Little Buddy cleans the floors while we slack...

I'm beginning to finally feel like I may be living in the 21st century.

Why?

Well... it's not the flying car.

But, a robot just cleaned my kitchen floor for the third time this afternoon (the first two times were this past weekend), and, I must say, I'm very impressed.

It's not just the labor-saving function. Sure, neither C nor I enjoy cleaning the floors very much. Especially not mopping. But, we do enjoy a clean floor.

And our little buddy, the robot floor-cleaner, cleans better than either one of us could. He's got a special process that he uses.

First, we fill him with 2 ounces of vinegar, diluted with enough warm water to finish filling up his clean water tank (about 4 cups of water plus the 2 ounces of vinegar).

Then, with his battery charged, we set him loose. Generally, it's a good idea for us to leave the room, and take any chairs or other obstacles with us, so he can clean under them. This past weekend, we worked in the garden; this afternoon, C was working from home, and I was at work in Berkeley.

While we're gone/out of the room, he moves around the floor, avoiding obstacles, and eventually cleaning all of it. His process is simple.

First, he sweeps big chunks off the floor and vacuums them up.

Then, he sprays some cleaning solution.

Then, he brushes the wetted floor, and at the same time, sucks up the moisture, which is deposited into his dirty fluid tank.

Finally, he air-dries the floor.

All of this happens continuously, and he remains in constant motion.

I must say, when he's done... well, the kitchen floor has honestly never been that clean before. Not even when C's mom was here that one time!! (I may get in trouble for saying that, though...)

Little Buddy is officially known as an iRobot Scooba, from U.S. Robotics Corporation, but that's kind of a mouthful....