How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean
Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Based on the model, they can also sweep or mop stairs.
Look for models with intelligent features, like remote access and app control. Apps can be used to schedule cleaning sessions and monitor the progress. Some apps can even stop and recharge, then pick up where they stopped.
1. Battery Life
With self-driving cars drones that can navigate the skies, and robot vacuums that nimbly maneuver around furniture, it's safe to say the future of cleaning is now here. Like all technologies there is a need for some maintenance to ensure it's running smoothly.
The cycle of charging and discharging the battery is the most crucial factor in the life of your robotic device. Keep the dustbin filled and empty. Make sure you check for furs that are tangled and keep the brushes from getting jammed.
Another factor is the environmental conditions where your robot is stored as extreme temperatures and cold can affect the battery's performance. You can prolong the lifespan of your robot's battery by charging it to 50% and storing it in a cool location. Also, remove it from the power source when it is not using it. Additionally, most smart devices have periodic firmware updates that can improve performance, such as battery optimization, so be sure to check your app for any updates that are available.
For those who have many hard floors, a robot vacuum is a great option. It is able to remove dirt and debris quickly and efficiently, leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for more than just a quick clean-up, look for a model with superior navigation and obstacle avoidance.
The Ecovacs T20 robot is our top-rated robotic. It is a combination of advanced navigation, powerful suction, and a variety of mopping options to offer a deep, thorough clean of your hard flooring. It utilizes LiDAR cameras as well as sensors to create precise maps of your home. This helps it stay on course and avoid getting caught in furniture legs or power cables. It can also identify items like shoes and clutter, and clean them up automatically. It's also self-emptying so you don't have to return it to its base to empty the bin after each 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 cleaning. In addition, even the most powerful robotic vacuums can become tangled in cords and toys and snooze on piles of dirt that are close to the baseboards, and have to contend with crumbs that have fallen under furniture. The dust bins on their own are so full that they have to return to their charging docks in order to self-empty--a process that can take up to half an hour for some models.
It is essential to select an automated vacuum cleaner with a large dustbin that can be empty into the dock without needing to return to complete the task. You should also consider whether you'd like bags or a bagless model and, if you choose a bagless option what amount of dust will be able to hold before needing to be empty.
In our tests, we placed 100 grams of sand to a medium-pile carpet surface and used a robot vacuum cleaner to vacuum the sand off. We then weigh the amount of sand in the onboard dust bin to determine the amount dirt it has accumulated. A high amount means that the bin onboard could be filled faster and force your robot to stop cleaning.
The positive side is that many high-end robot vacuums have a large dust bin that can easily be emptied, and you can schedule them to empty their bases at least once per day or more. Keep a bin filled with compressed air in your bag to blow out hairs that have gotten caught up in the rotating brush, and to clean any filters according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
3. Wi-Fi Connectivity
The top robot vacuums have various connectivity options to connect to your home's Wi-Fi network. This lets the robot download and install updates for its software, as well as allows you to monitor your robot via an app or through voice-activated commands. This isn't a necessity, but it does provide convenience and options for customization that can enhance the overall robot vacuuming experience.
The majority of models require some form of regular maintenance, like emptying the dust bin and cleaning the brush roll, to ensure they are operating at top performance. Monitoring consumable parts and a regular schedule of cleaning and detachment can extend their lifespan as well. Emily Rairdin, a vacuum expert at University Vacuum & Sewing, says that a robot's life is typically between three and five years. However, this can differ based on how often you use it and whether you maintain it properly.
A robot vacuum must be able to navigate obstacles and determine the floor's layout in order to work. Advanced navigation systems typically include sensors that detect cliffs and alert the bot to a steep drop as well as laser and optical sensors that help it "see" a room's layout. Some robots also come with mopping capabilities that are specialized that can be helpful for keeping floors clean between deep cleanings using an upright vacuum.
The most effective 2-in-1 vacuums also mop. This means that you won't have to switch between a robot vacuum and a manual one. One 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 mapping and obstacle avoidance abilities were so effective that it was awarded the CR's Best Robot vacuum Award, and also an AVTech Editors' Choice Award.
4. Cleaning Patterns
The top robot vacuums we tested in our tests have impressive performance on hard floors and low-pile carpets, removing dirt, dust and pet hair. They also sweep away crumbs and debris from the edges of rooms and along baseboards. But they can't eliminate deep down dirt or tangles of plush shag carpet fibers as well as an upright or canister vacuum. They are also unable to pick up spilled food and liquids or screws made of heavy metal and may also miss a few areas of the house (including under furniture).
Many models have smart features that make them more user-friendly. Most models include an app that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and control the robot remotely. They can be connected to your smart home system, so that you can make 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.
The technology to avoid obstacles has improved over the years, but it's still essential to get rid of cords, toys and any pet mess before you run the robot. You'll also want to cover any mirrors from floor to ceiling with cardboard before mapping out the space for the first time since the lasers employed by certain models could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to hit the floor or wall.
The most expensive models come with advanced mapping capabilities, with some making use of lidar to create a 3D map of your space. This helps the robot recognize obstacles and devise an efficient route around them. Certain robots let you designate no-go zones so that the robot will avoid certain areas, for example, your pet's bowls of food or an expensive rug.
5. App Control
You can create a schedule for cleaning and manage the robots using an app. This lets you clean your home while you're at work or on vacation. Some robots can also self-empty their trash into a large bin at the base. This can reduce dust rerelease and is a great feature for allergy sufferers.
Some robots, such as the pricier Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, can even spot objects on the floor and use a camera to coach them to stay clear of obstacles such as power cords, furniture legs or pet toys. This impressive feature is available on less expensive models. It's crucial to regularly empty your robot's dustbin and check for tangled hairs as they build up.
Certain models can also create 3D representations. This is beneficial if you have multiple floors. You can then choose specific rooms and set up digital zones for keeping out to ensure that your robot stays focused on what you want it to do, instead of wandering around in areas that you don't need to clean.
Robots are great for midweek cleaning, but they aren't able to substitute a vacuum cleaner with a plug-in particularly when it comes to rugs. They're better at picking up dirt that's embedded in carpet than bare floors, but they can still miss piles of debris near thresholds and baseboards, as well as tangled socks and cords. To get best robot vacuum from your robot, choose a model with zone and spot cleaning modes to focus on particular areas and prevent unnecessary cleaning. You can also find models that charge and then resume where they stopped. This is great for houses with large spaces.