How to Maintain and Clean Your Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

When you first move into a new home, everything excites you! The sheer beauty of your apartment; the freshly painted walls. The calm atmosphere is intriguing! More than anything else, you want to live in a pretty apartment- so you’re quick to ensure that all spaces are properly cleaned. 

All of that fades with time; especially if you’ve got little kids running about! Want to keep your home clean without stress? Purchasing a self empty robot vacuum cleaner wouldn’t be out of place. Not only does this device save you lots of stress, it also makes you able to spend your time on highly productive ventures such as spending time with your kids and spouse, and work.  

Without needing your assistance, robots adequately equipped with sensors, lasers, motherboards and Wi-Fi can help to easily navigate your home.  

However, it would be heart-breaking if when you want to use your robotic vacuum cleaner, you find out that it’s faulty. To avoid this, you must routinely take care of the components that require regular care. The tips below should help you handle it without hassle.

Basic Maintenance Tips

Your robotic vacuum cleaner, just like any other device, requires regular maintenance and care.  With just a couple of minutes of proper handling and care, your robotic vacuum cleaner can have years added to its life. And who benefits from this? You!

You must not think of it as too much stress to keep your vacuum cleaner in proper working conditions. After all, the alternative to keeping it in top shape is to spend hours bent over, working yourself silly as you try to keep your house clean (but not as clean as a robot can make it look!). 

Maintain and clean your vacuum cleaner. Here are a few basic maintenance tips:

• Sensors accumulate dust rapidly and as such, should be regularly cleaned. 
•  Hair and string should be kept far away from your casters and wheels. 
• As well, your filters and side brushes might need to be replaced intermittently. 
• Keep your robovac’s battery in tip-top shape by regularly servicing it.

All of these and more; are things you’d learn from this article.

Preparing Your Home for The Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

Before purchasing or using a robotic vacuum cleaner, it’d be best if your home is already well suited for its use. Wouldn’t it be tragic to confirm in retrospect that had you sorted out some basic necessities; your new robotic vacuum cleaner would still be safe? This is why you must adequately prepare your home for this new device. 

Ways To Prepare Your Home 

Listed below are a few ways your home can be adequately prepared for the new robovac:

1. Remove any stray socks, stray wires or kids’ toys sprawled over the floor
2. Look around the rooms and take out any items that could pose a danger to your robot vacuum e.g. metallic instruments on the floor. 
3. Place really large household items e.g. a freezer in unobtrusive locations, as your robot might be unable to clean those areas. 

It comes highly recommended that when setting up your robovac, it should be done in an open area that has enough space for the unit to self-recharge after use. 

You of course, wouldn’t want to waste your money on something that wouldn’t last long, would you?

How to Prevent Your Robovac From Getting Stuck

If you’re worried about the possibility of your robovac getting stuck under perhaps, a piece of furniture, your fears are valid. Not only can it get stuck and keep you searching for hours, wasting your precious time in the process; it might also need some repairing after you find it. 

Safe-keeping of Your Robovac When Stuck

Anyone would be frustrated if the robot is found in atypical places after hours of searching; but if your robot is stuck under an armchair for instance, don’t give into the temptation to yank it out, this could damage the sensors, brushes or even the wheels! Here’s what to do: 

1. Take a deep breath; lift the chair up and allow the robot roll back to the open floor.
2. Subsequently examine the robovac for any possible faults present; and deal with those adequately. 

Keeping Your Robovac’s Bin Clean

I hear you groan…you hate taking out garbage right? I know! It’s totally not fun; yet it’s one of the things you have to do if you want a robovac that works as efficiently as a well-oiled machine does. 

Top Tips For Cleaning the Bin 

One of the components on the robotic vacuum cleaner which requires the most amount of maintenance is the dirt bin. And to be honest, it takes only a fraction of a minute to empty the dirt bin. If you do this everyday, your robovac would mostly work well. 

If the dirt and dust suctioned by your robovac accumulates on the sides of the bin, you could just wipe the interior of the bin with a damp cloth; and voila, you have a perfectly clean robotic vacuum cleaner before you!

Another Sensitive Component: Your Robovac’s Filter

The performance of your robovac is closely linked to how well its filter works, so you have to maintain and clean your robotic vacuum cleaner.

With a dirty filter, the vacuum has to work harder so as to effectively suction debris. Worse still, a dirty filter would be unable to trap dust and other allergens, leading to them escaping into the air. Convinced on the need to clean your filter? Good!

Here’s how to make your robovac’s filter the envy of all and sundry: 

• Keep your filter clean by opening the dirt bin and taking out the filter; and shaking off the dust from the filter.
• However, note that the filter should be replaced after a while, as a Robovac’s filter has a lifespan of 3 months to 1 year.

How About Your Sensors?

Don’t fall into the trap of overlooking your vac’s sensors till the robot malfunctions. When you keep the sensor dust-free, you are able to sort out potential navigation and performance issues before they arise. It’s easier if you clean your sensors every time you dust off the filter. Not sure where all your sensors are located? A simple search through your owner’s manual would provide you with the full details.

How To Clean Your Robovac’s Sensor 

• The sensor is best cleaned with a damp microfiber cloth (using a rough cloth or harsh chemicals would harm your sensors, and why would you want to do that?)

Untangling Your Robovac’s Brush roll

A robot vacuum with a brush roll should be periodically examined to take out any pieces of hair or string from it. This would prevent any impedance of your brush roll’s rotational movement, and keep your robovac working at topmost efficiency. 

Should you have a self-cleansing brush roll, that would be bliss! This self-cleansing brush roll would take out any possible objects on its own, without needing you to take them out manually.

Dusting Your Side Brushes

All your side brushes need from you is some tender loving care, in the form of dusting. For stubborn debris, a quick rinse of the side brush should do the trick. Nonetheless, side brushes should be replaced every 3-6 months.

Unclogging Your Wheels

When it’s time to clean your robot vacuum, it can be super frustrating to have hair clog the wheels of your robovac. All kinds of hair: human hair, pet fur, string etc. can wind around the brush roll and clog up the suction inlet, thereby restricting movement of the robovac’s wheels.

Protocol For Unclogging Your Wheels 

• It would be smart to check your robot’s main wheels weekly, checking for a build-up of hair, which you can use a pocket knife to unclog out of your wheels. This simple step can keep you happy, by ensuring that your robovac’s wheels don’t get clogged by hair and string. 
• For super dirty wheels, take them off with a screwdriver so you can clean them properly. This might take a little bit more time, but it’s totally worth it. 

Your Robovac’s Battery

Your robotic vacuum cleaner might either come with a nickel-based or lithium-ion rechargeable battery. When the right protocol is followed, you are able to preserve the battery life for as long as possible. This means you have to note which particular battery your robovac uses, and service it appropriately. 

What’s the Best Way To Use Your Robovac’s Battery? 

• While the nickel-based battery is best used by allowing the battery drain completely before recharging it to a 100%, the lithium-ion battery is best used when you fully charge it before first use. 
• Take note of the fact that your robovac’s battery should only be replaced with an OEM battery for proper functioning.

Keeping Your Robovac Safe

Going on a vacation?

You would either have to detach your vacuum cleaner’s battery, or keep it in a cool and dry storage area, away from harsh weather elements.

Whatever you do, don’t let your robovac be left un-attended to or uncared for. It is after all, one of those devices that saves your time! 

Keep the Manual Close to Maintain and Clean Your Vacuum Cleaner

Lastly, it is an act of wisdom to keep your robovac’s manual close by, as there are lots of helpful maintenance tips contained in it!

Wrapping Up

Robots are no doubt, very fascinating. A home cleaning robot takes more stress off you than you could ever imagine. Thus, handling it with care not just preserves its lifespan or give you a clean home, it also widens your smile! So by maintaining and cleaning your robotic vacuum cleaner you can extend the life of it.

Photo by Kowon vn on Unsplash