Prepping the home for warm weather can be a chore that makes the average homeowner drag their feet. But the good news? There may be an interesting product out there tailored to getting the job done for you! At Paul Davis Restoration/Emergency Services of Akron, we’re invested in seeing your family and home receive the quality attention you (and it) deserve. Here, we’ve reviewed a list of four unusual (and sometimes hilarious) home improvement and safety gadgets. Before you get excited—not all of these novelty doodads are up for the “big” tasks that require serious help from home restoration professionals, but we do admit they certainly would make things entertaining around your home! Take a look at these household contraptions that promise to clean up after a windstorm, predict thunderstorms and keep you safe. Would you use these??

Yard Duty

1.      When out-of-towners come to visit can this little robot help mask the fact that a windstorm took hold of your neighborhood last winter? The Kyodo LawnBott is designed so you can “turn it on and walk away” while your yard becomes debris free! Oh, wow! We’re not necessarily convinced that with the hefty price tag ($1199 as of Spring 2012) this robot is a better bet than a strong back and a wheelbarrow—especially since a lawn after storm season really requires a homeowner’s close inspection. You be the judge!

2.      Were you frequently caught off guard by last summer’s (weather event)? A scare like that can make a Weather Glass Barometer sound like a good idea. Although this solution is a relic from the days of the American ancestors, the storm-predicting power of this pretty glass when it’s filled with water is quite impressive (if it works, that is). Air pressure tends to drop during a storm, which causes the liquid in the barometer to rise, signaling an impending weather event. Of course, this isn’t a scientific way to prep your home for a storm—always pay attention to warnings, no matter what weather your barometer predicts!

Indoor Solutions

3.      If you’re ready to give your vacation home a nice scrubbing up, what could be a more festive way to clean than with bubbles? While the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner apparently has a short battery life and expensive product refills, watching it spin 360 degrees and delightfully spray bubbles up to eight feet away is certainly intriguing. Plus, let’s face it, the term ‘automatic cleaner’ makes any homeowner’s ears perk up. For a property that’s been shuttered for several months, though, be sure to check your home for any serious clean up issues before handing the job over to a novelty device. If you’re suffering from allergic reactions like eye and nasal irritation or respiratory problems, for instance, this could be a sign of black mold and requires the assistance of a professional.

4.      If a storm blew grime all over your hardwood floors, you might have more fun cleaning up in a pair of Slipper Genie cleaning slippers! Simply put on the slippers and walk around your hardwood floors—the microfiber “fingers” pick up dust and hair. But if your home has suffered water damage from the river floods that are so frequent in the Great Lakes region, it’s time to hang up the Slipper Genie and pick up the phone and contact a professional to avoid mold, warping, electrical hazards and a cornucopia of other issues that crop up with water damage.

Paul Davis Restoration/Emergency Services of Akron assists the following communities: Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Green, Hudson, Macedonia, Munroe Falls, New Franklin, Norton, Stow, Tallmadge, Twinsburg, Bath, Copley, Coventry, Northfield Center, Richfield, and Sagamore Hills in Summit County; Doylestown, Orrville, and Wooster in Wayne County. The company also serves customers in other areas as requested by our clients.