Panda Reviews: Combat Dust Mites with LG's Bedding Cleaner & Hom-Bot Square Vacuum Cleaner

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There comes a time when you just want to give up on doing the housework and flop into bed until the weekend is officially over. But it's not healthy to live in a dirty home for long periods of time so a certain amount of cleaning has to be done no matter what. I mean, just think of the dust mites living in your mattress or the amount of dirt and stray hair on the floor. How can you possibly stand the thought of living with things that could trigger your allergies or make your bedtime more uncomfortable? But it doesn't mean that you're stuck with old-fashioned cleaning methods where you literally have to spend the whole day cleaning like my mom. There are appliances out there that can lessen your burden and make life a bit easier. All you have to do is use the appliances every now and then, to keep your home spick and span. Here are 2 appliances from LG that might just be your allies in the daily struggle against dust mites, dirt and stray hair.

Corded Bedding Cleaner (VH9201DS)

Hom-Bot Square Vacuum Cleaner  

First Impressions

If you're a fan of LG products, you know that they usually look good. Sleek and available in eye-catching colours, LG really knows how to draw your attention. When I was testing out these babies at home, many guests (including my SO's mom) were extremely fascinated by them. Features-wise, the products also promise to make cleaning a breeze or at least less strenuous.

BEDDING CLEANER

If you've been sneezing uncontrollably in bed or something about the mattress makes you feel itchy or uncomfortable, your mattress may be harbouring dust mites. Now dust mites aren't usually the culprits that trigger your allergies, it's their faecal droppings and broken up exoskeletons that lead to your reactions. The solution? A good bedding cleaner will do the trick and get rid of all the things you don't want living in your mattress. The LG Bedding Cleaner is equipped with the Dual Punch and UV Sterilisation Station, so the cleaner can not only remove dust and hard-to-extract pet hair, but also ensure that the appliance is properly sterilised to prevent any secondary contamination. It's pretty light-weight too! Although I got the corded version (VH9201DS), the cord itself is pretty long and can be extended over a pretty far distance--although this shouldn't be a problem in your bedroom, unless your room is the size of a barge.

Cordless Bedding Cleaner

 

HOM-BOT SQUARE VACUUM CLEANER

Regular vacuuming too challenging for you? If you're like my SO, who complains that he is tired after vacuuming a single room before pattering back to sit in front of his computer, then you should probably check this robot vacuum cleaner out. Unlike most robot vacuum cleaners available out there, this handy appliance is square-shaped to making cleaning corners a breeze. It also has the upgraded Dual Eye2.0 technology that uses not one, but TWOcameras to help supply the cleaner with spatial information, enabling it to tell when it has reached the edge of a room, when to stop and when to turn. The sensitive Dual Eye2.0 camera sensors are capable of scanning the floor as well, sampling multiple images per second and then analyse the information to generate an accurate map of the space--even with dim lighting. Oh, and there are the newly improved and longer brushes that can reach into and clean corners more effectively. Another plus point to this cleaner is its Easy-out dust bin, that lets you retrieve the dust bin from the top instead of from the side like other robot vacuum cleaners. And the best thing: it supposedly has a lower noise level of 60dB(A) so it won't go about its cleaning business like a rampaging T-Rex.

 

Usability & Product Fulfilment

 

BEDDING CLEANER

Admittedly, with my furniture still so new and fresh, there is little dust to be sucked up. But I like how the cleaner comes with an in-built UV Sterilisation Station so that it disinfects the vacuum before you use it on another surface. The cleaner also comes with a place to store the wires so you don't have to contend with cable entanglement.

Turning it on, the bedding cleaner is fairly easy to use because of its user-friendly design. It's not flat like some bedding cleaners in the market. Instead it's designed in such a way so you don't have to bend over too much to vacuum. One thing that bothers me slightly is that it seems to have difficulty vacuuming up slightly larger cloth fibres. You can literally see it punching the sofa I had decided to test it on, but I had to run the vacuum over the affected area a few times before the particle is finally captured. Like the Hom-Bot Square Vacuum Cleaner, one of its more attractive features is the Easy-out dust bin on top of the appliance so you don't have to worry spilling the dusty (and hairy) contents.

HOM-BOT SQUARE VACUUM CLEANER

To be honest, I've always wanted a robot vacuum cleaner. I mean, who doesn't like the idea of something else doing your chores while you lazy around playing your favourite MMO or watching afternoon soaps? Even my SO gazed at it in rare approval. What I like about this vacuum cleaner is that it has programmes that you can use to set the vacuum on a predetermined pattern. It can also go over very flat floor mats but if you have thicker bathroom mats, it might pose a problem as the vacuum cleaner will drag the mat along behind it. What I did was to pile the mats in such a way that they are "high" enough for the vacuum to detect and avoid. If you're looking for a more powerful suction, then you can try out the Turbo programme especially if you have carpeted areas that need more cleaning. Stray wires should also be placed up high, so you don't have to "rescue" the vacuum cleaner from cable entanglements every so often. Oh, and don't forget to close the bathroom door if your flat is the type that has no "hump" at the bathroom entrance like in the older flats. The vacuum cleaner won't be able to differentiate between a no-go area and the actual space you want it to vacuum. But the good thing is if it gets stuck in a tricky spot, it will signal loudly for assistance. Once it has run out of power, the vacuum cleaner will also automatically go back to its charging station. You are also required to empty the dust bin after every cleaning so the dust won't overflow like in the picture below. Oh, and you're not supposed to wash the HEPA 11 filter, however tempting it might get.

The vacuum cleaner also has a mopping function. All you have to do is use the provided cloth or put your own wet wipes to mop your floor. Quite nifty, eh?

 

Overall Opinion

If you ask me, I definitely prefer the the Hom-Bot Square Vacuum Cleaner. Hehe. After all, as mentioned before, my bedding and sofa are still quite new and fresh so there is little dust to be cleared. But it does have a little difficulty in picking up larger cloth fibres. My floors, on the other hand, are constantly in danger of being soiled by dust, dirt and stray hair so the Hom-Bot Square Vacuum Cleaner has been a great help. It's not exactly quiet and it seems to have difficulty navigating the area in my computer room where there are loads of wires and various obstacles such as a floor fan, but I do find it useful. The only consideration for me though, was its price, which was on the high side at $1,299. Meanwhile, theBedding Cleaner is retailing for $399 (White Cord) and $499 (Italian Red Cordless). They're available to buy at all LG authorised retailers. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding="sm-padding"][vc_column animation="" width="1/1"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row repeat="" position="" attachment="" padding="md-padding"][vc_column animation="" width="1/3"][cs_progress percentage="60" unit="%" title="Panda Points" height="20" striped="1"][/vc_column][vc_column animation="" width="1/3"][cs_progress percentage="60" unit="%" title="Value for Money" height="20" striped="1"][/vc_column][vc_column animation="" width="1/3"][/vc_column][/vc_row]