iRobot Scooba 230 Robotic Floor Washer, Black

This little guy is small but mighty. I've owned full size scoobas and while they do a fantastic job cleaning, their size limits them to the areas they can be used. The 230 solves that problem by its smaller size thus allowing it to get behind toilets and whatnot. If you have some liquid spills that have dried on your floor, the 230 will effectively remove them over its cleaning cycle. it can also be used in larger rooms if you break them up using the included virtual wall. Maintenance is fantastic too - a lot less involved than the older scoobas actually. All you do is flush the two tanks and rinse the removable bottom brush plate. The only complaint I have is that the 230 seems to have problem with rooms with vinyl/linoleum where the floor curves upward to meet the wall. One of my bathrooms has this type of situation and the 230 encounters the upward curve between the floor and the wall, it gets stuck on the incline before its front bumper is activated. Other than that issue I absolutely love this little guy. PS. I-robot please make the wheels available as replacement parts! Thanks!

This is a great little cleaner bot for getting into tight spaces. It will clean around toilets, and under furniture with ease. Despite its small size it cleans very well. The key is to sweep the floors first and use Scooba frequently. It's not going to clean really dirty muddy floors, but it is perfect for maintaining a clean floor. I learned that it works better to use only 1/2 of the recommended amount of cleaner (1/4 cap instead of 1/2 capful). Using too much cleaner leaves a sticky residue on the floor. My only complaints are its disposable engineering and the fact that it takes a long time to recharge. The first problem would be difficult to correct without a total redesign. Unfortunately, unlike the Roombas, there are almost no user replaceable parts on the Scooba 230. If it breaks and it is out of warranty, you'll most likely have to buy a new one. The second problem would be simple to correct if iRobot designed an external battery charge stand that could keep 2-4 batteries charged and ready to go. You can buy a second battery, but the only way to charge it is in the Scooba. NiMH batteries don't hold a charge well, so this option isn't a very good one. Therefore you can only run it for one 45 minute cleaning cycle at a time with an 8 hr. recharge time. If you are like me and you dislike mopping and like robots, it is a good product. With a few improvements, they could make this good bot a great one.

First I'd like to acknowledge Irobot for their customer-service. My first one didn't drive straight right out of the box. I sent an e-mail to Irobot and they responded to the next day. I had an option of taking it back to the store, or they would send me a new one. I went back to the store and exchanged it. The second one runs fine. It's easy to setup. Filling it and emptying it is easy and quick too. He will run for about 45 minutes on a charge. It runs out of water before it runs out of battery, at about the 40 minute mark. First let me tell you what I hate about mopping, and then you will understand the pros of this Irobot. I don't mop often enough. Besides hating the mopping part, I don't like splashing water all over my trim, and it takes forever to dry. Just an overall pain. Scooba uses less than 2 cups of water for cleaning. And it dries within seconds! Scooba does get around the back of the toilet on my first floor, but will not go behind the toilets on my second floor. Scooba is rated to clean 150 square feet. I have tasked Scooba to do too much; my bottom floor is 260 square feet. I could setup the light house, but I'd rather just let it go. Even so it will nearly cover the entire space in the runtime. It just doesn't make as many passes as it would like to. Even so my floors look and feel clean. Something to keep in mind, if your floors have years of caked on dirt, Scooba will not polish them. In other words don't expect Scooba to correct what's been neglected. Also you will need to sweep floors before you begin. I have an Irobot vacuum that does that for me twice a week, so my floors are always crumb free anyway. I'm trying my best to keep the ants and the cockroaches outside where they belong. I figure a clean floor is the best way to start. I have Irobot to thank for years of cleanliness!

My kitchen floor has been slated for replacement. It is a very cheap linoleum and about 130 sq feet in area. Despite my best effort and mutiple methods of cleaning and various cleaning products, it has not been clean in months. I have two dogs who track in everything. The floor was last mopped about five days ago. After two runs by Moppet (Scooba 230) both of which returned dark brown/gray dirty water the floor shines, actually has visable depth and is noticably different to walk on ie my shoes grip the surface. I may not have to replace the floor after all. The down side is brush plate will have to be replaced about every three months (educated guess at this point) and all parts and cleaning solutions are only avalible on line which adds shipping costs. If you get one bear in mind you will need a place to keep it charging 24/7 and do follow the directions because they work.

Seams to work ok after first use, but concerned that we can not buy more cleaning solution or replacement parts from Canadian Tire. Allso, battery takes 8 hrs to recharge after two small bathrooms. Was scepticle so had my wife do a papper towel test on floor, came up fairly clean:). Not sure worth the expense, $300, on sale is a lot of money for this. Give it a 3 out of 5. Still need to do big test of living room or dining room.