How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean
Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Depending on the model, they can also sweep, mop and even vacuum staircases.
Find models with smart features, such as remote access and app control. Apps can be used to schedule cleaning sessions and monitor progress. Some apps can even stop and recharge, then return to 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 ensure it's running smoothly.
The most important factor in the longevity of your robot is the cycle of discharge and charge. Keep the dustbin full and empty. Be sure to check for furs that have become tangled and stop the brushes from jamming.
The environment that your robot is stored may influence 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 charged to 50% prior to storage, storing it in a cool place, and taking it off of sources of power when not in use. Most smart devices also have periodic firmware updates that help optimize performance and battery optimization. Check the app to see if there are any updates.
If you have many hard floors, a robotic vacuum is an excellent option. It's able to swiftly and efficiently remove loose dirt and debris and leave your floors sparkling clean. If you want more than a quick clean-up, look for a model with superior navigation and obstacles avoidance.
Our top-rated robot is the Ecovacs Deebot T20, blends advanced navigation and strong suction and a range of mopping features to offer a thorough, deep clean of your hard floors. It uses cameras and LiDAR sensors to create detailed maps of your home, which helps it stay on the right path and avoid getting stuck on furniture legs or power cords. It can also detect items like shoes and clutter, and then clean them up. It's also self-emptying so you don't have to return it to its base to empty the trash after every cleaning session.
2. Dust Bin
Robots are ideal for quick midweek clean-ups however they don't have the suction capacity to replace a plug-in vacuum cleaner for deep cleans. Even the top robot vacuums are susceptible to becoming entangled in cords and toys. They also tend to overlook dirt piles near baseboards and struggle to get rid of dust from under furniture. Their onboard dust bins fill up so quickly that they must return to their charging docks in order to self-empty, which can take as long as half an hour for some models.
It is important to choose a robot vacuum with an ample dust bin that can be emptied into the dock without having to return to complete the task. You'll also want to consider whether you'd prefer a bagged or bagless model If you decide to choose a bagless model what amount of dust will it hold before it needs to be emptied.
In our tests we apply 100 grams of sand to the carpet in a medium pile and use a robot vacuum to vacuum it over the surface. We then weigh the amount of sand that we find in the vacuum's onboard dust bin to determine the amount dirt it has collected. A high volume of dirt suggests that the onboard bin may fill up more quickly and may force your robot to pause its cleaning cycle, or worse, stop working altogether.
The positive side is that many premium robot vacuums feature a large dustbin which is easily empty and you can set up them to empty into their bases at least once per day or more. It's recommended to keep a can of compressed air handy to blow out hairs that are tangled in the rotating brush. Also, clean any filters as suggested by the manufacturer.
3. Wi-Fi Connectivity
The top robot vacuums come with 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 through an app or voice commands. Although not necessary, this feature offers convenience and personalization features that improve your overall robot vacuuming experience.
To ensure they're running at their best, most models require a certain amount of maintenance. For example, emptying the dustbin and cleaning the brushroll. Regularly cleaning, detaching and examining consumable parts will also extend their lifespan. Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin at University Vacuum & Sewing says three to five years is the standard life expectancy of a robot vacuum, though it can differ significantly based on the frequency you use it and if you take care to maintain it in a proper manner.
To function the robot vacuum, it needs to be able to map out your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems usually include sensors for cliffs that alert the robot to a steep drop and optical and laser sensors that allow it to "see" a room's layout. robot vacuums best Robot Vacuum Mops have mopping functions that are specifically designed for them, which can be useful to keep floors clean between deeper cleanings with an upright vacuum.
The most efficient 2-in-1 robots mop and vacuum, allowing you to avoid the hassle of having to switch between a robot and a manual vacuum. One of the best examples is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and highly efficient robot vacuum that can clean up surfaces using its water tank and wash the mop pad in a way that is automatic. Its superior mapping and obstacle-avoidance skills made it the best robot vacuum award, as well as an AVTech Editors Choice award.
4. Cleaning Patterns
The top robot vacuums we tested in our tests have outstanding performance on carpets with a low pile and hard floors and remove dust, dirt and pet hair. They also sweep away dust and crumbs from the edges of rooms and along baseboards. However, they are unable to eliminate deep down dirt or tangles in the carpet's shag carpet as well as an upright or canister vacuum. They are also unable to pick up spilled food and liquids or heavy screws and they could miss a few areas of the home (including under furniture).
Many models come with sophisticated 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 be integrated with your smart home system, so that you can use voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Certain models come with multiple modes that let you choose between mopping, sweeping and vacuuming. They can also return to their docks for a recharge and pick up the area they left.
The technology for avoiding obstacles has improved over the years, but it is still necessary to remove cords, toys and pet mess before you run the robot. You should also cover any mirrors from floor to ceiling with cardboard before tracing the room for the first time, because the laser used by certain models may bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to bump into the floor or wall.
Some of the top models utilize lidar to create 3D maps of your space. This helps the robot to recognize obstacles and devise an efficient route around them. Some allow you to define no-go zones, so the robot will not be able to enter certain areas, such as your pet's food bowls, or an expensive rug.
5. App Control
Many robots let you create a schedule to clean and operate them without hands using an app, which means you can keep your home clean when you're at work or away. Certain robots are also able to self-empty into a larger bin at the base of their machine which helps reduce dust re-release and is a great feature for allergy sufferers.
Certain robots, like the more expensive Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, can detect objects on the floor and use a camera to coach them to stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs, power cords or pet toys. This is a remarkable feature and is even available in cheaper models. It's crucial to regularly empty the dustbin of your robot and look for hairs that have become tangled as they accumulate.
A high-end model can also store multiple floor plans, which are beneficial if you live in more than one level, and some can create 3D representations of your home. You can choose specific rooms and create digital "keep-out" zones to ensure your robot only is cleaning the areas you want.
Robots are great for midweek cleaning, but they aren't able to replace a plug-in vacuum cleaner, especially when it concerns rugs. They are better in removing dirt from carpet than plain flooring, but can still not pick up piles close to baseboards and thresholds as well as knotted cords and socks. To get the most out of your robot, choose a model with spots and zone cleaning options to target specific areas and reduce the need for cleaning. You can also find a model that recharges and resumes where it left off which is an enormous benefit for a house with a lot of rooms.