ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A miniature vacuum robot is being sold as a children's toy in Australia. And parents are loving it.

The Kmart product has an average star rating of 4.3 out of five and mimics the design of popular robot vacuums on the market. And it performs very well, according to parents.

One shopper raved about her AUS $12 purchase on Facebook, demonstrating how much fluff and hair the toy was able to collect in just two minutes. "I didn't even realise my floor was that dirty," she wrote. "I'm definitely going back tomorrow to buy a few more."

Another customer said the toy looked as though it worked "better than my $800 one", while a third surmised that it would be ideal for collecting pet hair and crumbs and for cleaning small spaces such as flats, box rooms and caravans.

The toy has a push-to-start button and a compartment that opens for emptying. Like a full-sized robot vacuum it features suction to pick up dirt and an automatic swivel sensor to manoeuvre around objects. It runs on three AA batteries.

The launch of the toy follows the introduction of a manual toy Dyson vacuum in 2019 which also retails at Kmart in Australia.

The Dyson features realistic sounds and a simulated cyclone action along with colourful moving balls in a clear cylinder. And again the vacuum is able to pick up dust and fluff, making it an effective toy as well as being a helpful aid in small spaces.