iRobot Braava Jet 240 Mopping Robot Review

Dried pools of dog drool, coffee spills, and pasta-sauce splatters can thwart even the fanciest robo vac. Instead of sucking, IROBOT BRAAVA JET 240 MOPPING ROBOT tackles floor gunk using water-activated cleaning pads.
Testing

The Braava Jet runs on a removable lithium-ion battery, which needs an initial two-hour charge before you can send the bot off on cleaning duty. While you wait, you can also download iRobot's standalone app; it's not mandatory, but gives you access to a few custom options, like a spot cleaning mode and control over the amount of water the scrubber uses during cleaning.

The bot comes with three kinds of cleaning pads: a blue one for wet mopping, an orange one for damp sweeping, and a white one for dry sweeping. It'll automatically recognize the pad type you load and use the appropriate corresponding cleaning pattern. As far as we can tell, the main difference between the three modes is how much water the Braava use (a lot, a little, and none, respectively), the sweeping pattern, and number of passes. Also, the pad vibrates in wet mopping mode.




We set our test unit loose on an objectively gross 49-square-foot sealed wood kitchen floor, which clearly called for a triple-pass wet mop. So we loaded the Braava with one of the two included blue cleaning pads, set it in the left corner about a foot away from the walls, and hit the glowing "Clean" button. We did subsequent damp and dry sweeping tests on the same kitchen floor after creating our own artisanal messes consisting of dried soda, dog hair (it's shedding season!), and some dirt from the backyard. We also had the Braava Jet clean our two bathrooms.



Observations

With a week's worth of dinner prep debris on the floor, we were worried this initial mess would prove too much for the Braava Jet. To our surprise, the tiny 7-by-7-inch bot did a remarkably thorough cleanup job. The cycle took about 14 minutes, during which time the Braava Jet managed to sweep up the small bits of food, and eradicate all evidence of the liquid spills on the floor. While it had a little trouble with the dog hair (the bot managed to mop some of it up, but a fair amount it just pushed into the corners), the kitchen floor looked great overall.

The wet-mopping pattern has the Braava Jet swing out to the left and right as it moves forward, occasionally squirting the floor with water. Once you start the cleaning process, it will do a double pass on the first row then move gradually from the left side of the room to the right, Zamboni-style. In our case, a thin carpet created a natural border separating the kitchen from the hallway, which the Braava recognized on its own. You can also set up a virtual wall via the app if no such barrier exists in your home.

Automatic Gate Opener: How To Choose

BODY

MIGHTY MULE 350 was designed to be used along with the Sentry 300 S model. The gate opener unit comes in black color. The Sentry 300 S has to be installed first to use the Sentry 300 D for the double swing gate. Separate batteries are not required for the unit to function as it is connected to the Sentry 300 S, which has already been installed onto a single swing gate.

FEATURES

• Some of the features that were seen in the Sentry 300 S can be seen in the MIGHTY MULE 350 as well. Though there are very few exceptions, like for instance the battery requirements. The complete Sentry 300 D kit does not include the battery and does not need them. The Sentry 300 D is added to the gates to which the Sentry 300 S is already installed to make the swinging action of both the doors efficient.
• This electric opener derives the power from the 12 volt DC battery and the AC transformer that is included in the Sentry 300 S. This way, the Sentry 300 D can be fixed to the double gates of farm gates of 20 feet length. It can also be attached to wood paneled gates without any fear of damage to the gates.
• The complete package of MIGHTY MULE 350 consists of a watertight junction box, wire nuts for connection and a controlling kit. A 50’ cable is present to connect to the Sentry 300 S and a linear actuator that can be coupled along with the linear actuator of the Sentry 300 S. All the mounting hardware units required for the safe installation of the gate opener to the gates are included in the package.

DURABILITY

The manufacturer provides a warranty of 3 years for the Sentry 300 D and covers the replacement and the repair of the defective components in the gate opener. An extended 7-year warranty can be availed on the device from the manufacturer; wherein you have to pay a minimal amount for the replacement or repair of the defective components.

PROS:

• Watertight control box keeps the wiring away from water contact
• Commercial grade dual gate opener
• Wireless keypad facility on request
• Dual swing door opening becomes easy

CONS:

• Does not come with a solar power panel and needs to be purchased separately.

Comprehensive Guide to Prepare Health and Safety Policy for Small Business

Having a health and safety policy in place is crucial when running a business. It’s a legal requirement to have your policy in writing if you employ five or more people. You should also make sure your policy contains the right information, in case a health and safety inspector pays you a visit.

So, when it comes to putting together your health and safety policy, what should you include?

Key sections of your policy

First, it’s important to mention that a good health and safety policy is set out in three sections. These are policy statement, responsibilities, and arrangements.
Understanding each section and what it should cover, which is relevant specifically to your business, can help you know what to include when writing your policy.

Policy statement

This is your statement of general policy on health and safety in business. Sometimes called a general statement of intent, the statement, which you should sign and date, should set out your commitment to health and safety in your place of work.

Importance of Annual Employee Drug Testing for Businesses

Drug testing your employees is not only a mandatory requirement, but also company policy to which many businesses follow. The need to have a drug test is to prevent the increase of accidents as well as low in productivity. Drug testing is an important factor which company owners need to adhere especially that it affects production and in providing services. This activity obliges personnel, new and/or old, to take a drug test. Usually, employees are required to present their urine samples for screening but there are also those which need hair, blood, sweat and even saliva samples. Some people do not understand the concept of having to undergo drug testing and other businesses don’t practice this at all.

The growing importance is enough of an explanation. As far as where medical needs stretch, the test is limited to those that can present legal papers for proof. But there’s still another procedure for that to confirm when the result comes in positive. Even then, getting your employees test for a yearly or even a quarterly drug test is beneficial for you and your people. Why so?

Productivity

Drug abuse is one of the common problems in a workplace aside from taking it as a medication. This type of illegal substances can impair a person’s senses, such as his or her physical capability as well as the mental state. When that happens, how do you expect them to reach a certain level of productivity when they are not consistent with what they are doing? Even if you’re earning 70% of your capital, once it is affected just because you didn’t know one of your workers is taking illegal drugs, your profit will basically go down. Applying the test into your business will let you know who these users are and you can promote a much safer and productive floor for your company.

6 Tips for Printing DIY Stationery for Your Home and Small Business

Creating stationery is not an easy art form, especially if you are planning to turn it into a small business. True, the tools you need are easily available, such as a good printer, art materials, paper, and image-editing software. However, creating designs for letterheads, notepads, and the like are not simple. It takes a lot of talent and skill to balance form and function when designing stationery. After all, a couple of mistakes here and there can cost you dearly.

Thankfully, there are several things you can do to lessen your financial and artistic load. Here are six tips to help you in making DIY stationery, be it at home or for business.

Switch to Compatible Ink Cartridges and Toners

Printer ink is a necessity in completing your DIY stationery designs. However, it is a known fact that original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ink is expensive. Luckily, cheaper alternatives like reliable, compatible ink cartridges and toners exist. Compatible ink cartridges are manufactured by a third-party company. Because the cartridges are made by a different manufacturer, compatible products don’t have to worry about recovering their development costs, unlike original manufacturers. This allows them to sell ink and toner cheaper, even when the cartridges are produced en masse. What’s more, the cartridges of compatible ink and toners have not been used, so the product works like new.