Don’t Dread Spring Cleaning – Automate it!

Well, spring is in full swing, and it’s time to think about something I know you don’t want to (and I certainly don’t want to) – spring cleaning! Not only is Mother Nature hard at work making things outside grow again (which means back in the yard – or jungle! whichever the case may be) and things inside need freshening up as well. Especially if you’re like me and have animals – I think I can make a couple of extra cats from all the hair they’re leaving around lately! So here are a few cool gadgets that will help you get things under control – inside and out!

If you enjoy gardening then you should think about these gizmos – not only will it speed up your work and get you poolside faster, you’ll be the envy of all your neighbors because you’ll have the coolest toys! Black and Decker has once again come up with a couple of great solutions to cultivating those flowerbeds (or weedbeds) and trimming the bushes/small trees. The 20V MAX Lithium Garden Cultivator and the 18V Cordless Alligator Lopper will make quick work of the tedious task that spring clean-up can be. The best thing about these, in my opinion, is the fact that you don’t have to drag around power cords! Seriously, I need the Alligator loppers (think chainsaw meets garden shears) since the last time I trimmed the hedges I cut through my extension cord with the power trimmers…Not good!

While I don’t mind the yard work so much–in fact it is relaxing when it doesn’t take too long–one thing I dread more than anything is cleaning gutters. Besides being just plain disgusting, it becomes an exercise in whether you have enough insurance coverage since you have to get up on a ladder to get this job done! Check out the video on the iRobot Looj – at under $200 this is completely justifiable! And might make a great Father’s Day gift – give him a new toy and get the chores done at the same time.

Now, I don’t have a pool but I know a lot of you do, so you may also consider the iRobot Verro Pool Cleaner– there’s an entire line of these crazy little guys who will crawl around the bottom (and even up the walls) of your pool! I can imagine that pool cleaning can be a lot like gutter cleaning – so this gets two thumbs up from me.

So, while your gutters and pool are cleaning themselves, you can get the yard trimmed and cultivated. Not only very high-tech but great time management as well! But let’s not forget that we still have to clean the inside of the house! (remember the cat hair??) For that, there are the Roomba vacuums which we’ve looked at before, but those aren’t so great on hardwood flooring. Enter the Mint Floor Cleaner! This little gizmo will sweep and mop your floors without freaking out your cats or other small furry creatures since it operates so quietly. And the crazy, high-tech feature is the Northstar Navigation that works like GPS, so Mint knows where it’s cleaned and doesn’t miss a spot!

And one last gadget that’s gonna be a must have for the indoor clean-up (since the Mint, while exceedingly cool, can’t reach every tiny corner where my cats go) is the Dyson DC35 Multifloor – a lightweight cordless handheld vacuum with a detachable wand that can reach high, low or in between. And this one has gotten great reviews so despite the price tag (Dysons aren’t cheap! This goes for about $325) you can feel confident you’re getting a good product.

Hmmmm, maybe we can cover Mother’s Day gifts here too??

What kind of high-tech toys do you have in your spring cleaning arsenal? I know I’m putting these on my wish list! Let me know if you’ve found any cool cleaning gadgets or even if you have come up with some DIY ideas for getting the dirty work out of the way!