NOTE: This page contains Amazon.com affiliate links that may compensate the owner of this site when you buy a recommended product - but they do not impact the price you pay. Learn More.
A robot vacuum cleaner makes keeping your home clean so much easier. But to get the most out of it, it’s important set it up correctly and maintain it properly as required.
If you are planning to buy a robotic vacuum cleaner or have just bought one, here are seven tips to maximize the benefits of your new handy helper.
1. Set it Up in the Right Place
There are two essential parts to a robot vacuum system: the robot itself and the home base.
The home base is where the robot docks when it’s not cleaning and recharges.
It’s essential that you set up the home base in the right place to ensure the robot can dock successfully.
Most manuals recommend having adequate clearance in front and on the sides of the docking base. It should also be on a hard flat surface. Don’t put it on the carpet.
If you set up the base wrongly, the robot will keep getting lost and will be unable to recharge automatically.
Also, avoid setting up the base near overly cold or hot areas such as near an AC vent or a room heater. Put it in a dry, cool area.
2. Download the App
If you have a smart robot vacuum cleaner, one of the first things you should do is downloading the companion app.
Most smart robots work well enough without the app, but you’ll miss many features and functions such as auto schedule, virtual boundaries, and remote start/stop.
It should take you no more than 10 minutes to download the app and link it to the robot vacuum via your home’s Wi-Fi.
3. Clear The Floor
Pick up clothing item, toys, cables and other items lying on the floor. These can easily trip the robot vacuum, causing it to stop or malfunction.
Cables and cords are especially bad. They can easily tangle around the vacuum wheels.
Before you start the robot, go through the room or house, making sure the floor is clear and ready for cleaning.
If you cannot clear a specific area such as the kids’ playing area or your work desk strewn with cables, use the robot’s boundary feature to keep it away from there.
If you have a Neato Botvac, set up virtual no-go lines and if you have a Roomba, use a Roomba virtual wall.
For most other brands, you can use boundary strips.
4. Be There for The First Cleaning
Whether your robot vacuum has smart mapping or not, it’s a good idea to be around for the first cleaning.
Mapping allows you to find out trouble spots where the robot easily gets trapped. You can then keep the robot off that area or remove whatever’s causing the problem.
It also gives you an idea of how long the robot takes to finish cleaning an entire room or level and also helps with scheduling.
5. Set a Schedule
Instead of pressing a button or opening an app every time you want the bot to vacuum, set an automatic cleaning schedule.
Most robot vacuums will let you set which days you want the robot to vacuum and at what time.
Pricier robots will let you set a different time for each day and even specify which area or room it will vacuum on different days.
Setting a schedule is especially convenient if you are busy most of the time. It makes it easy to keep your home clean.
6. Empty the Bin After Every Cleaning
Yes, even if the bin isn’t full yet.
In this way, you can keep the robot in the best working condition and maintains the highest cleaning performance.
If you’ve set a schedule, remember to empty the bin and clean it when you come home in the evening.
Something else to clean is the battery contacts on both the docking station and the robot. When they get dirty, they can prevent the robot from charging.
7. Regularly Inspect and Replace Wheels and Brushes
When you clean the bin, also do a quick check of the brushes and wheels to make sure there’s nothing stuck there.
If you have pets, check whether there’s hair tangled on the brushes.
You have to replace these parts regularly. Check the recommended replacement schedule in the manual and only get replacements from the manufacturer.
