Few cleaning products have sparked as much interest as the robot vacuum. After all, it is the dream of any time-poor person to be able to sit down and relax while an artificially intelligent device cleans the house. Robot vacs have become very popular in the past few years and many people swear by them. Some owners even name their robots or dress them up in custom coverings or teach their pets to ride them. They're pretty easy to use, and the novelty appeal is undeniable – but are they good enough to replace your regular barrel or bag vac? Looking for the best robot vac? We review models from Miele, iRobot, Vorwerk and more in our . How much do they suck? Unfortunately, despite sophisticated technology – navigation software, stair detection, cameras to detect dirt – robot vacuum cleaners are still comparatively poor at the most common job of a vacuum cleaner: removing dirt from carpet. They simply can't generate the suction of a standard vacuum. They can leave the carpet looking clean, but below the surface a lot of dirt is left behind – and, over time, that can damage the pile.

This means that for most homes, we can't recommend any robot vacuum as a replacement for your trusty drag-around model. In our tests, we've found they can pick up a reasonable amount of fluff (such as pet hair) along with some dirt, but also seem to push the remaining dirt even deeper into the carpet pile. Most consumers have no way of measuring the amount of dirt actually in their carpet (which is vacuum performance across all kinds of vacs), so when you see the fluff and dirt in the robot's bin, and the superficially clean carpet, it looks like the robot vacuum cleaner does a much better job than is actually the case. But I don't have (much) carpet! Aha – then your house-cleaning regime might be a bit more future-friendly. Most of the models we've tested are very good at cleaning hard floors – albeit not always in the corners and edges – and pet-hair pickup looks to be (slowly) improving, too. For a house with mostly hard floors, most of the tested robot vacuum cleaners will do a reasonable job of keeping the floors clean when run on a daily basis, though a more thorough cleaning with a standard vacuum (or a broom) will still be needed occasionally.

In a home with carpeted floors, a robot vac is fine for a purely-cosmetic tidy-up, but the carpet will need a regular going-over with a standard vac to get most of the actual dirt out. This feature, now standard across almost all models, helps the robot sense when it has reached a ledge or step so it can back off and avoid a damaging tumble. An accessory used to create an invisible barrier, for blocking off open doorways or other areas you don't want the robot to enter. This handy function will allow you to set times of the day or week to run the robot - for instance, you could set it to run only while you're away at work. When the battery charge is low the robot finds its way back to the charger and docks automatically. All the tested models do this. The robots are generally quieter than standard vacs, but some have an annoying high-pitched whistle and others make a mechanical grinding noise. This may be less important if the robot mainly runs while you're out of the house, but these two sounds may be loud enough to annoy neighbours or pets.

Most models come with a remote control to direct the vacuum around the room. But the question has to be asked, if you need to be there to direct the robot around the room, would it not be better for you to get up off the couch and clean with a normal vacuum cleaner?samsung rechargeable vacuum cleaner The models in our latest test range in price from $130 to $1800.eureka vacuum cleaner indiaWhatever you are moving in and out of Australia will be subject to customs checking and possible duty charges. karcher vacuum cleaner water filterEach item will be physically checked by a customs officer before being cleared to continue to their destination. Australian customs do not charge duty or sales tax on unaccompanied item as long as they have been owned by you and used for at least 12 months before entering the country.

However, items that have not been owned or used for 12 months will be subject to charges. All sales receipts for items you wish to bring with you must be shown otherwise you may be charged. Proof of purchase is the best way of showing how old the items are. Receipts will show the value of each item which is also required by customs. If you are shipping large amounts of items into the country in storage such as containers, then each crate or container will be opened and the items inside will be checked individually by a customs officer. A B534 Customs Declaration Form should be signed by yourself to enable the goods to be cleared through customs. You will also need to photocopy all the pages of your passport and include them with your customs paperwork. Both the passport paperwork and the B534 form will need to be sent to the Australian Customs before the shipment arrives in the country. If you are using an import agent or shipping service then they should be able to advise you on this procedure.

If you are not using a company that specialises in imports to Australia then you will need to contact Australian customs to ensure you are following the correct procedure. Failure to do so could result in delays of your possessions reaching you at your new residence, or even refusal of entry into the country which could become very costly. There are several items that are restricted or even prohibited from being allowed through customs, if you do need to ship any items that may cause problems at customs then it is wise to contact the customs office in Australia prior to the goods being shipped to seek their advice or to inform them that restricted items are to be sent. Those restricted items include but are not limited to, flammable items or those of a corrosive nature. If you are unsure, any item that contains such properties will by law be clearly marked as flammable or corrosive. These are hazardous to be shipped both by air and sea and it is highly recommended that these are not included in your consignment.

Animal skins are also on the restricted list. The skins of an animal deemed as endangered are strictly prohibited, so if you are shipping an item made from animal skin you will need a certificate from an approved taxidermist to show it is not from an endangered animal. This certificate must be sent to the Australian Quarantine department prior to the item arriving in the country. Obvious items such as weapons or drugs also have restrictions. If you want to ship any kind of weapon including those that are classed as ornamental then they will be subject to strict customs searches. To import firearms, you must submit an Australian shooters license before customs will allow these item to pass into the country. If you want to ship prescribed drugs into the country with you then customs officials may ask for copies of the doctor’s prescription. It would be wise to carry a copy of the official prescription with you just in case this is requested. They should also be carried with you as hand luggage and not packed with your shipping consignment.

If you are taking with you a vacuum cleaner then it must be empty. Any vacuum cleaner bags will be checked for dirt. The same is also said for any gardening equipment you may want to take with you. Any sign of soil or dirt may mean that the items must be fumigated and extra cost to you. Any wood products you wish to ship with you must be treated and not in its natural state. This includes bamboo and cane items. This is because the dirt, dust and untreated wood may carry spores from plant life, bacteria or other such life that are not indigenous to Australia. Introduction of these items into the country when not under controlled environments can cause great upset to the eco system of the country over the years. Safety items such as baby seats that are not Australian made can also cause problems at customs. This is because Australia has strict laws and very high safety standards and many of these products do not comply with the standards required by Australian law. Other items that can cause problems through customs can be rather surprising.