Euro Appliances: 7 Reasons Why You Should Invest in a Robovac

We speak to Jon Molyneaux from Miele South Africa about why a robovac, such as Miele’s incredible new Scout RX3, is a must-have appliance in any modern home.

Vacuuming can be one of the most tedious, laborious, and monotonous chores. That is, unless you have invested in a robovac. This handy appliance vacuums your home for you – keeping your floors looking spick and span all day, every day.

So, what is a robovac?

Jon Molyneaux from Miele South Africa explains: “A robovac, or robotic vacuum cleaner, will undoubtedly become your best friend! They are small, usually disc-shaped appliances that are hard not to fall in love with. They operate independently and are tasked with keeping your home’s floors clean – leaving you to put your feet up and spend your time at your leisure.”

He says that although robovacs have been around for quite some time, the new and advanced models, such as Miele’s Scout RX3 for example, offers far superior cleaning, operation, and a host of other desirable features. “The New Age robovacs are smart, easy to use, efficient, programmable, and most importantly, they offer unbeatable performance.”

Here are his top 7 reasons why you should invest in a robovac for your home:

1.)   Time Saving:

We all know how busy life can get – we are charged with the responsibilities of raising a family, building a career, maintaining an active social life, and looking after our health. All these activities will take precedence over housework. Since robovacs can clean on their own without your supervision, they can save you an astonishing amount of time.

Says Jon: “Miele’s Scout RX3 robovac doesn’t need any manual operation at all – simply turn it on and let it clean. It can also be activated remotely via the Miele@home app via a smartphone or tablet, which means that you can activate or monitor it when you are not at home. Not only is the great from a time-saving perspective, but it is also an excellent solution for those who suffer from mobility issues or physical ailments, as it eliminates the need to stand, walk and bend.”

 2.) Optimum Cleaning Performance

Any robovac worth its salt should be able to automatically adjust to different surfaces and cleaning settings. This will guarantee excellent cleaning results, says Jon: “With its tried-and-tested Quattro Cleaning Power 4-stage system, the Scout RX3 can achieve much higher suction power on any surface. Technical optimisation of the motor, increased air performance and a beater bar with harder bristles ensure the removal of even the finest of dust particles from carpets. Corner cleaning on hard floors and short-pile carpets is even more effective thanks to its 20-arm side brushes.”

Miele’s Quattro Cleaning system essentially refers to a four-pronged approach that leaves no dirt, dog hairs or dust in its wake. The process starts with two sweeping side brushes. It features 20 prongs ram-packed with bristles that can get into every nook, corner and cranny. The dirt is then swept towards the roller brush in the middle of the base. If any dirt escapes these two, there’s a rear suction opening behind the roller brush. This acts as back-up support. Finally, suction for both the brush and secondary slot is supported by a powerful fan. Like a chameleon, it automatically adjusts its settings to clean a variety of floor surfaces. This subsequently includes rug, tiles, wood and carpet. With a height of under 85mm, it can also easily clean under low furniture, such as sofas and cupboards.

3.)   Operates independently

Since robovacs can recharge themselves, there is no need to worry about manual recharging. Once the robovac has completed its tasks, it will return to the docking station to recharge its battery. Should its battery run out before its tasks have been completed, the robovac will return to recharge. Once charged, it will therefore pick up its cleaning where it left off.

The battery of a robovac is an important consideration, explains Jon: “The battery is the heart of any robovac, and so the quicker to charge, and the longer it lasts – the better the overall performance of the appliance. The Miele Scout RX3 robovac for example, boasts an impressive rechargeable 5200 MAh lithium-ion battery, which provides 120 minutes of cleaning, equating to an area of up to 120 square metres.”

 4.)   Mapping and navigation

One of the biggest concerns about robovacs is how they navigate their way. Will they fall downstairs, damage walls or furniture, or knock over décor? However, with high-end robovacs, such as the Scout RX3, this is not a concern at all. Jon explains: “Miele has perfected the RX3’s navigation – thanks to two front cameras, the unit cleans in every possible corner, and systematically vacuums every square centimeter of the home.

“The stereo camera system sees the rooms and objects in 3D, and it can calculate sizes and distances. As a result, stairs, furniture, and other obstacles are detected and reliably circumnavigated – even when it is pitch dark. However, in the unlikely event that the RX3 becomes trapped, an optimized error processing routine precisely reports the problem and how to resolve it.”

5.)   A Smart appliance

When it comes to appliances, Smart is the new black. It’s these smart features that really set the high-end units apart from the rest. The Miele Scout RX3 for example, is absolutely packed with Smart features. This subsequently includes scheduling, mapping and Alexa control. The RX3 can be conveniently controlled from a smartphone too. It includes useful tools such as time and status queries. And just like all other Miele appliances featuring connectivity, the robovac is linked via Wi-Fi and responds to Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa. An “Alexa, tell Miele to clean the kitchen” is sufficient for the RX3 to set to work on predefined areas. 

Jon says that one feature that really stands out is Home Vision, which transmits a high-resolution video feed to your smartphone. “The picture quality is insane (720 x 1280 pixels) and it uses a wide-angle lens that provides an excellent view. Once you have logged into the camera on your smartphone, you can also remote control the robot around the house to assess cleaning progress, perhaps, or check in on a pet or your kids.”

6.)   Low maintenance and effort required

Robovacs are as easy to clean as they are to use. In fact, this is the only part of your relationship with your robovac that requires any sort of effort, be it only very little. Periodically, the dustbin needs to be emptied and the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced. These tasks are super quick and easy says Jon: “The dust bin of the RX3 lives under a flap in the top of the unit, and it is super easy to pull out and empty. The filter can also be removed for cleaning – a few quick taps against the side of the bin will dislodge an impressive amount of dust. You can also vacuum the filter with your handheld if you want to avoid dust in the atmosphere.”

7.)   Efficiency and green credentials

Robovacs are notoriously energy efficient. The Scout RX3 only requires 30 Watts – making them a very green option, and a great choice for solar-run homes. Since they use such minimal electricity – they will save you lots of money on your utility bills over the appliance’s lifetime. Jon adds: “The fact that like all of Miele’s appliances, the Scout RX3 is designed, tested and manufactured to last for a minimum of 20 years, not only ensures that you get the most bang for your buck, but also that it has an impressively small carbon footprint, making it a great environmentally-friendly choice of vacuum cleaner.”

Miele’s Scout RX3  is available in the following model:

• The Scout RX3 Home Vision HDin a Rose Gold Pearl finish, which has a battery runtime of up to 120 minutes, and which also relays live images to an end device with its HD camera. Offering true quality ahead of its time – the Scout RX3 Home Vision HD will retail for R17 999.

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