Cleaning your apartment, while necessary, can really feel like a time sink. You put all this effort into scrubbing your place from top to bottom, but still have to repeat the arduous task week after week.
It’s probably safe to say that we’d all love to make life easier. Fortunately, our dreams of spending less time like Cinderella and more time like her stepfamily really can come true!
Technology is a wonderful thing—like magic, really—and it has gifted mankind with a way out of the tedium of chores. Put down your mop and get ready for the ball (by which I mean doing whatever it is you’d rather be doing) and check out these high-tech cleaning tools for your apartment:
VACUUM ROBOTS
These devices are the smartest vacuums around. They zoom around your home, sucking up debris and dodging furniture. When they’re done, they return to their docs for charging.
Right off the bat, you can probably thinking of one brand in particular: I’m talking about the Roomba. This guy was the first on the market to automatically vacuum proficiently and has been the royalty of robot cleaning ever since. The Roomba is a disk-shaped vacuum by the company iRobot. Depending on how old the model is that you buy, you’ll be spending a couple hundred dollars.
Of course, thanks to the popularity of prince Roomba, other vacuum manufacturers have stepped up their games to produce similar technology. For instance, Evolution Robotics has created the Mint, an automatic vacuum specifically designed to clean hardwood floors. It uses wet- and dry-microfiber cloths to gently clean your floor. The best part is that it only costs about $200!
SELF-CLEANING LITTER BOX
Those of you who have a cat, rejoice! You’ll never have to clean a litter box again. The self-cleaning litter box from LitterMaid senses when your kitten enters its box. When the cat leaves, it uses a rake arm to push waste into a receptacle that has odor-control features—no more smelly box!
Every week, you’ll want to empty the receptacle, but other than that, this gadget makes cat ownership a breeze. Plus, you won’t have to argue with your significant other or roommates ever again about who’s turn it is to clean the litter box. Now there’s some domestic harmony for you!
ULTRAVIOLET CLEANING WAND
Bacteria lives on pretty much every surface in your apartment. Though that’s not the most pleasant thought, this cleaning tool will make the idea a little less frightening: an ultraviolet cleaning wand.
Created by Verilux, the CleanWave Sanitizing Wand uses ultraviolet light to kill bacteria. You can use it on your counters, keyboard, sofa, etc. However, if you’ve spilled soda or pizza sauce, you should definitely wipe it up with a sponge or paper towel first.
This wand doesn’t totally eliminate your chores, but it ensures that your apartment is free of disease-causing bacteria—you’ll love it when your roommates are sick and you’re trying not to catch the cold!
AUTOMATIC SHOWER CLEANER
No one wants shower-cleaning duty because scrubbing those tiles is a major pain. That’s why the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner sounds like a dream!
The gadget hangs on your showerhead and spritzes cleaning liquid all over the shower. All you have to do is press a button for the device to work. It’s battery operated, so you will have to pay for replacements. Some users note that the liquid runs out quickly as well. However, if your shower rarely gets a deep clean, the Automatic Shower Cleaner is a great substitute.
HAND-OPERATED TRASH COMPACTOR
Ever go to throw away trash just to see your can full to the brim? You probably tried pushing the pile down do you wouldn’t be responsible for taking out the garbage. Well, the Smash Can by Reduce helps with that.
The garbage can looks like a standard foot-operated trash bin, but it has a built-in compactor. Simply press down on the lid, which extends like an accordion, and you can pack your trash down. Your hands won’t get dirty, and you’ll be able to fit more in the garbage bag—I call that a win-win scenario!
All these innovative gadgets help cut down on the effort you have to pour into keeping your apartment clean. They may cost a little more money up front, but the time they save could make up for it.
