Filed under: Storage & Cleaning, Cleaning
We gave the Mint robot cleaner a spin in some dusty hardwood floors -- see what we thought and enter to win one! (Plus: See how it got me out of doing laundry!)
A view of a brand new Mint and the bottom of the one I tried. Photos: Mint/Amy Preiser, AOL
When my editor asked me to try out a new floor-cleaning robot, I came back with a full list of other requests: calorie-free donuts, a complete home makeover from Nate Berkus and a unicorn to ride to work. Then I found out that she was serious: The Mint robot was in our office, waiting for a trial run. As it so happened, my hardwood floors were embarrassingly filthy.
After charging the Mint for 16 hours, I set up the "North Star" -- a little black box with a light that directs the Mint -- in the middle of the room as instructed. I popped a Swiffer dry cloth onto the bottom of the robot and set it to go. It sang six tones, lit up and started making its way around the room.
As soon as the Mint took off, I got a thrill. Was this robot going to clean my entire floor? What else could I convince it to do? Right then, it hit the edge of my rug, and I watched cautiously. It stopped, the lights blinking, like it was thinking. It moved along a couple inches and bumped into the edge again. More thinking. Then it seemed to understand. It zipped alongside the rug's edge and then moved on the the next "stripe" of floor. It ran quietly, a bonus for my downstairs neighbors, occasionally bumping into sofa legs or the rug. Most impressively, it even weaseled itself between the four rolling legs of the computer chair and cleaned under the desk. It never slammed into anything, just hit it gently, thoughtfully blinked its lights, then tried a different approach. At one point, when it kept running into my purse on the floor, I felt bad for it. "I shouldn't have left that there, little guy," I said to the Mint. "How were you supposed to know?"
Yes, I talked to the Mint. And yes, I predict that you would do the same. It's cute, it's petite, it got underneath the bottom bar of my kitchen island. How could I not talk to it? I had to thank it.
By the time it finished, the bottom of the Swiffer cloth looked the way it did when I used the Swiffer on my own -- grotesque. It's possible that it was filthier. Next, I decided to try a Swiffer wet cloth on the Mint, so I borrowed one from my neighbor. When I explained that the cloth was not for me but for a sweet little robot that was tidying up, he came in to watch and brought the unofficial mayor of our apartment building, his unbelievably cute dog, Rumpy.
There's Rumpy, Mr. Mayor himself. Photo:Philip Ficks
Once my floors were freshly cleaned, the apartment had that artificial-fresh scent of Swiffer wet wipes. And since I'd cleared off the coffee table and washed the dishes while the Mint worked its magic, the apartment looked, to an untrained eye, clean. So clean that my boyfriend, upon arriving home, thanked me for cleaning and volunteered to do laundry.
And suddenly the hidden benefit of the Mint became clear: It won't just clean your floors. With some careful fibbing and strategic tidying up, you can use its powers to convince your kids/spouse/roommate into taking on extra chores.
Now: Dying to win your own Mint?
To enter, tell us: What chore would you most want to outsource to a robot? Or if you can't wait to win, you can head over to Mint's website and pick one up yourself!
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us what chore you'd most like to outsource to a robot.
* The comment must be left before 5pm EST on Friday, October 1, 2010.
* You may enter only once.
* Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Each winner will receive Mint's Autonomous Wet/Dry Mop. (valued at $250.)
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
* Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email, so be sure to provide a valid email address!