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.

Find models that have smart features such as app control and remote access. Apps can be used to schedule cleaning sessions and keep track of progress. Some apps allow you to suspend and recharge, and then pick up where they were when they left.

1. Battery Life

With self-driving cars drones that fly through the skies, and robot vacuums that nimbly maneuver around furniture, it's safe to claim that the future of home cleaning is here. As with any technology, some maintenance is required to keep it running smoothly.

The most important aspect in the longevity of your robot is the cycle of discharge and charge. Keep the dust bin filled and empty, checking for hairs that have become tangled frequently and keeping the brushes from getting stuck will make your robot run more effectively.

The location that your robot is stored may influence the battery's performance. Extreme heat and cold can affect the battery's performance. You can extend the life of your battery by ensuring it is charged to 50% prior to storage, storing it in a cool place, and removing it from sources of power when it is not in use. The majority of smart devices also come with periodic firmware updates that can improve performance and optimize battery. Check the app to see if there's any updates.

A robot vacuum is an excellent option for those who have lots of hard flooring. It can remove dirt and debris quickly and efficiently leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for more than just a quick cleaning, you should search for a model that offers superior navigation and obstacle avoidance.

The Ecovacs T20 robot is our top-rated robot. It is a combination of advanced navigation, powerful suction, and a variety of mopping features to provide an efficient, thorough clean of your flooring. It utilizes cameras and LiDAR sensors to create precise maps of your home, which helps it stay on the right path and avoid getting stuck on furniture legs or power cords. It also can detect objects like clutter and shoes to automatically clean around them. It's also self-emptying so you don't need to return it to its base to empty the trash after each cleaning session.

2. Dust Bin

Robots are ideal for quick midweek cleaning but they aren't able to replace a plug-in vacuum cleaner for deep cleans. In addition, even the most powerful robotic vacuums can become tangled up in cords and toys and miss piles of dirt that are close to the baseboards, and have to contend with crumbs under furniture. The dust bins onboard are filled quickly, and they have to return to their charging stations to empty themselves. This could take as long as 30 minutes for some models.

Therefore, it's crucial to look for a robot vacuum that has a big dustbin that can be empty into its dock without having to return to finish the task. You'll need to decide if you prefer bagged models or a bagless one. If you opt for the bagless version, you'll need to know the amount of dust it can hold before you empty it.

In our experiments, we put 100 grams of sand onto carpet with a medium pile and utilized a robot vacuum cleaner to vacuum the sand off. Weighing the amount of sand in the vacuum's dust bin onboard lets us determine the amount of dirt that has been collected. A high volume of dirt indicates that the onboard bin may fill up more quickly and could force the robot to stop its cleaning process or even stop working completely.

The good news is that a lot of premium robot vacuums feature a large dustbin that is easily empty and you can even schedule them to empty into their bases at least once per day or more. Keep a can with compressed air in your bag to blow out any hairs that are tangled up in the rotating brush, and to clean the filters in accordance to the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

3. Wi-Fi Connectivity

The best robotic mop and vacuum robot vacuums offer a variety of connectivity options to connect with your home's Wi-Fi. This allows the robot to download and install updates for its software, and also giving you the option to monitor your robot via an app or via voice-activated commands. This feature isn't essential, however it provides convenience and options for customization that can enhance the overall robot vacuuming experience.

Most models require some level of regular maintenance, such as emptying the dust bin and cleaning the brush roll to ensure that they function at top performance. Keeping tabs on consumable parts and a regular schedule of cleaning and detachment can extend their lifespan as well. Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin at University Vacuum & Sewing says 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 if you take care to maintain it in a proper manner.

To function a robot vacuum, it has to be able to map your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems usually include sensors for cliffs that alert the bot to steep slopes, as well as laser and optical sensors that allow it to "see" a room's layout. Some robots come with mopping functions that can be used to maintain floors between deep cleanings using the use of a vacuum.

The most effective 2-in-1 robots mop and vacuum, allowing you to avoid the hassle of having to switch between two types of automatic vacuum and mop robot. One of the best examples is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and efficient robot vacuum that is able to clean surfaces with its water tank and wash its mop pad automatically. Its mapping and robot vacuum best obstacle avoidance skills were so good that it won CR's best robot cleaner robot vacuum Best Vacuum Award, as well an AVTech Editors' Choice Award.

4. Cleaning Patterns

The best robot vacuum that vacuums and mops vacuums we test have excellent pickup scores on hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. They get rid of dirt, dust and pet hair. They also remove debris and crumbs from the baseboards and at the edges of rooms. However, they are unable to remove deep-down dirt or tangles of soft shag carpets and also canister or upright vacuums. They also can't pick up spilled liquids and food, or heavy screws and they could be unable to reach certain areas of the house (including under furniture).

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

The technology to avoid obstacles has advanced over the years, but it's still essential to get rid of cords, toys, and pet mess before you run the robot. You should also cover any floor-to-ceiling mirrors with cardboard before mapping out the space for the first time because the laser employed by certain models could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to bump into the floor or wall.

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

5. App Control

You can create a schedule for cleaning and manage the robots through 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 in their base, which reduces dust release and is a great option for those suffering from allergies.

Certain robots can detect objects on the ground and employ cameras as a way to avoid obstacles such as power cords, furniture legs or pet toys. This impressive feature is available on cheaper models. It's crucial to clean your robot's dustbin and check for hairs that have become tangled when they begin to accumulate.

Some models can also create 3D representations. This is useful if you have multiple floors. You can then pick specific rooms and set digital keep-out zones to ensure that your robot stays focused on what you want it to do, instead of wandering around areas you don't need cleaning.

Robots are great for regular midweek clean-ups, but they can't substitute for a large-sized vacuum, particularly on carpets. They are better at removing dirt embedded in carpet than plain floors, however they can still miss piles of debris that are close to thresholds and baseboards as well as tangled socks and cords. To get the most value from your robot, choose a model with zone and spot cleaning modes to target specific areas and reduce the need for cleaning. You can also find a model that recharges and then resumes the same place it left off, which is a major advantage in a big house.