How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean
Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Depending on the model, they may also sweep, mop, and even vacuum staircases.
Find models with advanced features, such as remote access and app control. You can use apps to schedule cleaning sessions and keep track of the progress. Some apps allow you to stop and recharge, 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 say the future of cleaning is now here. As with all technology, some maintenance is required to keep it running smoothly.
The most important factor in the longevity of your robot is the battery's charge and discharge cycles. Keeping the dust bin full and empty, examining for hairs that are tangled regularly and keeping the brushes from getting jammed will all make your robot run more effectively.
Another aspect to consider is the environmental conditions where your robot is kept, as extreme temperatures and cold can impact battery performance. You can extend the battery's life by ensuring it is charged to 50% before storage, storing in an environment that is cool and taking it off of power sources when not in use. Additionally, most smart devices are equipped with periodic firmware updates that optimize performance, including battery optimization, so be sure to check the app for any available updates.
For those who have lots of hard floors, a robotic vacuum is a good choice. It's able to swiftly and efficiently take away dirt and other debris, leaving your floors sparkling clean. If you want more than 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 options to offer an efficient, thorough clean of your hard floor. It uses LiDAR cameras and sensors to create detailed maps of your home. This allows it to stay on course and avoid getting caught in furniture legs or power cables. It also can detect objects such as shoes and clutter to automatically clean them. It also self-empties so you don't need to return it to its base to empty the bin after each cleaning session.
2. Continue are excellent for quick midweek cleaning, but they don't have the suction power to replace the power of a plug-in vacuum cleaner when it comes to deep cleaning. Furthermore, even the top robot vacuums can be caught in cords and toys and snooze on piles of dirt near the baseboards, and struggle with crumbs that have fallen under furniture. Their dustbins onboard fill up so fast that they have to go back to their charging stations to empty themselves. This can take up to 30 minutes for certain models.
As such, it's important to choose a vacuum that has a large dust bin that can be emptied into its dock without returning to complete the job. You'll also want to consider whether you'd like a bagged or bagless model If you decide to choose a bagless option what amount of dust will it hold before it has to be emptied.
In our tests, we apply 100 grams of sand on an area of carpet with a medium pile and use a robot vacuum to sweep it across the carpet. Weighing the amount of sand in the bin of dust onboard lets us determine the amount dirt that has been accumulated. A high volume of dirt indicates that the bin onboard could be filled up faster and could force the robot to stop its cleaning cycle, or worse, stop working completely.
It's a good idea to know that most robot vacuums come with large dust bins that can be easily empty. You can also schedule that they empty their bases at least one or two times per day. Keep a container filled of compressed air nearby to blow out hairs that have become tangled up in the rotating brush, and to clean any filters in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
3. Wi-Fi Connectivity
The top robot vacuums provide many connectivity options to connect with your home's Wi-Fi network. This allows the robot to update its software and provides you with the option of monitoring your robot through an app or voice commands. While not essential, this feature offers convenience and personalization features that enhance the overall experience of robot vacuuming.
Most models require some level of regular maintenance, like emptying the dust bin or cleaning the brush roll to ensure that they function at top performance. A regular schedule of cleaning, detaching and checking consumable components will also increase the life of their components. Emily Rairdin, a vacuum expert at University Vacuum & Sewing, says that a robot's lifespan expectancy is between three and five years. However, it can differ based on how often you use it and if you maintain it properly.
To be able to function a robot vacuum, it has to be able to map out your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems typically 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. Certain robots also have a specialized mopping function which is useful for keeping floors clean between deep cleanings with the use of a stand-up vacuum.
The best 2-in-1 robots can mop and vacuum and sweep, which means you can bypass the need to switch between two types of vacuum. A prime example is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and efficient robot vacuum that can also clean up surfaces using its water tank and wash the mop pad automatically. Its high-quality mapping and obstacle-avoidance abilities made it the best robot vacuum award, and an AVTech Editors Choice award.
4. Cleaning Patterns
The best robot vacuums we tested had impressive pick-up scores on hard floors and low pile carpets. They get rid of dust, dirt and pet hair. They also get rid of crumbs and debris along the baseboards and along the edges of rooms. They can't remove deep-seated dirt or tangles of plush shag fibers like canisters or uprights. They aren't able to pick up spilled liquids and food items, or use the weight of metal screws. They may also miss certain areas (including under furniture).
Many models come with smart features that make them more user-friendly. The majority of models have an app that lets you schedule cleaning sessions, and remotely control the robot. They also can be integrated with your smart-home system, so you can use them via voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have multiple modes, allowing you to select between mopping and sweeping or vacuuming. They can recharge at their docks and continue cleaning the area they left.
Obstacle-avoidance technology has improved in recent years, however it is still necessary to clean out toys, cords, and pet messes prior running the robot. You'll also want to cover any mirrors that are floor-to-ceiling with cardboard prior to tracing out the room for the first time as the laser employed by certain models could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to crash 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 recognize obstacles and design the most efficient route around them. Some robots allow you to designate no-go zones so that the robot is able to avoid certain areas, like your pet's food bowls or a rug that is expensive.
5. App Control
You can create a schedule for cleaning and manage the robots through an app. This allows you to clean your home while you're at work or on vacation. Some robots will also empty their trash into a large bin at the base. This can reduce dust release and is a wonderful feature for people suffering from allergies.
Some robots, like the more expensive Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, can even detect objects on the floor and use a camera to coach them to avoid obstacles like furniture legs, power cords or pet toys. This is an impressive feature that is offered in less expensive models. It's crucial to clean your robot's dustbin and check for hairs that have become tangled when they begin to accumulate.
Certain models can also create 3D representations. This is useful if you have multiple floors. 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, instead of wandering around areas you don't need cleaning.
Robots are great for midweek cleanups however they aren't able to substitute for a full-sized plug-in vacuum, especially on rugs. They're better at picking up dirt that's embedded in carpet than floors that are unfinished, but they can still miss piles of debris close to baseboards and thresholds, and tangled socks and cords. Find a robot that has spot and zone cleaning modes. This will allow you to focus on specific areas without wasting time. There are also models that charge and resume where they stopped. This is great for homes with large rooms.