I have an earlier model too, and since its retirement, has switched to automatic, with some fancy and useful add-ons. It not only hangs out the washing, it loads the machine and turns it on beforehand. It has claimed territorial rights to the floors, but it has no feature for bathrooms or dusting, so that's my domain. This wondrous machine also cleans the kitchen after I've cooked, a function I will not surrender, but it has claimed the barbecue as its domain. Tends to rev into overdrive sometimes, though.