Hobot-R3 window cleaning robot does a great job (cleaning review) – CyberShack

Hi, I am Hobot-R3 window cleaning robot, and I am here to help you clean those filthy windows. Little does it know that while it is an enthusiastic and tireless cleaner, I am not.

You see, I know that it will politely ask me to move it to the next pane of glass every few minutes, which is a pain in the *rse. OK, lets get serious Hobot-R3 makes me get off my *rse and clean the glass, frames, flyscreens, and more. And that is a good thing as we live by the sea, and it is amazing how much salt deposits get on the glass.

Most would answer when you cannot see out of them. Unless, of course, you have a million-dollar view, and then you can afford to pay for a cleaner.

The Architectural Digest states at least twice a year in established suburbia and at least four times a year within 1km of the sea, river, or dry/dusty area.

What comprises window washing? No, it is not a quick pressure hose, as that leaves water spots and streaks. It is not a quick wipe with a cloth/squeegee with a window cleaning solution, as that does not remove grime. It is the application of muscle and a final polish to remove streaks. Importantly, do it on a cooler, low-humidity, windless day.

If your windows are dirty, using water or a cleaning solution makes mud! Professional window cleaners recommend you vacuum the glass first. And remember, every story has two sides inside and outside.

We have reviewed a few glass-cleaning robots, so we wrote a guide to help us assess the relative merits. Read Window cleaning robots sparking windows can be easy.

Spoiler alert Hobot-R3 is pretty good, especially for dirty windows.

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass + rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

I have been using a Hobot 388 window cleaning robot since mid-2021, so I know what to expect from a dual rotating mop pad robot. It is nice that it has upgraded from one to two ultrasonic misting spray nozzles and added some basic intelligence via an App. Still, the 388 has done everything I asked of it.

The Hobot App for Android or iOS is benign and only collects information needed for its operation. It enables firmware updates, and you can use the Hobot-R3 without the app or the remote control just by pressing the start button.

The best description is:

If you have dirty windows, it recommends using two passes. The first with spray-off is to remove dust and avoid mud. The second with spray-on cuts grime and cleans/polishes. Or you can pressure wash first, and after the water has dried (important as the pads streak if wet), do the second run only.

If you are doing a maintenance clean, then one pass with a spray-on is fine.

We strongly recommend using any AC-powered device outside with an HPM Electresafe Power Centre it has an RCBO (Residual Current Breaker with Overload) to stop anyone from getting electrocuted by detecting a ground leakage.

Its 295 148 95mm x 915g. The height means you may need to remove flyscreens.

The top rotating pad is mainly used to climb crablike up windows and to polish the glass after the bottom pad cleans them. They dont constantly rotate as such but adhere to the glass gecko-like.

No matter where you start it on the pane, it will first climb to the top of the frame and clean along that. It then crabwalks down the glass and moves from one side to the other before moving down again and rinse and repeat.

All glass gets at least two passes one from the bottom pad and one from the dry top pad.

The glass must be >3mm and flat, transparent, coloured, or opaque. It can have a slight tilt we tested it to about +/-30.

To start, switch it on, hold it against the glass and press the start/pause button. To release, press the power button.

Other uses: It will clean glass pool fences, shower screens, tiled benchtops (works horizontally, too), and splashbacks. While it has pressure change and edge detection, please keep it away from frameless glass edges.

These are microfibre and are not meant to be damp if they are, you get streaks. Hobot provides six pairs; you change them every 15-20m2 depending on the dirt and if you see streaks. The pads are hand or machine-washable (<40). I use a Dishmatic Dish brush with a general-purpose pad and some dishwashing detergent to clean the pads and then wring and air dry.

It is not so much AI as smart algorithms assist in preventing falls and cleaning all glass to a pre-set pattern.

We found that placing the Hobot-R3 at the top of the glass was best to save time in climbing up and then cleaning downwards.

In all the time I have used a Hobot window cleaner, it has not fallen. But that is not an invitation to be blas about it either. The 4m carabiner rope should be used whenever there is a risk. For example, cleaning tall windows where a fall onto a hard surface could break it.

It is not always easy to find a tie-off point either. Some use a pool-cleaning pole; others place old pillows under the window to break the fall.

Pure, clean water is fine but has no cutting power. Hobot Window detergent comes in a five-pack for $60 (special $55) plus shipping. Given its frugal use, stick with this instead of trying to find an alternative.

It does a 2100 x 650mm (1.365m2) window in 4.5 minutes. It is no louder than a conversation 70dB at 1m.

Given that we prepped the external dirty glass with a pressure wash, it only needed one pass to clean the windows, leaving them streak-free. Like most windows robots, it cannot remove bird poop, insect impacts, paint splatter and gunk. You should remove these first with a razor blade scraper.

We did not prep the internal glass, and one pass was fine.

Of course, we had to clean the frames, edges and corners to finish manually, but the result was better than a cloth, squeegee, and hard work.

Apart from cleaning the mop pads, wipe over the unit and store it. If you dont use it for three months, top up the battery charge.

The water tank and nozzles are user-replaceable. This is good for longevity.

For our purposes and environment, a rotating mop cleaner is best. That does not detract from the excellent platen Hobot S2, perfect for well-maintained windows.

The App reminds me to clean every three months now damned app. But quarterly maintenance is easier than annual back-breaking work.

Definite yes. Not because I am lazy but because it does all the windows, balcony glass, pool glass fence, and more, some of which are way outside my comfort zone. And because my neighbour borrows mine all the time.

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Hobot-R3 window cleaning robot does a great job (cleaning review) - CyberShack