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Whether you live in a flat, house, or caravan, there is one universal fact of housekeeping: that the most essential jobs are often the ones no one wants to do. Be it scrubbing the dishes, taking out the bins, or just general cleaning, most of us do it because we have to rather than because we enjoy it.
Cleaning the bathroom is another one of these jobs and for many years homeowners have dreamed of a future where these tasks can be delegated to a helpful robot. With the Shine bathroom cleaner that future is one step closer to becoming a reality.
There are numerous products that are available to help make cleaning the toilet easier and less time-consuming but until now, there wasn’t anything out there that to clean the toilet for you.
That’s where the Shine bathroom cleaner comes in. This small, but efficient cleaning robot uses AI to detect and neutralize bad smells, as well as automatically remove grime from the toilet bowl, using chemical-free electrolyzed water.
Not only will Shine keep your toilet as clean as its name implies, but it also functions as a diagnostics system to detect silent leaks and other problems with your toilet.
The AI can even communicate with the app on your phone to pinpoint the source of a leak or malfunction, letting you use the toilet repair kit sold by the company to fix the problem yourself.
Not only will this compact and easy-to-use cleaning bot help you save money on deodorizers, and other cleaning supplies, it will also save you having to call a plumber every time something goes wrong with your latrine.
What Do You Get?
If you preorder your Shine bathroom assistant now you can get a special discount. Some reviews have pointed out that the product can take a while to arrive but once you do receive your order, it’s safe to kiss your toilet cleaning days goodbye.
In the box, you will get the assistant body including a water tank that holds up to 1000ml and a 6-month rechargeable battery to stand it on. Also included is a water sensor, spray bar, tubing, an instruction manual, and an adhesive tab to stick the Shine anywhere near your toilet. This may sound like a lot of pieces but it is actually very easy to set up.
Simply place the shine on its battery stand and sit it anywhere near your toilet. The only requirement is that the bathroom assistant is close enough for the spray bar to reach the rim of your toilet bowl with the provided length of rubber tubing.
Once you have placed the spray bar under the rim, you are ready to fill the body of the assistant with water and insert the cleaning pod in the top. Just like that your automated bathroom cleaner is ready to take over keeping your restroom hygienic and free of foul odors.
How Does It Work?
The shine is run by an AI called Sam, who works to help the device detect stains grime, and bad smells. Once it has detected either an odor or stain, the assistant will take the water contained in its body and electrolyze it.
Electrolyzed water makes an effective detergent that is comparable in effectiveness to traditional bleach.
The Shine will spray your toilet bowl with electrolyzed water whenever it detects stains and also between flushes to get rid of any nasty odors. You can even ask Sam to clean your toilet via the app or through your Alexa virtual assistant. The spray bar is capable of cleaning the whole toilet bowl, including under the rim.
The Shine’s other main function is its ability to work as an automated plumbing consultant. The water sensor that comes with the device tracks your water usage recording how much water your toilet releases in a typical flush.
This information will allow the assistant to detect when you are using more water than usual and subsequently if you have a silent leak that is wasting water.
Sam can then communicate with the app on your phone to give you more information about where the leak is and how you can fix it and even get the company to send you a toilet repair kit, containing everything you need to fix the problem yourself without having to call a plumber. ‘
How Effective Is It?
So far Shine is still only available to pre-order, and as such only a few customers have received their unit. That said most people who have adopted Shine into their restrooms say it works as advertised. The chemical-free cleaning method of using electrolyzed water may sound too good to be true so to demystify it, here’s how it works.
What Is Electrolyzed Water?
The cleaning pods provided with the kit, and sold as part of a monthly subscription called Shine Unlimited, contain a precisely measured mixture of ordinary table salt, acetic acid (vinegar), and water.
So how do these ordinary ingredients combine to create a cleaning solution stronger than bleach?
Well, as you may already know the chemical name for salt is sodium chloride, denoting the two elements that make it up. When an electrical charge is put through the water the salt is split into its two constituent ions, separating the sodium from the chloride.
The chloride, which has a negative charge is attracted to the positive side of the electrical current where it combines with oxygen and hydrogen in the water to form a mild solution of hypochlorous acid.
This is the acid that works to remove the stains and bad odors from your toilet. While this acid is as effective at cleaning as ordinary bleach it is also very gentle, and chemical-free.
This acid is so gentle, it is often used for cleaning open wounds. The vinegar is included to produce the right PH, without this the ions may instead form sodium hypochlorite, which is more commonly known as bleach.
Is It Safe?
If you have pets or small children, you may be nervous about having a device in your bathroom that electrifies water to produce a mild acid. Occasionally the device may mistake you sitting on the toilet for a flush and spray you directly on the skin.
This is nothing to worry about as hypochlorous acid is completely hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. While it is not recommended to drink the electrolyzed water, it will eventually turn back into a normal saline solution.
So even if your dog does drink from the toilet bowl, it won’t be ingesting any harmful chemicals.
Can It Really Detect Leaks?
The most exceptional claim that Shine makes is its ability to monitor your water usage. Not only can it detect leaks but it can also instruct you via the app on how to fix them. This is achieved through the bathroom assistant water sensor.
The sensor has to be attached to your toilet’s metal water line, this is the small metal pipe on one side of the cistern often connected to the wall or floor. Once the sensor is set up, it will detect your water usage by measuring vibrations in the water line.
These vibrations tell the shine how much water you use in a regular flush and therefore when more water is passing through the system. With this information, Shine can inform you of how much water you’re using, how you can potentially cut back, and if your toilet is overflowing or silently leaking.
How Long Do The Cleaning Pods Last?
For the Shine to work, it needs a cleaning pod filled with a carefully balanced mixture of salt, vinegar, and water.
Before you try making your own, it is important to stress that each ingredient must be added in precisely measured qualities to achieve the right PH.
If the PH is incorrect your Shine will spray your toilet bowl with either a solution of mostly elemental chlorine or a fine mist of water that won’t be very effective at removing stains.
Each cleaning pod lasts roughly one month, depending on how often you use it. The pods are completely recyclable and allergen-free. Customers have the option of buying batches of twelve pods at a set price or subscribing to Shine Unlimited, a service that for a yearly fee will provide you with all the cleaning pods you need to keep your bathroom clean all year round.
As well as extra pods, Shine unlimited also provides replacement parts for your bathroom assistant and repair kits so that when Shine detects a leak you can fix it yourself.
Is Shine Bathroom Cleaner Worth it?
Shine is still learning and improving its AI one flush at a time. While some customers may want to wait for any bugs to be ironed out before buying, the reviews that are out there indicate that this product does work as intended.
So if you want to say goodbye to sprays and rubber gloves, you can welcome the future into your bathroom with the automated Shine bathroom cleaner.
