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.
Find models that have innovative features like app control and remote access. You can use apps to schedule cleaning sessions or keep track of progress. Some apps can even stop and recharge, then resume where they stopped.
1. Battery Life
With self-driving cars, drones that navigate the skies and robot vacuums that nimbly maneuver around furniture, it's safe to say that the future of cleaning is here. However, like all technology it requires some upkeep to ensure it's running efficiently.
Robot Vacuum Mops in the longevity of your robot is the battery's charge and discharge cycles. Keep the dustbin full and empty. Make sure you check for furs that are tangled and prevent the brushes from clogging.
Another aspect is the climate in which your robot is stored, as extreme cold and heat can affect the battery's performance. You can help preserve the battery's life by ensuring it is charged to 50% before storage, storing in an area that is cool, and removing it from sources of power when it is not in use. In addition, the majority of smart devices are equipped with periodic firmware updates that can optimize performance, including battery optimization. So make sure to check the app for updates.
If you have a lot of hard floors, a robotic vacuum is an excellent option. It will take away dirt and debris quickly and efficiently, leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for more than just a quick cleaning, you'll need to choose a model that has superior navigation and obstacle avoidance.
Our top-rated robot The Ecovacs Deebot T20, combines advanced navigation and strong suction and a variety of mopping functions to deliver 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 clean them up automatically. It also self-empties so you don't need to return it to its base to empty the trash after every cleaning session.
2. Dust Bin
Robots are great for quick midweek cleanups however, they lack the suction power to replace the power of a plug-in vacuum cleaner for deep cleans. Even the best robotic vacuums can be prone to becoming entangled in cords and toys. They also tend to ignore dirt piles in the vicinity of baseboards and struggle to get rid of the crumbs that have accumulated under furniture. The dust bins on their own get so full that they must return to their charging docks to empty themselves, which can take up to half an hour for some models.
Therefore, it's crucial to choose a vacuum that has a big dustbin that can be empty into its dock without returning to finish the task. You'll also want to consider whether you'd like bagged or unbagged models and, if you choose a bagless option, how much dust will it hold before it needs to be emptied.
In our tests we applied 100 grams of sand onto a medium-pile carpet surface and used a robot vacuum cleaner to remove the sand. The amount of sand that is weighed in the vacuum's dust bin onboard lets us determine the amount dirt that has been collected. A large amount of dirt indicates that the onboard bin may get fuller faster and could force your robot to pause the cleaning process or, even worse, cease working completely.
It's a good idea to know that most robot vacuums come with an enormous dust bin that can be easily empty. It is also possible to schedule that they empty their bases at least two times per day. It is recommended to keep a bottle of compressed air handy to blow out hairs that have become entangled in the rotating brush. Also, clean any filters as recommended by the manufacturer.
3. Wi-Fi Connectivity
The top robot vacuums have many connectivity options for connecting to the Wi-Fi network in your home. This lets the robot update its software and provides you with the possibility of monitoring your robot through an app or using voice commands. Although not required this feature can be useful and customization features that can enhance your overall robot vacuuming experience.
Most models require some level of regular maintenance, such as emptying the dust bin and cleaning the brush roll to keep them functioning at their peak performance. Maintaining a close eye on consumable parts and a regular schedule of cleaning and detachment will increase their life span as well. Emily Rairdin, a vacuum expert at University Vacuum & Sewing, states that a robot's life expectancy is between three and five years. However, this can differ based on how often you use it, and also if you take care of it.
To be able to function, a robot vacuum needs to be able to map your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems have sensors for cliffs, which warn the robot of steep drops. They also have laser and optical sensors that help "see" the plan of a room. Some robots also have mopping capabilities that are specialized, which can be useful to keep floors clean between deep cleanings using an upright vacuum.
The best 2-in-1 vacuums also mop. This means that you won't need to switch between the robot vacuum and manual vacuum. One example is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and efficient robot vacuum that is able to wipe down surfaces with its water tank and wash the mop pad automatically. Its top-quality mapping and obstacle-avoidance abilities have earned it the CR's top robot vacuum award, as well as an AVTech Editors choice award.
4. Cleaning Patterns
The best robot vacuums in our tests have outstanding pick-up scores for carpets with low pile and hard floors cleaning dust, dirt, and pet hair. They also take out crumbs and debris along the baseboards as well as at the edges of rooms. They cannot remove deep-seated dirt or tangles of shag fibers, like canisters or uprights. They can't pick-up spilled liquids and food items, or use the weight of metal screws. They can also overlook certain areas (including under furniture).
Many models come with clever features that make them more user friendly. Many models come with an application that lets you schedule cleaning sessions, and control the robot remotely. They can be connected to your smart home system so that you can use voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have different modes that let you choose between mopping, sweeping and vacuuming. They can also recharge at their docks and keep cleaning where they left off.
Obstacle-avoidance technology has advanced in recent years, but you still need to clear out any cords, toys and pet messes prior running the robot. You'll also want to cover any mirrors from floor to ceiling with cardboard prior to tracing out the room for the first time, as the laser used by some models can bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to bump into walls or floors.
Some of the top models utilize lidar to create 3D maps of your surroundings. This helps the robot recognize obstacles and devise an efficient path around them. Some robots let you create no-go zones so that the robot is able to avoid certain areas, for example, your pet's food bowls or a rug that is expensive.
5. App Control
Many robots let you create a schedule to clean and operate their movements hands-free with an app, meaning you can clean your home while you're working or away. Some robots can also self-empty their dust into a large bin at the base. This can reduce dust release and is a wonderful feature for people suffering from allergies.
Some robots are able to detect objects on the ground and employ a camera as a guide to avoid obstacles such as power cords, furniture leg or pet toys. This is an impressive feature and is even offered in less expensive models. However, it's important to regularly empty your robot's dustbin and check for hairs that have become tangled when they begin to accumulate.
Some models can also create 3D representations. This is helpful when you have multiple floors. 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, instead of wandering around areas that don't require cleaning.
Robots are good for midweek cleaning, but they cannot substitute a vacuum cleaner with a plug-in particularly when it comes to rugs. They are better at removing dirt from carpets than bare flooring, but can still be unable to find piles near baseboards or thresholds as well as tangled cords and socks. Find a robot that has spots and zones cleaning modes. This allows you to concentrate on certain areas without having to spend time. You can also find a model that recharges and resumes where it left off, which is an enormous benefit in a large house.