How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean

Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Based on the model, they can also sweep, mop, and even vacuum staircases.

Look for models that include smart features such as remote control and app control. You can use apps to schedule cleaning sessions and keep track of progress. Some even allow you to suspend, recharge and resume where they were when they left.

1. Battery Life

It's safe to say that future of cleaning has arrived. With cars that drive independently, drones that fly through the air and robot vacuums that can maneuver around furniture in a snap It is safe to say that the future is now here. However, like all technology it needs some care to keep it running smoothly.

The battery's charge-discharge cycles are the most crucial factor in the life of your robot. Keep the dustbin filled and empty. Check for tangled furs and keep the brushes from getting jammed.

The conditions the robot is kept can affect the performance of your battery. Extreme cold and heat may impact the battery's performance. You can prolong the battery's life by ensuring it's fully charged prior to storage, storing in an environment that is cool and removing it from sources of power when it is not in use. The majority of smart devices also come with periodic firmware updates which can optimize performance and battery optimization. Check the app to see if there's any updates.

For those with a lot of hard floors, a robot vacuum is an excellent option. It will remove dirt and debris quickly and efficiently, leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for more than a simple clean-up, you'll want consider a model that offers superior navigation and obstacle avoidance.

Our top-rated robot is the Ecovacs Deebot T20, blends advanced navigation with a powerful suction and a variety of mopping functions to provide a thorough, deep clean of your floors. It makes use of cameras and LiDAR sensors to create precise maps of your home, which helps it stay on track and avoid getting stuck on furniture legs or power cords. It can also detect items like shoes and clutter, and then clean them up. And it's self-emptying, meaning that you don'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 however, they lack the suction capacity to replace the power of a plug-in vacuum cleaner when it comes to deep cleans. Even the most powerful robotic vacuums can be prone to getting tangled in cords and toys. They can also ignore dirt piles in the vicinity of the baseboards, and struggle to eliminate 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 choose a vacuum with a large dust bin that can be emptied into its dock and not return to finish the job. You'll need to decide if you prefer bags or a model that is bagless. If you decide to go with the bagless model you'll need to know how much dust it will hold before you have to empty it.

In our tests, we apply 100 grams of sand on an area of medium-pile carpet and use a robot vacuum to sweep it across the carpet. We then weigh the amount of sand we find in the onboard dust bin to determine the amount dirt it has accumulated. A large amount suggests that the bin onboard may fill up faster and force your robot to stop cleaning.

The good robot vacuum news is that a lot of high-end robot vacuums have a large dust bin that can easily be emptied and you can even schedule them to empty their bases at least once per day or more. Keep a can of compressed air nearby to blow away any hairs that are tangled in the rotating brush and to clean the filters in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Wi-Fi Connectivity

The best robot vacuum cleaners reviews vacuums offer various connectivity options to connect to your home's Wi-Fi network. This lets the robot update its software and provides you with the possibility of monitoring your robot via an app or voice commands. This isn't a necessity, however it provides convenience and customization options that can enhance the overall robot vacuuming experience.

Most models require some level of regular maintenance, like emptying the dust bin or cleaning the brush roll, to ensure they are operating at peak efficiency. Regularly cleaning, detaching and examining consumable components will also increase the life of their components. Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin at University Vacuum & Sewing says that three to five years is the typical lifespan of a robot vacuum, though this can vary significantly depending on the frequency you use it and whether you take care to maintain it properly.

A robot vacuum has to be able to navigate obstacles and map your floor in order to function. Advanced navigation systems include sensors for cliffs, which warn the bot of steep drops. They also have optical and laser sensors to help it "see" the arrangement of rooms. Certain robots also have mopping functions that are specifically designed for them that can be helpful for keeping floors clean between deeper cleanings with an upright vacuum.

The most effective 2-in-1 robots mop and vacuum making it possible to bypass the need to switch between a robot and a manual vacuum. A prime example is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and highly efficient robot vacuum that can clean surfaces with its water tank and wash the mop pad automatically. Its top-quality mapping and obstacle-avoidance skills made it the best Robot vacuum best vacuum award, and an AVTech Editors' Choice award.

4. Cleaning Patterns

The top robot vacuums we tested had impressive pick-up scores on hard floors and low pile carpets. They remove dust, dirt and pet hair. They also take out particles and crumbs along the baseboards and along the edges of rooms. But they can't get rid of deep down dirt or tangles of the carpet's shag carpet as well as canister or upright vacuums. They also can't pick up spilled liquids and food, or screws made of heavy metal and they could be unable to reach certain areas of the house (including under furniture).

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

The technology for avoiding obstacles has improved in recent years, but you must still clear out any cords, toys and pet messes prior running the robot. Before you map out the room, you'll want to cover all ceiling-to-floor mirrors with cardboard. The lasers employed by some models can bounce off reflective surfaces causing the robot to bump against the wall or floor.

Certain models that are top of the line use lidar to create 3D maps of your space. This helps the robot to remember obstacles and plan an efficient route around them. Some robots let you create no-go zones to ensure that the robot vacuums with mop avoids certain areas, for example, your pet's bowls of food or an expensive rug.

5. App Control

You can set up an agenda for cleaning and control the robots using an app. This lets you take care of your home while you're working or away on vacation. Certain robots are also able to self-empty into a larger bin at the base of their machine, which reduces dust release and is an excellent feature for allergy sufferers.

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

Some models can also create 3D representations. This is beneficial when you have multiple floors. You can choose specific rooms and create digital "keep-out" zones to ensure your robot only cleans the areas you'd like.

Robots are great for routine midweek clean-ups but they're not able to substitute for a large-sized vacuum, particularly for carpets. They are better at removing dirt from carpets than bare flooring, but can still 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 options to focus on specific areas and avoid wasteful cleaning. You'll also find a model that recharges and then resumes where it left off, which is a major benefit for a house with a lot of rooms.