A few of my favorite things . . .

I received several very nice gifts from family members this Christmas. I thought I'd share and tell one of them today.

My husband gave me a rechargeable handheld automatic scrubber set. And you may not have guessed it, but I specifically asked for this. Could I clean without a tool like this? I most certainly could. But this tool makes the work easy enough that I can "scrub" for more than an hour without needing breaks.

I put it to good use last weekend and did a thorough job on the tub and separate shower. It cleaned off soap scum, water and hair product residue, and basic oil-based dirt. The tub is acrylic and has a pebbled bottom. The bottom surface has been difficult to get thoroughly clean without using heavy chemicals. 

The pluses

The scrubber with a brush followed by scrubbing pad took care of that. The separate shower is tile and glass with an acrylic textured floor. The scrubber brush and scouring pad cleaned up the glass, and the scrubbing brush alone cleaned grout and the textured floor. The tool came with a crack and crevice brush which worked well in the corners. I even had time on the charge to do good detail work on the shower exterior. This is the cleanest all-in-one-go that the shower has looked since it was new. In the past, I've been able to scrub with brushes and pads for an hour or two on one specific area (like glass walls and doors), and then would work on another area the next week. I prefer having it all clean at one time.

I'm able to use less toxic cleaning solutions, like Mrs. Meyers, or even watered down vinegar. As I cleaned last weekend, I periodically rinsed surfaces with a spray bottle of just water. And I really used very little cleaning solution in total. 

It stores compactly and doesn't take up much space.

And, it will be useful in the kitchen for cleaning the stove top and scouring the bottoms of pots and pans.

The drawbacks

The charge lasts a little over an hour of continuous run time and takes a few hours to recharge. We all know that rechargeable batteries in appliances lose the ability to hold maximum power over time. The tool was inexpensive enough that I don't think it would be worthwhile to replace the battery when it no longer holds enough power for a cleaning session. But I could use it plugged in. Also, it requires a charging block, the kind that converts standard electrical outlets into USB charging ports. We have a couple of those around the house, so I simply used one of those.

Gifts that make my work easier or more pleasant are always welcomed by me. This was a great one.

Do you use powered equipment for cleaning surfaces? What's been your opinion?