Do you feel like you have a great home? Are you getting the best out of how it stays clean or helps you to live better? And what’s missing from your living space? How could the machines in your home increase its livability and luxury?

This is the third part of our blog installment on smart home purchases, and how consumers can use the latest and greatest appliances found in stores and online.

Some things to consider…

• As people and organizations are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment, consider the impact your new purchase will have. Will it reduce the amount of water or electricity your home typically uses? If so, by how much? And is it the most efficient model on the market? Also, are there any worries of “waste” associated with your purchase?

• If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should buy a product, consider the cost of the item versus the potential savings in the short and long term. Are you saving time, money, etc? If so, how much are you saving, and what are those saved resources worth versus the amount spent on the item being considered?
  

Television

There are many justifications for getting a new television. Some consumers want better audio and video quality. Others want a hassle-free chance to view their favorite shows, without going through an external device like a video game system or a multimedia player of some sort. 

If you find yourself in the latter camp of viewers, then you should look into getting a smart TV. It’s a television that saves the step of having to connect to another device, instead of connecting through its own system. Some remote controls for devices have a voice-activated remote control, which lets users speak to their remote instead of clicking the buttons. Smart T.V. sets can also serve as a digital picture frame, with photo albums scrolling across the screen when not in use or a gallery of items related to news and social media. 

Tip: If you don’t want to invest in buying a brand new T.V., then Google Chromecast may be the next best thing. It’s a dongle that gives the television set the capability of mirroring or streaming content from a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Anything that may be viewed on one of these screens may also be syndicated onto the T.V. via the Chromecast app extension after it’s downloaded. 

Washer/Dryer

What if you could start your washer and dryer with your phone? Or what if you could download a whole new wash cycle setting for a particular fabric that would otherwise be harmed on a normal wash?

Smart washers and dryers can do that, and actually a whole lot more. Some have built-in sensors, and just like newer-model vehicles can tell you when a repair is needed or when there’s an issue with the appliance. They can give you real-time updates regarding the cycle’s status, administer the proper amount of detergent, and let you know just how much energy you’re using and help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Smart Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuuming is a chore that could easily be done every day. Even if a certain room of your didn’t get a lot of foot traffic, the preventative maintenance of vacuuming keeps the carpets clean and the fibers looking new.

For some people, it can be a tedious task, and smart vacuums let your own personal robot handle the tedium for you. Smart vacuums are the autonomous solution to floors of all kinds. Tasks performed by smart vacuums include a powerful cleaning machine that may get pollen, dust, mold, and dirt missed by other vacuum cleaners and a self-emptying function that saves users the time of having to change bags or containers. Some units claim a sophisticated mapping technology that prevents the smart vacuum from bumping into walls or disturbing pets. These units are also typically cordless, meaning that they have a charging dock and can roam the whole range of the home. Smartphones may be enabled for these devices as an interface, which means remote notification of alerts and the potential for intelligent data-gathering for floor-cleaning

Roomba is the smart vacuum that’s become a household name, but there are a number of smart vacuums currently on the market.