Charlotte Observer Logo

Fun ideas for Father’s Day | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

Allen Norwood

Fun ideas for Father’s Day

Allen Norwood

Real Estate

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 11, 2015 02:54 PM

I’ve been washing the house this week. Wetting down the siding, spraying on cleaning solution, letting it soak a bit, then rinsing it off with a strong blast from the hose.

That meant washing the windows, too, of course. The cleaning liquid spots the windows if I don’t squeegee the glass as I go. Letting the cleaning stuff dry on the glass only makes the job worse.

I took a break in the shade with a Diet Dr Pepper and considered what I’d like for Father’s Day.

Helpful public relations types always send out gift suggestions this time of year, and a release about an innovative product caught my eye. I promise I am not making this up: It’s a robot that washes windows.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

It’s called the WINBOT 7, and the manufacturer says you set it and forget about cleaning windows the old-fashioned way. Spray cleaning solution onto a microfiber pad on the front edge of the robot. The front pad scrubs, a squeegee on the robot’s belly removes dirt and liquid, then a rear microfiber pad wipes the window dry.

The release says you’ll find it at Amazon, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond and other retailers with prices starting at $349. Information: www.ecovacsrobotics.com.

The gizmo, about the size of a paperback book, holds to the window glass with a power suction vacuum.

In a YouTube video, it looks like a giant square beetle scuttling across the glass.

One reason to wash the house is to prepare the deck for staining.

I replaced some cracked and twisted boards last year, and slapped a quick coat of stain onto the new lumber. This year the entire deck will get a coat of semitransparent stain.

Just so happens that I received a release about a deck staining gadget, too. It’s the Renuvo deck stain application tool from Wagner SprayTech (www.wagnerspraytech.com).

It looks sort of like a carpet sweeper. Wagner says the tool allows deck owners to apply stain while standing up, instead of hunched over a brush. It holds a half-gallon of stain, so there’s no need to constantly dip a brush or roller.

A pad spreads the stain, and a groove brush applies stain between boards.

Renuvo handles oil- and water-based stains, and the user controls the flow with a trigger on the handle. Suggested price is $34.99.

The deck staining tool is a lot less expensive but, if anybody around here asks, I’m going to hold out for the window washing robot.

I’ll kick back in the shade with my Diet Dr Pepper and watch the electronic beetle scour the windows ...

While the Portacool Cyclone 1000 evaporative cooler lowers the temperature on the porch by as much 25 degrees! That’s what the release says, anyway. Learn more at www.portacool.com. Plug it in and cool up to 300 square feet of outdoor space!

Special to the Observer: homeinfo@charter.net

  Comments  

Videos

Mark Kingston on South Carolina baseball’s ‘big’ season-opening series win

Duke’s RJ Barrett talks triple-double against NC State

View More Video

Trending Stories

The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game was looking weak. Then some strong basketball saved it.

February 16, 2019 02:26 AM

The NFL reaches a settlement with Colin Kaepernick. And EVERYONE is talking about it

February 16, 2019 08:00 AM

A 6th grader asked a billionaire for tickets to the All-Star Game. His school got 30.

February 17, 2019 01:44 PM

Driver fatally shoots stranger who jumped on car hood, broke window in Charlotte

February 16, 2019 07:00 PM

Hornets rookie Miles Bridges’ Larry Johnson tribute not enough in slam-dunk contest

February 16, 2019 11:06 PM

things to do

Read Next

HGTV Asheville house is back on the market: $490K

Allen Norwood

HGTV Asheville house is back on the market: $490K

Allen Norwood

Correspondent

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 07, 2016 11:38 AM

It’s 2,205 miles from Poulsbo, Wa. to Asheville. That’s the online calculator distance. It’s far longer if you drive, or if you fly through out-of-the-way Dallas.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE ALLEN NORWOOD

Toilet bowl light is a colorful move

Allen Norwood

Toilet bowl light is a colorful move

March 31, 2016 01:54 PM

Allen Norwood

Why stains and paints are changing fast

March 24, 2016 02:20 PM

Allen Norwood

Buyers expected at home inspections

March 15, 2016 08:16 PM

Allen Norwood

Spring cleaning the roof can be a snap

March 02, 2016 09:50 AM

Allen Norwood

Homebuyers need to keep their eye on the big picture

February 25, 2016 11:02 AM

Allen Norwood

The new look for appliances: Black stainless steel

February 17, 2016 05:34 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story