How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean

Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Based on the model, they can also sweep or mop stairs.

Look for models with advanced features, such as remote access and app control. Apps can be used to plan cleaning sessions and track the progress. Some can even pause, recharge and pick up where they stopped.

1. Battery Life

With cars that drive themselves drones that can navigate the skies and robot vacuums that swiftly move around furniture, it's safe claim that the future of home cleaning is here. Like all technologies there is a need for some maintenance to ensure it's running smoothly.

The cycle of charge and discharge for the battery is the most crucial factor in the life of your robot. Make sure the dustbin is full and empty. Check for tangled furs and keep the brushes from clogging.

Another aspect to consider is the environment in which your robot is kept, as extreme temperatures and cold can impact the battery's performance. You can prolong the lifespan of your robot's battery by charging it to 50% and storing it in a cool place. Also, Robot Vacuum cleaner best disconnect it from the power source when it is not using it. The majority of smart devices also come with periodic firmware updates that can improve performance and optimize battery. Check the app to check if there are any updates.

For those who have a lot of hard floors, a robotic cleaner and mop vacuum is an excellent option. It will remove dirt and debris quickly and efficiently and leave your floors sparkling. If you want more than just a quick clean-up, look for a model with superior navigation and obstacle avoidance.

Our top-rated robot is the Ecovacs Deebot T20, blends advanced navigation with a powerful suction and a wide range of mopping functions to provide an extensive, thorough clean of your floors. It uses LiDAR cameras and sensors to create precise maps of your home. This helps it keep its course and avoid getting stuck in furniture legs or power cables. It can also identify items like shoes and clutter, and clean around them automatically. And it's self-emptying, meaning you won't have to return the vacuum back to its base station to empty its bin after each cleaning session.

2. Dust Bin

Robots are excellent for quick midweek cleaning, but they don't have the suction capacity to replace an electric vacuum cleaner for deep cleans. Even the most powerful robotic vacuums are prone to getting caught in cords and toys. They also tend to overlook dirt piles near baseboards and struggle to remove dust from under furniture. The dust bins onboard are filled quickly that they need to go back to their charging stations to empty themselves. This can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes for some models.

Therefore, it's crucial to select a vacuum that has a big dust bin that can be emptied into its dock without having to return to finish the job. You'll want to decide whether you prefer bagged models or a one that doesn't have a bag. If you choose the bagless option, you'll need to know how much dust it will hold before you can empty it.

In our experiments, we put 100 grams of sand to a medium-pile carpet surface and used a robot vacuum cleaner to remove the sand. The amount of sand that is weighed in the dust bin onboard allows us to measure the amount dirt that has been collected. A large amount of dirt suggests that the bin onboard could be filled up faster and may force your robot to stop its cleaning cycle or, even worse, stop working altogether.

The positive side is that many premium robot vacuums feature an enormous dust bin which is easily empty and you can set up them to empty their bases at least once per day or more. Keep a can with compressed air in your bag to blow away hairs that have gotten caught up in the rotating brush and to clean any filters according to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Wi-Fi Connectivity

The best robot vacuums have various options for connecting to your home's WiFi network. This allows the robot to update its software and provides you with the possibility of monitoring your robot via an app or voice commands. This feature is not essential but it does provide convenience and options for customization that can improve the overall robot vacuuming experience.

The majority of models require some form of regular maintenance, like emptying the dust bin or cleaning the brush roll to ensure that they function at their peak performance. Keeping tabs on consumable parts and following a regular schedule of cleaning and detachment will increase their lifespan as well. Emily Rairdin, a automatic vacuum cleaner and mop expert at University Vacuum & Sewing, says that a robot's lifespan expectancy is between three and five years. However, this can differ based on how often you use it and if you take care to maintain it.

A robot vacuum must be able navigate obstacles and determine the floor's layout in order to be able to perform. Advanced navigation systems incorporate cliff sensors that alert the robot to steep drops. They also have laser and optical sensors that allow it to "see" the arrangement of a room. Some robots also have a specialized mopping function that can be helpful to keep floors clean between deep cleanings using an upright vacuum.

The most effective 2-in-1 vacuums also mop. This means you don't need to switch between the robot vacuum and manual vacuum. One of the best examples is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and efficient robot vacuum that can also clean surfaces with its water tank and wash the mop pad automatically. Its mapping and obstacle avoidance capabilities were so impressive that it was awarded the the CR's Best Robot vacuum Award, along with an AVTech Editors Choice Award.

4. Cleaning Patterns

The top robot vacuums we test have excellent pickup scores on hard floors as well as low pile carpets. They remove dirt, dust and pet hair. They also get rid of debris and crumbs from the baseboards as well as at the edges of rooms. They can't remove deep-seated dirt or tangles of plush shag fibers such as an upright or a canister. They can't pick-up spilled liquids, food, or heavy metal screws. They can also miss certain areas (including under furniture).

Many models have clever features that make them more user-friendly. They typically come with an app, allowing you to schedule cleaning sessions and control the robot remotely. They can be integrated with your smart-home system to allow voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have different modes that allow you to choose between mopping and sweeping or vacuuming. They can return to their docks to recharge and continue cleaning the area they left.

The technology for avoiding obstacles has improved over years, but it's still necessary to remove cords, toys and any pet clutter before operating the robot. You'll also want to cover any floor-to-ceiling mirrors with cardboard before tracing the room for the first time since the lasers used by certain models may bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot Vacuum best to bump into a wall or floor.

Certain models that are top of the line use lidar to create 3D maps of your space. This allows the robot to remember obstacles and plan the most efficient route to avoid them. Some models also let you set no-go zones, so the robot is able to avoid certain areas, such as your pet's food bowls or a rug that is expensive.

5. App Control

Many robots allow you to create a schedule for cleaning and control their movements hands-free with an app, meaning you can keep your home clean while you're working or away. Some robots can also self-empty their debris into a huge bin at the base. This helps reduce dust release and is an excellent feature for allergy sufferers.

Some robots, like the more expensive Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, can even detect objects on the floor and employ a camera to instruct them to avoid obstacles such as furniture legs, power cords or pet toys. This is an impressive capability and is even offered in less expensive models. It's crucial to clean your robot's trash bin and check for hairs that have become tangled as they build up.

A high-end model is also able to store multiple floor plans, which are beneficial if you live in more than one level and some models can even create 3D representations of your home. You can then select specific rooms and set up digital zones for keeping out to ensure that your robot focuses on what you want it to focus on, rather than wandering into areas that don't require cleaning.

Robots are ideal for midweek cleaning, but they can't replace a plug-in vacuum cleaner particularly when it comes to rugs. They are more adept at picking up dirt from carpet than bare flooring, but they will be unable to find piles near baseboards or thresholds as well as knotted cords and socks. To get the most value from your robot, look for models with spots and zone cleaning modes to focus on specific areas and avoid wasteful cleaning. You'll also find a model that recharges and resumes the same place it left off, which is a major advantage in a big house.