High Tide for a Tidy Year: 12 Cleaning Gadgets to Help You Stay Afloat In 2019

It’s the middle of May and the year is flying by. You can open your window and breath in the fresh air, but the window for spring-cleaning is about to close down tight. Every home has its trouble spots and the biggest one of all seems to be “time.” Sure, you’d love to clean around the satellite windows but who has time to lug out the ladder when there’s homework, dinner, music lessons and more happening all week long?

Did I mention that you’re tired? Me too! That’s why I’ve put together this list of super helpful cleaning gizmos that will make life easier on the home cleaning front. I’m hoping they help you as much as they did me. Read out what people think are top rated vacuums for their house.

Let’s break the rules and start with the floors:

1. Dyson V7 Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner ($249): This is an upgrade from Dyson’s V6 model. You have to charge it initially for 3.5 hours before using. But it can run up to 30 minutes when used bare-bones. You can save the battery with a cool, instant-release power trigger and it can go 6 minutes with no fade. It has what Dyson calls a “direct drive cleaner head” which means it digs down deep into the carpet pile to get the most dug-in dirt. Being versatile, this machine works on carpets and hard floors. The best thing is it has a no-touch-the-dirt container emptying process.

2. Verilux CleanWave Sanitizing Portable Vacuum ($99): This little hand-help wonder’s claim to fame is its clever use of a UV-C light that reduces germs and sanitized while suctioning. This is the same type of light used in hospitals for the same purposes with a 400-watt motor to boot. This is a must-have machine for cleaners on the go!

3. Microfiber Automatic Rolling Ball Vacuum Cleaner ($19.80): This might be a “to-taste” purchase because it’s pretty much a brightly colored robot-ball that rolls around and picks up dirt. It turns itself on every 15 minutes to keep up with frequent kitchen events. You do have to clean the cover yourself, though. As far as I could read “Thing 1 and Thing 2” are not included to clean it for you.

4. iRobot Braava Jet and 300 Series Moppin Robots ($199-$299): These are quiet, automated hard-floor cleaning machines that have a solid reputation among consumers. They last approximately three hours per charge and use microfiber cloths that are interchangeable with a fitting cloth of your choice.

A window with a view:

5. Alfawise S60 Window Cleaner Robot ($169.99): This baby has more features than IHOP has pancakes. It’s stated to be the best of its kind on the market in 2018 because of all it offers in a small package. AI, powerful suction, pre-programmed cleaning routes and a special “UPS” system that will keep it on the glass for up to 30 minutes in case of power failure to avoid breakage.

You can’t dress trashy ‘til you spend a lot of money:

6. Intelligent Waste Totem ($318): $318…? For a trashcan? Yep. It filters odors and allows for separation of recycling materials. It holds 36 liters and eliminates bag overhang and messes. There are other brands and price points out there so do your research and find the one that works for you!

Fresh air:

Before I carry on with this list I have to say something. I endured a sales pitch many years ago that I thought was just a scam. It wasn’t. Quality air purifiers make your life better. Your house is fresher, the oxygen is cleaner, you get better rest and you have more energy. The next three products help achieve all that.

7. Verilux UV-C Sanitizing Travel Wand ($24.99 and up): UV (Ultra Violet) light is a beast for killing germs and bacteria. It pretty much attacks the germ’s DNA and destroys it. Hospitals use UV light devices to sterilize their rooms. It’s not an air filter per se, but it does help clean up your air!

8. Awair ($199): “Awair” has a clever name and a better purpose.

It literally tracks dust and dirt in the air around you and knows what will be damaging to your health. According to the Awair manufacturers, the air in your home can be more polluted than the air outside it. This product doesn’t actually filter your air, but it tells you what needs to be removed from it and how. For $109 you can get a mini-plugin Awair (like Glade room fresheners) that also serves as a nightlight. Neat!

9. Winix FresHome Model P300 True HEPA Air Cleaner With PlasmaWave ($145.99 and up): Boasting a 3-stage air cleaning process that also uses activated carbon, this machine removes 99.9% of the things you don’t want to be in the air you breathe. Pet dander, bacteria and more get zapped. It also uses a “plasmawave technology” that actually breaks up odor, vapors and other nasty things at a molecular level, making them easier to be filtered/eradicated.

Gadgets That Help Clean Your Gadgets:

10. Okki Nokki Record Cleaning Machine ($449): DJ’s are all the rage these days. There might even be a famous DJ named “Okki Nokki” out there now. All “jok-i’s” aside, this is a great little machine for cleaning your vinyl records. It’s fully automated, runs cool and stays on for hours with a quiet motor.

11. OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush ($4.95): This is a great little product for keyboards, computer screens, cell phones, camera lenses and more. The bristles retract inside so they don’t gather extra dust. It’s like a retractable paintbrush you can use to protect your favorite electronic devices from collecting dust inside – on wires – and circuit boards – then break. Get one of these things; they’re great!

Sink Your Teeth Into This

12. TAO Clean: Aura Clean Sonic Toothbrush Cleaner ($88.99): This might be the most expensive toothbrush item you ever buy. That being said; it’s awesome! It dries your toothbrush after you use it to prevent bacteria and mildew buildup. Then it zaps your bristles with a UV light that kills 99.9 percent of germs that try to make a home on your toothbrush. It also uses batteries and has two speeds on a moving brush to help you get a better clean.