A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the vacuuming robot, the iRobot Roomba 980. It was efficient, but, at $1499, also expensive. Its little brother, the iRobot Braava 380T floor sweeping and mopping robot is not as powerful, but much cheaper at $599.

The Braava is blissfully super-quiet, so it can run during the midnight movie when everyone else is sleeping, minimising the risk of someone tripping over it.

The funny thing about these cleaning robots is that they make me more aware of – dare I say obsessed about – housework. Before the bots I had a bad case of domestic blindness, whereas now I notice when the place needs to be cleaned.

The machine uses supplied rewashable microfibre cloths. The idea is to use a dry one to pick up grit before mopping with a wet one.

A special cleaning pad dispenses liquid while mopping, but don't expect stuck-on stains to lift away. The Braava is more suited to maintenance cleaning, removing the detritus of everyday life. The idea would be to wash the floors yourself (hopefully just the once), and then use the Braava more often to keep them clean before any grime sets in.

The Braava is slow, but as long as it's not me doing the mopping that's not an issue. It stops and thinks and beeps a bit as it encounters a corner or chair, but it eventually moves on and gets the job done.

This bot doesn't return itself to the charging dock, instead finishing where it started. With a built-in handle, carrying it to the dock is easy. However the handle is on the same side as the charging points, forcing you to clumsily hold the other end when pushing it in or out.

It stores and charges in an upright position, meaning it doesn't take up much floor space.