How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean
Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Depending on the model they can also sweep or mop stairs.
Look for models with innovative features like remote control and app control. You can use apps to schedule cleaning time or monitor progress. Some apps allow you to stop and recharge, then resume where they left off.
1. Battery Life
With self-driving cars drones that can navigate the skies and robot vacuums that swiftly move around furniture, it's safe to say the future of cleaning is now here. As with any technology there is a need for some maintenance to ensure it's running smoothly.
The battery's charge-discharge cycles are the most important aspect for the life of your robotic device. Keep the dustbin full and empty. Be sure to check for furs that have become tangled and stop the brushes from getting jammed.
The location the robot is kept can influence the battery's performance. Extreme cold and heat can affect battery performance. You can prolong the life of your battery by ensuring it is fully charged prior to storage, storing in an area that is cool, and taking it off of power sources when not in use. Furthermore, many smart devices have periodic firmware updates that improve performance, including battery optimization. So make 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 is able to take away dirt and debris quickly and efficiently leaving your floors sparkling. But if you're looking for more than a simple cleaning, you'll need to consider a model that offers superior navigation and obstacles-avoiding capabilities.
Our top-rated robot The Ecovacs Deebot T20, combines advanced navigation, a powerful suction and a range of mopping features to offer a thorough, deep clean of your hard floors. It utilizes LiDAR cameras as well as sensors to create detailed maps of the home. This helps it stay on track and avoid getting caught in furniture legs or power cables. It can also detect objects like clutter and shoes to automatically clean them. It also self-empties, meaning you won't have to return the vacuum to its base station to empty its bin after every cleaning session.
2. Dust Bin
Robots are ideal for quick midweek cleaning, however, they lack the suction to replace a plug in vacuum cleaner for more thorough cleaning. Moreover, even the best robotic vacuums can get tangled in cords and toys and snooze on piles of dirt close to the baseboards, or struggle with crumbs on furniture. Their dustbins onboard fill up quickly that they need to return to their charging stations to empty themselves. This can take up to 30 minutes for some models.
It is crucial to select the right robot vacuum that has an ample dust bin which can be emptied into the dock without having to return to finish the task. You'll need to decide if you prefer bagged models or a one that doesn't have a bag. If you opt for the bagless option you'll need to know how much dust it can hold before you have to empty it.
In our tests, we apply 100 grams of sand on the carpet in a medium pile and use a robot vacuum to sweep it across the carpet. We then weigh the amount of sand that we find in the vacuum's onboard dust bin to determine the amount of dirt it has collected. A large amount of dirt suggests that the bin could fill up more quickly and could cause your robot to pause its cleaning cycle or, even worse, cease working completely.
The positive side is that many high-end robot vacuums have an enormous dust bin that is easily empty, and you can schedule them to empty into their bases at least once per day or more. Keep a can with compressed air on hand to blow away hairs that have gotten caught up in the rotating brush, and to clean any filters in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer.
3. Wi-Fi Connectivity
The top robot vacuums offer many options to connect to your home's WiFi network. This allows the robot to update its software and provides you with the option of monitoring your robot through an app or using voice commands. Although not necessary this feature can be useful and customization features that can improve your overall robot vacuuming experience.
To ensure they're running at their best they require some level of maintenance. For example emptying the dustbin and cleaning the brushroll. Monitoring consumable parts and a regular schedule of cleaning and detachment will increase their lifespan as well. Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin at University Vacuum & Sewing says three to five years is the typical life expectancy of the robot vacuum, but this can vary significantly depending on the frequency you use it and if you take care of it properly.
A robot vacuum must be able to navigate obstacles and map your floor in order to function. Advanced navigation systems typically have sensors for cliffs that alert the bot to a steep drop as well as optical and laser sensors that help it "see" the layout of a room. Some robots also come with a specialized mopping function, which can be useful to keep floors clean between deep cleanings using an upright vacuum.
The most effective 2-in-1 vacuums also mop. automated vacuum means you don't have to switch between an automatic vacuum and an manual one. The iRobot Roomba 690 is a powerful, highly efficient vacuum cleaner that can also wash its mop pad, and clean up surfaces with its water tank. Its obstacle avoidance and mapping capabilities were so impressive that it was awarded the CR's Best Robot Vacuum Award, along with an AVTech Editors Choice Award.
4. Cleaning Patterns
The best robot vacuums that we tested had impressive pick-up scores on hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. They remove dust, dirt and pet hair. They also sweep away particles and crumbs from the edges of rooms and along baseboards. However, they cannot remove deep-down dirt or tangles that are a part of the carpet's shag carpet and also an upright or canister vacuum. They also aren't able to remove spilled liquids and food particles, or heavy screws and may also miss a few areas of the house (including under furniture).
Many models come with sophisticated features that make them more user-friendly. Most models come with an application that lets you schedule cleaning sessions, and also control the robot remotely. They can be integrated into your smart home system so that you can make voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have multiple modes that let you pick between mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming. They can also return to their docks to recharge and pick up the area they left.
The technology for avoiding obstacles has improved over the years, but it's still essential to get rid of cords, toys and pet mess before you run the robot. Before you can map out your space, it is recommended to cover all floor-to ceiling mirrors with cardboard. The laser used by certain models could bounce off reflective surfaces causing the robot to crash against a wall or a floor.
More premium models have advanced mapping capabilities, with some using lidar to generate a 3D map of your surroundings. This helps the robot to recognize obstacles and devise an efficient path around them. Some models also let you create no-go zones so that the robot can avoid specific 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 their movements hands-free with an app, which means you can keep your home clean when you're at work or away. Certain robots also have the ability to self-empty into a larger container at their base, which reduces dust re-release and is an excellent feature for allergy sufferers.
Certain robots can detect objects on the ground and employ cameras as a guide to avoid obstacles such as power cords, furniture legs or pet toys. This is an impressive capability and is even offered in less expensive models. It's essential to regularly empty the dustbin of your robot and check for tangled fur as it accumulates.
A high-end model can also store multiple floor plans, which are useful if you live on multiple levels, and some can create 3D representations of your home. You can choose specific rooms, and set digital "keep-out" zones to ensure your robot only cleans the areas you want.
Robots are ideal for midweek cleaning, but they aren't able to replace a plug-in vacuum cleaner, especially when it comes to rugs. They are more adept in removing dirt from carpet than bare flooring, but they can miss piles near baseboards and thresholds as well as tangled cords and socks. To get the most value from your robot, choose models that have 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.