March 19, 2024

Review: iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum

We have a huge kitchen with hardwood flooring that calls for daily clean ups that at one time would be done manually by hand with a dirty mop and a dirty bucket of water. The mop did it’s job, but we’re busy people, and although the floor basically would scream ‘wash me’, our lives at times become so busy, and arranged with schedules, work and other errands, that the floor became a task that we would pass up, even though it clearly needed it.

We got the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum last week due to an awesome reward program given out at my moms job. She won the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum basically, otherwise we would of most likely waited for it to go on sale to buy one. We had out hearts set on this cute critter ever since we picked up the iRobot Vacuum in the beginning of the year. Due to it’s release price though of nearly $500, we had to wait for the scooba to reduce in price. Sure enough with time it did reduce in price, and you can buy it for a reasonable price now, but still we didn’t have the spare $300 to fling out on a robot vacuum. Cool beans on winning it though right?

Anyhow, the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum came in a large blue and white box, inside the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum sat looking like a large futuristic machine from Batteries Not Included. The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum also came with a virtual wall, a bottle of cleaner, a battery, and a charger.

What’s more, it is a vacuum cleaner made of canister with a bag that has made our job much easier (bodenstaubsauger mit beutel as the germans would say) as all the dust particles and other dirt can be stored inside the bag.

We didn’t know where to start with it really, we figured we could just turn it on, add some of the floor cleaner, and let the robot do its business.

Things weren’t that easy though. We first had to insert the battery and let it charge for 16 hours. Letting the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum charge for the 16 hours is recommended for best use and prolonged life of the battery.

Appearance:

The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum is mainly a dark royal blue in color. Its other parts are a lighter blue. For some reason it reminds me of a pool cleaner because of the blue colors used to put it together.

iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum is made of hard durable plastic, and even though the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum seems rickety, it really can take a beaten.

How It Works:

Simple! Once you have a full charge you simply add in some of the floor cleaning solution that comes with the vacuum. You may also just use water and or white vinegar. Using any other solution besides the solutions recommended could void your warranty and destroy the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum.

Once you have the vacuum filled with the proper solution you can then turn it on and let it go. The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum will bounce from wall to wall as it picks up dirt, sprays the cleaning solution, scrubs the floor, and then vacuums/dries up the liquid.

It’s a process really, and the process is thought out, and works like a freaking charm.

You can use the additional virtual walls to keep the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum in one area in the house, or to keep it from falling down any stairs. The virtual wall needs batteries which are not included.

We had no use for the virtual wall, but it was a nice addition in case we wanted to keep the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum in one area.

How Well It Works:

I must say, we were all impressed at how well the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum worked. The blue flying saucer vacuum rolls about the kitchen doing its job while you go about finishing up other household chores. The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum seriously simplifies life for those on the run.

-Tips

Although the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum can suck up debris, it is suggested that you do a quick sweep of any excess dirt. We find that even without doing a sweep, the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum works all the same. Picking up larger items like socks or clothing is suggested though…and just common sense.

The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum can maneuver around and under chairs so long as the their is nothing blocking it. The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum measures in at about 4 inches tall. As long as the object is taller, the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum can get under it. If not, move chairs to make it accessible for the scooba.

Clean out the scoobas water holding chamber after each use. You will be amazed at how dirty the water is! That’s even on kitchen floors that appear clean….you will be surprised.

Is It Better Than Mopping?

You bet your heart on it. It cleans just as well as we could clean the floor using a mop. Best of all though it saves us time, that is really the key here. Time is precious this day and age, and anything that saves us time is worth its weight in gold.

Overall:

The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum is probably the neatest gadget we have in our home, besides the original iRobot Vacuum. The iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum is by far the best thing that has ever happened to our kitchen and bathroom flooring. It also saves us a good 45 minutes to do things we couldn’t get done if we were to spend that time mopping the floors.

An excellent machine indeed.

Where To Buy:

I recommend buying the iRobot 5800 Scooba Vacuum online, only because they seem to offer them for less money then they do at stores. Amazon for instance sells them for fair prices.