Readers who weighed in on the Mint floor-cleaning robot had mixed experiences with the machine.
Karen Williams of Akron, one of four Mint owners who responded to our request for feedback on the product, said she likes the way it dusts her hardwood floors and damp-mops the laminate floor in her kitchen. She moves her kitchen chairs out of the way when she uses the Mint so it can get under her table.
She did have one complaint: When she uses Swiffer wet cloths with the Mint, they streak her laminate floor. But it’s not enough of a problem to make her stop using it, she said.
Melanie Messmore of Akron tried the Mint for damp-mopping several rooms in her house but found it couldn’t clean under the tables and chairs in her living and dining rooms. Neither could it maneuver around the commode in her bathroom, even though the machine fit in the space.
Now she uses it only on her kitchen floor. She likes that she can use any generic cleaning pad or even high-quality paper towels with it, but she doesn’t like that hers runs only 15 to 20 minutes on a full charge and takes five to six hours to fully recharge.
Chuck Smith of Norton gave up on his. It worked great, he said, but he didn’t like having to watch over it and change the cloths a couple of times during a cleaning session. He returned it and instead bought a Roomba robotic vacuum.
Our favorite review came from 11-year-old Ben Vrobel of Copley Township, who uses his family’s robot — nicknamed Minty — as part of his weekly chores.
The Mint is easy to use for sweeping or mopping, Ben wrote. He doesn’t like its short battery life, especially when he forgets to plug the machine in ahead of time, or having to change the sweeper or mop every time he cleans a room.
“But then again she does mop and sweep everything herself, instead of me doing it,” Ben said. “Overall, I think Minty is a great machine.”