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 that have intelligent features, like remote access and app control. Apps can be used to plan cleaning sessions and monitor the progress. Some apps allow you to stop, recharge and then resume where they were when they left.
1. Battery Life
With cars that drive themselves, drones that navigate the skies and robot vacuums that swiftly move around furniture, it's safe to say the future of cleaning is now here. Like all technologies, some maintenance is required to ensure it's running smoothly.
The cycle of charge and discharge for the battery is the most crucial factor in the life of your robot. Maintaining the dust bin full and empty, checking for hairs that are tangled regularly, and preventing the brushes from becoming jammed will all help your robot run more efficiently.
The conditions the robot is stored may impact battery performance. Extreme cold and heat can affect the battery's performance. You can prolong the life of your robot's battery by charging it to 50% and storing it in a cool place. Also, take it away from the power source when in use. Many smart devices also feature periodic firmware updates which can improve performance and optimize battery. Check the app to check if there are any updates.
For those who have many hard floors, a robotic vacuum is a good choice. It can remove dirt and debris quickly and efficiently leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for 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 combines advanced navigation, powerful suction, and a variety of mopping features to provide an extensive, thorough cleaning of your hard flooring. It utilizes 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 things like shoes and clutter to automatically clean around them. It's also self-emptying, which means you don't need to return the vacuum back to its base station to empty its bin every cleaning session.
2. Dust Bin
Robots are excellent for quick midweek cleaning however they don't have the suction capacity to replace a plug-in vacuum cleaner for deep cleans. Moreover, even the best robot vacuums can be caught up in cords and toys and snooze on piles of dirt close to the baseboards, and struggle with crumbs under furniture. Their dust bins onboard fill up quickly, and they have return to their charging stations to empty themselves. This can take up to 30 minutes for certain models.
It is crucial to select the right robot vacuum that has a large dustbin which can be emptied into the dock without needing to return to complete the job. You should also consider whether you'd prefer bags or a bagless model If you decide to choose a bagless model, how much dust will it hold before it has to be emptied.
In our tests, we apply 100 grams of sand onto an area of medium-pile carpet and employ a robot vacuum to sweep it across the carpet. Weighing the amount of sand in the bin of dust onboard allows us to determine the amount dirt that has been collected. A high amount indicates that the bin onboard could be filled faster and cause your robot to stop cleaning.
It's important to know that many robot vacuums have a large dustbin, which is easily emptyable. It is also possible to schedule that they empty their bases at least one or two times per day. Keep a container filled with compressed air on hand 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 offer various options for connecting to your home's WiFi. This allows the robot to download and install updates for its software, as well as giving you the option to monitor your robot via an app or via voice-activated commands. While not essential it is a useful feature and customization features that can enhance the overall experience of robot vacuuming.
Most models require some level of routine maintenance, like emptying the dust bin and cleaning the brush roll, to ensure they are operating at peak efficiency. Maintaining a close eye on consumable parts and following a regular schedule of cleaning and detachment will extend their lifespan as well. Emily Rairdin, a vacuum expert at University Vacuum & Sewing, says that a robot's lifespan expectancy is between three and five years. However, this can differ based on how often you use it, and also if you maintain it properly.
In order to operate, a robot vacuum needs to be able to map out your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems include cliff sensors, which alert the robot of steep drops. They also have optical and laser sensors that allow it to "see" the plan of the room. Some robots also have mopping capabilities that are specialized that can be helpful for keeping floors clean between deep cleanings with the use of a stand-up vacuum.
The best 2-in-1 vacuums also mop. This means that you don't need to switch between an automatic vacuum and a manual one. The iRobot Roomba 690 is a powerful, highly efficient robot vacuum cleaner that can wash its mop pad and wipe down surfaces using its water tank. Its superior mapping and obstacle-avoidance skills have earned it the CR's top robot vacuum award, and an AVTech Editors Choice award.
4. Cleaning Patterns
The best robot vacuums in our tests have impressive pick-up scores for carpets with a low pile and hard floors and remove dust, dirt and pet hair. They also clean up crumbs and debris from the edges of rooms and along baseboards. However, they cannot get rid of deep down dirt or tangles in the carpet's shag carpet and also canister or upright vacuums. They cannot pick up spilled liquids or food items, or large screws made of metal. They can also overlook certain areas (including under furniture).
Many models have clever features that make them more user-friendly. The majority of models come with an app that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and also control the robot remotely. They can be connected to your smart home system so that you can make voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have multiple modes, allowing users to choose between sweeping and mopping or vacuuming. They can also return to their docks to recharge and resume cleaning the area they left.
The technology for avoiding obstacles has advanced over the years, but it is still essential to get rid of cords, toys, and pet clutter before operating the robot. Before mapping out the room, you'll need 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 walls or floors.
Some of the top models utilize lidar to create 3D maps of your space. This allows the robot to remember obstacles and design the most efficient route to avoid them. Some robots let you create no-go zones so that the robot avoids certain areas, for example, your pet's food bowls or a costly rug.
5. App Control
Many robots let you create a schedule for cleaning and manage them without hands using an app, so you can keep your home clean while you're working or away. Some robots can also self-empty their dust into a large bin at the base. This helps reduce dust release and is a wonderful feature for those suffering from allergies.
Certain robots can detect objects on the ground and use a camera as a guide to avoid obstacles like power cords, furniture leg or pet toys. This impressive feature is also available on smaller models. However, it's essential to regularly empty your robot's trash bin and check for hairs that have become tangled when they begin to accumulate.
A top-quality model can also store multiple floor maps, which can be useful if you live on more than one floor and some models can even create 3D representations of your home. You can select specific rooms, and create digital "keep-out" zones to ensure your robot only cleans the areas you'd like.
Robots are great for regular midweek cleaning however they aren't able to substitute for a full-sized plug-in vacuum, particularly for rugs. They are better at removing dirt embedded in carpet than floors that are unfinished, but they can still miss piles of debris near thresholds and baseboards and tangled socks and cords. To get the most value from your robot, choose a model with spots and zone cleaning modes to target specific areas and reduce the need for cleaning. There are also models that recharges and resumes where it left off which is an enormous benefit for a house with a lot of rooms.