8 ways to tidy your house using Alexa
Alexa is no Rosie Robot, but she can automate some cleaning tasks
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Reviewed / Rachel Murphy
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Amazon’s smart assistant can do everything from show you who’s at the front door to toss your dog a treat when you’re running late. But, did you know that you can also clean with Alexa?
That’s right, you can lean on Alexa for help doing chores around the house. Even if you already have smart appliances, like a Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuum or an app-controlled washer, voice assistants like Alexa can help keep your home tidy.
From setting reminders to looking up cleaning advice and ordering cleaning supplies, here are eight ways to help clean your home using Alexa.
1. Create a cleaning schedule using Alexa
It’s no secret that a home stays clean when you tidy up regularly. And with Alexa reminders, you'll never forget to get the job done. Using an Echo device, like a smart speaker or smart display, or the Alexa app for iOS and Android, you can set regular reminders to help yourself stay on track—all you have to do is ask.
For example, you might set an Alexa reminder to take out the trash every Monday at 6 p.m., mop the floors every Saturday morning, or to change out your HVAC filter every so often. You can set up single or recurring reminders with Alexa and even specify which Echo device you want to receive the reminder. The latter is a great way to remind kids to clean their bedroom every Sunday evening (or other regular chores) without feeling like a nag.
Lean on Alexa to remind you of those outdoor household maintenance chores like cleaning the gutters, scheduling your A/C tune-up, and fertilizing your lawn.
2. Order cleaning supplies
Out of dish soap? Need more laundry detergent? Alexa can be your personal Amazon shopper—if you let her. Beyond saving you a trip to the grocery store, this feature allows you to order things on the spot, so you don’t forget to order them later. Before you can shop with Alexa, make sure to link your Amazon Prime account details in the Alexa app.
You can place orders with Alexa by saying, "Alexa, add [item name] to my shopping cart." If you don't state the exact product name you want, Alexa will read you popular options to pick from or tell you your recent similar purchases to help determine what to order. After you’ve added all of your items to the cart, say, “Alexa, I’m ready to check out” and she’ll help you complete the process by voice.
As an alternative to a list, Alexa can order single items on the fly, which is really handy if you want to place your order ASAP. To do so, say, “Alexa, order [product name]” and follow her instructions to finalize your purchase.
3. Vacuum the floors
You can outsource chores like vacuuming to Alexa. Yes, you read correctly—Alexa can vacuum the floors for you if you have a compatible smart robot vacuum like the Eufy RoboVac 30C or iRobot Roomba j7+.
When used with a compatible smart robot vacuum, you can create/cancel vacuuming schedules to start/stop at certain times. You can even drill down to the exact room you want vacuumed at a particular time if you have a robot floor cleaner with built-in smart mapping technology. So, if you know you've got company staying in the guest room, you can let Alexa handle the floor cleaning while you're busy with other things.
You can also use Alexa voice commands to control compatible smart robot vacuums (and robot mops). With a few spoken words, Amazon’s smart assistant can start/stop, pause/resume, and provide status/location updates for certain smart robot vacuums.
4. Check the laundry
If you have a washer and dryer connected to the internet, like the LG TurboWash 360 Smart Wi-Fi Steam Cycle Front-Load Washer, Alexa can give you status updates about the current cycle if you ask. LG also makes a Wi-Fi enabled dryer that offers the same Alexa voice control capabilities. Getting a voice check of how much time is left in the cycle is a really handy tool while you’re hustling through your weekend chores.
If you have a basic washer/dryer set that doesn’t connect to the internet, check out sound detection for Alexa routines. This is when you can use an Echo speaker, like the fourth-gen Echo, or smart display, like the second-gen Echo Show 5, to listen for beeping appliances, like your washer or dryer, and alert you to when the cycle is done. This can be via push notifications sent to your phone, as well as Alexa announcements on the Echo devices you want to receive them on.
5. Purify your indoor air quality
Don't overlook the status of your air quality. Keep it clean and clear with the Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor.
The surfaces in your home aren’t the only things that need to be cleaned—your indoor air does, too. Using an air purifier, a smart plug that works with Alexa, and the Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor, you can set up an Alexa Routine that automates the air cleaning process.
Routines are created by you in the Amazon Alexa app. Basically, the Routine tells Alexa to turn on the smart plug (which is plugged into the air purifier) when the monitor detects a drop in the indoor air quality. You can check the status of your indoor air quality any time in the app. Amazon’s indoor air quality monitor also supports Alexa Routines for your Alexa-enabled humidifiers, fans, and smart thermostats when your indoor air quality changes.
6. Get cleaning tips
Sometimes cleaning can be an obstacle, and some messes require you to think outside the box. Alexa is there for you when you have questions. You can ask things like “What’s the best DIY glass cleaner?”; “How do I remove grass stains from denim?”; and “How do I clean grout?” Alexa can help answer your questions and provide the cleaning tips you need to get the job done right.
7. Find out how to recycle materials in your area
An essential part of cleaning tends to be decluttering, which can often lead to more waste. Some items are just garbage, like used food wrappers, diapers, and paper towels that have chemicals on them, and most small plastics. But, many other items can be recycled in numerous ways depending on your local laws.
Alexa can help you discover what—and how—you can recycle items like cardboard, old electronic cords and chargers, and metals. She can also help you locate nearby clothing and furniture donation sites to get rid of your old stuff.
As you clean, consider ordering a rolling storage cart with individual trays to organize items like cords, batteries, and small metals to keep things together until it’s time to drop them off for recycling.
8. Check the weather for optimal outdoor cleaning
If you’re planning to get any cleaning done outside—or maybe you’ve got big plans out in the garden—check in with Alexa about the upcoming forecast. Nothing is worse than tidying up outside when a random rainstorm or strong gusts of wind blow through, negating all of your hard work.
Before you start sprucing up your landscaping or cleaning the patio furniture, ask Alexa to find out whether or not the forecast will cooperate while you clean.
While Alexa can help your home stay tidy, don't forget to clean your smart speakers and displays properly.