Keeping a house spick and span is challenging enough for most of us. Those who have glossy tile, parquet, or hardwood floors are often hard put to find the perfect solution to their cleaning woes. Maintaining the showroom quality of such floors, as well as the hygiene simultaneously is a tall order. Besides, who has the time to lavish such care on flooring anymore? The iRobot Corporation saw an opportunity in just that and came up with the iRobot Scooba five years ago. This little disc-shaped robot, which looks pretty similar to a bathroom scale, packs quite a punch. The working is quite simple. The Scooba stops over the area to be cleaned and sucks up all the dust and debris. It then squirts out a little cleaning liquid, scrubs the floor with it, and then sucks up the dirty liquid. There will only be a mild dampness on the floor. As most houses have underfloor heating, this dampness shouldn’t be a deterrent. Scooba does not require any programming as it uses sensor technology to figure out exactly which places need to be cleaned. And no, the Scooba won’t ruin your rug because it will go right around it. It certainly leaves behind a lot less water than a conventional mop, though areas with deep grouting might be slightly more problematic. The robot has different models to suit varying area and cleaning needs. The technology used is ideal for hardwood flooring. What is certain is that you will have a lot more time on your hands since the Scooba is there to sweep you cleaning woes away in a very literal sense.