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 smart features such as app control and remote access. Apps can be used to plan cleaning sessions and keep track of the progress. Some even allow you to suspend, recharge and 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 say the future of cleaning is here. As with all technology, some maintenance is required to ensure it's running smoothly.

The battery's charge-discharge cycles are the most crucial factor in the life of your robotic cleaner and mop device. Make sure the dustbin is full and empty. Check for tangled furs and stop the brushes from getting jammed.

Another aspect is the environment in which your robot is stored, as extreme cold and heat can affect the battery's performance. You can prolong the battery's life by ensuring it's fully charged prior to storage, storing it in an area that is cool, and taking it off of power sources when not in use. Most smart devices also have periodic firmware updates which can optimize performance and battery optimization. Check the app to check if there are any updates.

A robot vacuum is an excellent alternative for those with many hard floors. It is able to get rid of dirt and debris fast and efficiently, leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for more than a simple cleanup, you'll want to choose a model that has superior navigation and obstacles-avoiding capabilities.

Our top-rated robot, the Ecovacs Deebot T20, blends advanced navigation with an impressive suction system and a variety of mopping functions to provide an efficient, deep cleaning of your hard floors. It utilizes LiDAR cameras as well as sensors to create precise maps of your home. This helps it stay on course and avoid getting stuck in furniture legs or power cables. It also can detect objects like shoes and clutter to automatically clean them. It's also self-emptying, so you don't have to return it to its base to empty the bin after every cleaning session.

2. Dust Bin

Robots are good for quick midweek cleaning but lack the suction to replace a plug in vacuum cleaner for a thorough clean. Furthermore, even the top robot vacuums can be caught in cords and toys and miss piles of dirt near the baseboards, and struggle with crumbs that have fallen under furniture. Their dust bins onboard fill up quickly that they need return to their charging stations to empty themselves. This could take as long as 30 minutes for certain models.

It is essential to select a robot vacuum with a large trash bin that can be emptied into the dock without having to return to complete the job. You'll want to decide whether you prefer a bagged model or a one that doesn't have a bag. If you choose the bagless model, you'll need to know the amount of dust it can hold before you have to empty it.

In our tests, we apply 100 grams of sand onto an area of medium-pile carpet and use a robot vacuum to sweep it across the carpet. We then weigh the amount of sand in the vacuum's dust bin to determine the amount of dirt it has accumulated. A large amount of dirt indicates that the onboard bin may fill up more quickly and could force the robot to stop its cleaning cycle or even stop working altogether.

The good news is that a lot of premium robot vacuums feature an enormous dust bin that is easily empty and you can set up the emptying of their bases at least once per day or more. It is also a good idea to keep a container of compressed air in your bag to blow hairs out that are tangled in the rotating brush. You can also clean any filters as suggested by the manufacturer.

3. Wi-Fi Connectivity

The best robot vacuums offer a variety of connectivity options to connect to the Wi-Fi network in your home. This allows the robot to update its software and provides you with the option of monitoring your bot through an app or voice commands. While not essential it is a useful feature and personalization features that enhance your overall robot vacuuming experience.

Most models require some level of routine 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 parts will also extend their life. Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin at University Vacuum & Sewing says three to five years is the typical lifespan of a robot vacuum, though this can differ greatly based on how often you use it and if you maintain it properly.

In order to operate, a robot vacuum needs to be able to map your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems typically include cliff sensors that alert the robot to steep drops as well as optical and laser sensors that allow it to "see" a room's layout. Some robots have mopping functions that can be used to keep floors between deep cleanings by using a vacuum.

The best automatic vacuum 2-in-1 vacuums also mop. This means that you won't have to switch between an automatic vacuum and manual vacuum. One of the best examples is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and highly efficient robot vacuum that can also clean surfaces with its water tank and wash its mop pad automatically. Its top-quality mapping and obstacle-avoidance skills made it the best robot vacuum award, as well as an AVTech Editors choice award.

4. Cleaning Patterns

The best robot vacuums in our tests have impressive performance on carpets with low pile and hard floors and 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 remove deep-down dirt or tangles of the carpet's shag carpet and also canister or upright vacuums. They also can't pick up spilled liquids and food particles, or screws made of heavy metal, and they may leave a few spots in the home (including under furniture).

Many models come with clever features that make them more user-friendly. They typically have an app that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and manage the robot remotely. They also can be integrated with your smart-home system so you can use them with voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have 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.

The technology to avoid obstacles has advanced over the years, but it is still important to take away cords, toys and any pet mess before you run the robot. You should also cover any floor-to-ceiling mirrors with cardboard prior to tracing out the space for the first time since the lasers employed by certain models could bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to hit the floor or wall.

More premium models have advanced mapping capabilities, some using lidar to create an 3D map of your space. This allows the robot to remember obstacles and determine the most efficient route around them. Certain robots let you designate no-go zones so that the robot avoids certain areas, like your pet's bowls of food or an expensive rug.

5. App Control

Many robots let you create a schedule for cleaning and manage their movements hands-free with an app, so you can take care of your home when you're at work or away. Certain robots are also able to self-empty into a larger bin in their base which can reduce dust release and is an excellent feature for people suffering from allergies.

Some robots, such as the pricier Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, can detect objects on the floor and use a camera to coach them to stay clear of obstacles such as power cords, furniture legs or pet toys. This is an impressive capability that is available in cheaper models. It's essential to regularly empty the dustbin of your robot and examine it for fur that has become tangled as it gets accumulated.

A high-end model is also able to store multiple floor maps, which is useful if you live on more than one floor Some models also create 3D models of your house. You can then select specific rooms and set up digital zones for keeping out to ensure that your robot is focused on what you want it to focus on, rather than wandering into areas you don't need cleaning.

Robots are great for regular midweek cleanups, but they can't replace a full-size plug-in vacuum, especially on carpets. They're better at removing dirt that's embedded in carpet than plain floors, however they can still miss piles of debris near thresholds and baseboards, as well as cords and socks that are tangled. To get the most out of your robot, search for models that have zone and spot cleaning modes to target specific areas and reduce the need for cleaning. There are also models that can charge and resume the same place they stopped. This is great for large houses.