill the tank and replace the pads. I barely skimmed the instruction manual. If I had I might have realised sooner that you can adjust how wet it gets the floor and I had it on maximum which led to a few instances of Charlie skidding around and slipping over (#mumfail!). I’m now using it on minimum wetness which is totally adequate and doesn’t leave the floors excessively wet. This means we can walk around (carefully) even when it’s in use. That said, it’s really up to you and common sense whether you’d run it when people are around or wait until you’re out, or in bed!
In the interests of an honest review, there are only a few downsides and they’re minor. The robot wasn’t able to get across the lip on the floor underneath a sliding door where the kitchen and living room meet. This can happen with anything 3mm or above which I’m guessing is the same thing that stops it mounting your rugs which is a good thing! So I have to physically place the m6 in the living room/entry after it’s done the kitchen/dining but that’s ok. It also makes it easier in some ways to do these areas separately.
It’s not super quick but that make sense when you consider it needs to do a thorough job without having a human behind it, pressing down on the mop to get the job done quicker. Like watching paint dry or the kettle boil, it can get a bit painful, but that’s why you should just leave it and get on with everything else that needs doing in our busy lives! If you’re going to watch the mop do its thing you might as well be doing it yourself! My top tip is to put it on when you go to bed and wake up to clean floors. How amazing does that feel? Very! To give you an idea, the m6 takes around an hour to do either my living room/entry or my kitchen/dining but they’re pretty large spaces with a lot of ‘obstacles’ to get around. It can do both these areas without running out of water too.
You have to use the special iRobot cleaning solution which isn’t cheap at $19.95 for 473ml and you can’t pick it up at the supermarket. I also really miss the smell of my favourite Method almond floor cleaner but as they say, you can’t have it all! And I don’t miss mopping the floors myself! I should also mention that it claims to be able to do the job with water only, so you don’t actually need to buy their solution. I haven’t tried this yet though.
A robot mop is definitely a luxury item but if you have mostly hard floors like us and you’re a busy household, or you have kids and pets making a lot of mess, it could be a game changer for your family. And I always think if you’re going to invest in something like this, it pays in the long run to get the best out there.
The Braava jet® m6 robot mop, RRP $1149, is available for purchase online and in major electrical retailer stores. It comes with pads and a sample of cleaning solution (good for two tanks). Additional reusable washable wet and dry cleaning pads are available for purchase separately.
Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold more than 25 million robots worldwide, including the Roomba robot vacuums. Their engineers are building an ecosystem of robots and technologies to enable the smart home.
Like the sound of it? For your chance to win, complete the entry form below and make sure you’re following both @interiorsaddict and @irobotaustralia on Instagram. Entries close at midnight AEST on 11 June 2020. See Ts&Cs below.
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Terms & Conditions: Offer is open to all Australian residents except employees and immediate families of Addicted Media (Interiors Addict), associated companies and agencies and participating outlets. Delivery is free of charge for all iRobot Mops. The prize includes the iRobot Braava jet m6 Robot Mop, excluding accessories and bundle packs. This offer is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram.
Disclosure: I was gifted this robot mop for the purposes of this review and my views are honest and my own.
Comments
Thanks for this product recommendation Jen. I think investing in one of these and the vacuum version would free up a lot of time in my day to day life and am super keen to get my hands on one!!!
Heads up, there’s a discount code coming up if you’re not lucky enough to win the mop 😉
I’ve been double my research on the robots and for a while thought it would be better to get the vacuum and mop combo, but I can imagine that they do a better job as separate units. Maybe I’ll win this and buy a vacuum robot, best of both worlds ?