Xiaomi Smart Home - Where to Start?

Would you like to introduce a little automation into your home, but you do not know how to do it? Xiaomi's Smart Home system may seem complicated at first glance. You need to know what are the possibilities offered by the data of the device, how they communicate with others. I will present basic information about the system, how to start your adventure.

Unfortunately, in the Xiaomi ecosystem, everything is not clear, some things work, some have a regional blockade and only work in China. At the moment, Xiaomi's Smart Home is mainly geared towards the Chinese market, but it is coming out more and more, an example may be big smart vacuum cleaner which already speaks English. Xiaomi is not the producer of all its products, it often finances start-ups from crowdfunding platforms. Sometimes, twin products, mostly seen on the example of cameras, do not work with the MiHome app, which is the heart of virtually everything from Xiaomi. At MiHome, we virtually add and manage all Xiaomi devices, creating links between them. Yeelight light bulbs and lamps are already Yeelight application level, however, we can still create scenes with other Xiaomi devices in the Mi Home app.

Differentiation of devices

Xiaomi devices combine in three ways:

Bluetooth - you cannot create scenes from the communicating device via Bluetooth

Wifi - we can connect from anywhere on the earth if only the device to which the device is connected has an internet connection.

ZigBee - the devices are connected to ports, the so-called Gateway and the gateway connects to the router and we can also control from anywhere in the field. However, without a gateway, devices that communicate with Zigbee will be useless. Zigbee devices are powered by a battery, and through the use of this transmission, the battery lasts a year or two. A very energy efficient connection.

I created three lists, in which there is a list of all devices communicating in a certain way:

Bluetooth devices

WiFi devices

Zigbee devices.

If a device is missing please let me know in the comment, I will add.

When you log in to the Mi Home app for the first time, you must select Region. Probably the majority of the choice of American or Chinese bushes will choose the United States. You must choose China, By choosing the United States, some devices will not be displayed at all. If you are only interested in, for example, Yeelight bulbs, after selecting the Singapore location, we will be able to associate the bulbs with the IFTTT.com portal. The door has a built-in lamp and a radio, the radio has only Chinese radio stations by default, but a very simple way you can also add polish.

The two most important rules of Xiaomi Smart Home, we choose the location of China and a gateway is required for Zigbee devices.

The Five Criteria to Choose The Best Vacuum Cleaner

Many people may be puzzled at how to choose the best one when they are choosing the first vacuum cleaner. Therefore, we are here to share some tips with you. Please read it patiently, and you will get the technique about choosing the best vacuum cleaner.

Suction power: to suck carpet and carpets

The first criterion to take into account when choosing your smart vacuum cleaner: its suction power or using power. Especially if you have rooms with carpeting and you spend your time sucking hair and dog hair! To calculate the useful power, the two indicators taken into account are the vacuum (the ability of your device to take off the dust from the ground) and the air flow (how quickly it carries it to the bag). The higher these are, the more powerful and efficient your vacuum cleaner will be.

A silent vacuum!

Vacuum Sunday morning without waking the whole house? It is possible today with more and more silent devices. So be attentive to the decibels. In fact, 3 dB less than a smart vacuum cleaner twice as noisy! Note that the quietest vacuums on the market now have a sound level of 70 dB.

The capacity of the bag: how many m² at your place?

Other data to take into account: the surface of your home. It is she who will determine the capacity of the bag. Indeed, your needs are not the same depending on whether you live in a studio or a house. From 80m ², the capacity of the bag must be at least 4 liters if you do not want to change the bag of your vacuum too often. Less than 50m²? A bag of 2 liters is enough.

Sensitive to dust? Choose HEPA filters

If you are allergic to dust or asthma, be careful about the quality of the filters used. You must choose a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filters, which retain up to 99.95% of dust particles and dust mites. Note: HEPA filters 13 and 14 are comparable to filters used in hospitals.

At each floor, its brush!

For optimum suction, the quality of the brushes is another essential criterion. Know that manufacturers now offer a range of accessories to adapt to each type of soil, the classic brush two positions one for hard floors (parquet, tiles, linoleum) and the other for carpets. Some models also come with a parquet brush that sucks the dust without risk of scratches. For carpets and rugs, use the turbo brush, especially if you have a pet. Other interesting accessories: the flat suction nozzle to suck the fabrics (curtains and cushions) or the long nozzle to suck skirting boards and places difficult to access.

Finally, wish you can choose your best vacuum cleaner with this article. If any question, please tell us in the comment and we will try to help you solve the problem. Now have your try!

How to Clean the Vacuum Cleaner Bag Easily?

When the vacuum cleaner no longer sucks well it is, in most cases, because it is full of dust and dirt. So we have to remove the bag and replace it with another one while we clean the previous one. To avoid accidents and spread the dust throughout the house, we will tell you how to clean the vacuum bag easily.

Tips for cleaning the vacuum cleaner bag

Depending on the brand of the vacuum cleaner, it may still suck the dust correctly even with half the bag full of debris, but if the dirt covers two-thirds of the bag, the vacuum cleaner may stop fulfilling its function at full power.

To clean bags of vacuum cleaners, first, we will open the deposit of the bag and extract it trying not to water the dust around us. It is best to have a waste bag on hand to put the vacuum cleaner bag inside and throw away the waste.

It is advisable to clean the garbage bags in an open place, away from the house or furniture that could be damaged. And please, do not do it near where you have clean clothes hanging drying in the sun!

If the bag of the smart vacuum cleaner is paper and is not badly damaged, we can use it again so we will put it back in its compartment; otherwise, we will replace the paper bag of the vacuum cleaner with a new one.

In case of having an older vacuum cleaner model and a cloth bag, we can wash the vacuum cleaner bag with soap and water after shaking the waste inside a waste bag. Before washing the bag we have to be sure that the fabric of the bag is in conditions to withstand a hand wash.

When we re-adjust the bag in its compartment, we must make sure that all the insurances are well placed and the bag is placed according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the vacuum cleaner.

In Total Home, we also teach you to extend the life of household appliances and remove dust from the house effectively.

Part 2: The Complete Guide to Choose a Broom Vacuum Cleaner

Its maneuverability

A broom vacuum is always more manageable than a vacuum cleaner. But some are more manageable than others. The Dyson brooms are for example what is done best at handling thanks to the Ball technology.

How to know if a broom vacuum is handy? You can watch our tests   because we always specify this point but you can also read the user reviews . If a vacuum cleaner is not easy to handle, they do not hesitate to say it.

You can also watch his weight especially if you have a floor to climb. The suction head must also be mobile for more maneuverability.

Filtration of a broom vacuum cleaner

Filtration is a point to look for when choosing a broom vacuum. Preferably opt for a HEPA 13 filter or a HEPA filter. You will have a vacuum cleaner with optimal filtration and with a healthy air of rejection. If you have asthma, do not skip this criterion.

Floor type and accessories

Not all broom vacuum cleaners are suitable for all types of floors. In general, this point is specified by the manufacturer. User reviews can also tell you if this or that model is not great for carpets, for example.

The accessories make a broom vacuum can go on hard ground, fragile soil or carpet. For example, a motorized brush is essential for carpets and rugs. A triangular brush will be perfect for going into corners and corners.

With a hand vacuum or not

Most broom vacuum cleaners also have a handheld smart vacuum cleaner but this should be checked before choosing a smart vacuum cleaner. The table vacuum allows you to suck the car seats , the steps of a staircase or the crumbs on the table or animal hair on the sofa .

The capacity of the tank

The larger the capacity of the collector, the less you have to empty it. This is not a very important criterion but if you do not like to clean your vacuum cleaner, you have to take it into account.

Other criteria to consider

Here are the other criteria that you must consider according to your needs, your preferences or your budget:

The LEDs on the brush: they allow you to see when you vacuum under a piece of furniture.

The parking position: it allows you to store your vacuum easily and saves you space.

The price: you'll find cheap broom vacuum cleaners like high-end broom vacuum cleaners. If you intend to use it as a main vacuum, it is better to put the price!

Conclusion

So normally if you take our criteria into account, choosing a broom vacuum has become simple. The important thing is first to define your uses (vacuum cleaner or main), to look at the autonomy and maneuverability. These are the most important criteria with suction power.

Part 1: The Complete Guide to Choose a Broom Vacuum Cleaner

Broom vacuums have been relegated for years to the radius of vacuum cleaners. It is true that they were not really powerful and not at all manageable. But that was before!

Today, broom vacuum cleaners are a shading sled vacuum and many models can be used as a vacuum cleaner thanks to their suction power.

Their success is such that they come in dozens of models and make his choice becomes the obstacle course. This is why we made a comparison of the best vacuum cleaners of the moment.

But to help you choose your broom vacuum cleaner, we decided to give you all the criteria to take into account. So how to choose a broom vacuum? Here are all our tips and tricks!

Its suction power

The suction power is, of course, a very important criterion because it determines the efficiency of your smart vacuum cleaner. In the majority of cases, the manufacturer will indicate the electric power of the motor (thus its power consumption) and the useful power which is the real power of the engine and therefore its suction power.

It is, therefore, important to know the useful power of the smart vacuum cleaner that you want. But few manufacturers indicate it. Our advice is to watch the voltage of the battery that equips the vacuum cleaner. It is between 12 and 24 V. The higher the number, the stronger your vacuum cleaner.

The battery of your broom vacuum cleaner

Most broom vacuum cleaners are wireless and therefore battery powered. You have to watch which battery equips the broom vacuum you want. NiMh batteries are the most common because the cheapest. If you want a vacuum cleaner, it must be equipped with such a battery. But beware, they are heavier and much longer to recharge.

A broom vacuum with a Lithium-Ion battery is the must. It is lighter and recharges faster. Vacuums equipped with them are therefore more expensive.

Autonomy and charging time

As we have just seen, broom vacuum cleaners are mainly equipped with the battery. You will, therefore, depend on its autonomy. This criterion depends on the use you make of your vacuum cleaner.

If you use it only occasionally as an auxiliary vacuum, a range of about twenty minutes is sufficient. For use as the main vacuum, you need at least 30 minutes of autonomy.

Also, remember to watch the charging time. Some recharge in 3 hours while for others, they need more than 10 hours. This is particularly the case with NiMh batteries.

How to Choose an Animal Vacuum Cleaner?

When one is confronted with certain particular situations, one also needs adapted equipment to overcome them. Therefore, if you make the company of cats and dogs and your living room stinks hair of these animals, you need a specific vacuum cleaner.

An animal vacuum cleaner would be ideal, but which one to choose? We looked at the question to offer you the best after the tests.

The capabilities of a vacuum cleaner

The choice of a smart vacuum cleaner necessarily goes through the search for a vacuum cleaner model of good performance. The pet vacuum cleaner is also subject to the same principle for an excellent choice. The indications on these performances are mentioned on the energy label of the device and provide information on the quality or the performances of the device.

Recent models of vacuum cleaners and especially models designed from 2018 are labeled. It is, therefore, an opportunity for novices also to make an excellent choice of smart vacuum cleaner without having solid notions in the field. Whether carpets, carpets, hard floors and other surfaces, the performance classes are represented from A to G.

The accessories

In terms of choice criteria, performance alone is not enough. Therefore, a good vacuum cleaner is a good performance vacuum cleaner equipped with essential accessories. Here, the brushes are elements whose absence would make the vacuum cleaner inefficient. Thus, the presence of a turbo brush can effectively pick up all the hair left by your dog or cat. With regard to the turbo-brushes, there are mainly two of which large turbo-brushes for large surfaces and mini turbo-brushes used to suck the hairs of carpets, blankets, bedspreads, cushions for mention only these surfaces.

Filtration

Having a smart vacuum cleaner equipped with a good filter is a characteristic that should not be overlooked. Especially to avoid allergies and asthma attacks, the presence of a filter allows you to have a healthy and purified air.

Therefore, in the criteria of choosing a vacuum cleaner, you are strongly recommended to opt for a vacuum cleaner with the A note equipped with a HEPA filter. It's the best of all available filters. It can capture even fine waste up to a proportion of 0.0003 mm available in the air. HEPA filters are evaluated on 3 different indices: 10, 12 and 13. The higher this index, the better the filtration. If you are a little demanding in your research, know that some models are equipped with an anti-odor filter.

3 Must-Have Xiaomi Gadgets You Should Consider Buying

Today we are going to talk about the must-have gadgets from Xiaomi every person should have.

1. The Second Generation Xiaomi Roborock S50 — The smartest Robot Vacuum Cleaner

What's-new in the second gen robot vacuum from Xiaomi

This vacuum cleaner doesn't need words because it describes itself just perfectly. It is a smart device that could clean any carpeting surface (except high pile carpet) and it mops as well. Equipped with 13 sensors and a smart navigation system that helps the smart vacuum cleaner to clean more efficiently. It is the most powerful (2000 Pa suction power) robot vacuum cleaner so far having a 5200 mAh battery capacity with the ability to work for 2.5 hours or about 250 square meters (2700 sq. ft) of the house area.

2. Mi Smart Weight Scale — a smart way to measure your body data

The scale looks pretty good. Its got glass on the top and it's all white on the bottom we have a plastic and some rubber fit. It comes with kilograms and pounds units selection depends on what metric you're used to. On the top, we have a small display that lights up when you step on the scale and it gets brighter or deeper depending on how much light there is in the room. The app shows your weight results in real time so you don't need to bend down to check it. High-precision G-shaped sensors track even the smallest changes in your weight. Works with 4*AA batteries.

The app supports to save up to 16 people profiles. The scale uses advanced BIA technology to analyze a number of important parameters including body weight, BMI, bone mass, body water, muscle mass, basal metabolism, body fat rate, visceral fat level, figure, and body score.

The mi fit app allows you to see the progress you've done, the last time you stepped on it and many other cool things to control your body data all the time.

3. Mi Air Purifier 2 — the smart way to breathe

A minimalist design with only 1 button on top to switch modes and 1 button on the back to dim the light.

360-degree barrel HEPA filter that Xiaomi recommends to change it every 4-6 months which you will be informed by the Home app. A LED indicator changes its color from green to red depends on how clean the air is.

Xiaomi air purifier is designed with minimalism and matches with anything in your house and that's why we love Xiaomi so much

The app will show you the PM2.5 estimate, the room temperature, humidity, filter condition, when to change the HEPA filter, running time and amount of clean air delivered, change a name and set up time when you want your purifier to work. The PM2.5 shows the amount of even the smallest fine particle ones in the air to penetrate it deeper into the lags. Also, the Mi Home app allows to turn on/off the device and change modes:

A moon mode is a quiet sleep mode, the air puffer runs out in its lowest level.

The boost mode works on its higher level to clean the air in double-quick time. It takes just 12 minutes to fully clean the air in a room.

Auto mode detects current air quality thanks to a built-in sensor and automatically detects which mode to switch to. When the puffer decides that the air is bad it switches to high-level mode automatically to purify the air at an escalated rate.

What is the best feature of purifier from Xiaomi? The device can detect the source of the problem on its own. Whether it's an open window, a sensor that needs cleaning, a loose filter element or a fan that's stuck, Mi Air Purifier will automatically detect the problem and notify you through your phone.