Thing you need to know before buying a robot vacuum

For many people that never has a robot vacuum before, they thought they’d be able to plug in the charging station, press the vacuum’s “Clean” button, and look- it would clean the floors all by itself and return back home without any fuss, and with practically no effort on human part.  Well....... not quite.

While using a robot vacuum to clean your floors is still far easier than sweeping them by yourself, they still require a fair amount of care and handling, and you’ll almost certainly need to iron out some kinks during the first few cleanings.

That may sound disappointing, and indeed, people are easy to get disappointed when they trying to solve some problem but unlucky, they have new problem. Well, after the first mess days, and after you are trained to remove the cables/clothes/toys on the floor, the robot vacuum will be performing more or less flawlessly, more importantly, your floor will never been so clean.

So yes, if you are circling your first robot vacuum, go for it- but there are few things to keep in mind about robot vacuums before pull the trigger.

They do get stuck occasionally

Robot vacuum cleaner can avoid obstacles like furniture, loose shoes, etc. but even with IR sensors and ability to map your home’s floor plan, even the best robot vacuums can find their way into situations that they cannot get out of. You need to follow the robotic cleaner during its first few cleanings around your house, you can generally identify the trouble spots and do something about them.

And some pricier robot vacuums that create their own floor plans can be programed to avoid trouble spots, and some brand they offer accessories help to create virtual fence that your robot will not pass.

They are easily trapped by power cords, shoelaces and cables

This is important tips, but many people never think of that. But it is easily solved: picking any loose cables off the floor before tarting a cleaning or closing closet doors to keep shoes hidden. If you prefer a pricier robot, you can set the limitation area in the app map.  

They need to be emptied on time

Yes, most robot vacuums do need to be emptied on a regular basis, or after every cleaning. There are some self-emptying models that automatically dump debris into a bin in the home base, and no surprise, you need to empty the home base dust box at certain times too. If you did not empty the dust bin on time, the dirt/dust/debris easily filled, and the suction power would be much less small than expected.  

You need to clean the brushes on time

Just as the dust bin on a robot vacuum need to be emptied regularly, so do the brushes. The procedure only takes a few minutes, so its not a huge deal, but it’s a chore you don’t want to skip, if too much hair builds up in your robot, it could be permanently damaged.  

They can be noisy

When the robot vacuum working, the motors need power to suction the debris, when it is running, there is noise coming out, and if you use the max mode, the noise will be bigger. So, don’t’ have the robotic cleaning your floors while you are asleep, or you need to be quiet for thinking or watching a movie. Even the quietest models tend to make a racket when they’re zipping around your house. My suggestion is: using the timer function most robotic vacuums have and schedule the cleaning when you’re out.

You need to place the charge base in open are and change the HEPA filter on time.

The placement requirements for different makes and models will vary, but generally speaking, if you place the dock base in an open area, it will be easier for the robot to find it and recharge on time. Also, don’t forget the charging station needs to be reasonably close to a power outlet.

And keep in mind that the HEPA filter need to be changed regularly to make sure the suction power as expected.