How do I maintain my robot vacuum?
Maintain your robot vacuum
It's important to maintain your robot vacuum well. If you don't do so, it will influence the performance and lifespan of the robot. It'll get confused if its sensors are dirty, and it'll loose suction power if the dust cup is full. We distinguish between regular cleaning and periodically maintenance.
Regular maintenance
Empty and clean the dust cup
The dust cup in robot vacuums generally isn't very big. A full dust cup causes the robot to suck up less dirt. Does your robot make a round every day? Then we recommend to empty the dust cup every few days to keep a good suction performance. Aside from that, it's also necessary to clean the dust cup once every month. You can do this with a dry or wet cloth. Make sure you dry it off properly. Otherwise, the dust will stick to the cup.
Knock out and clean the filter
This filter is made of fragile material. Because it continuously blocks dust particles and allergens, this material stretches and it loses power. In that case, the filter doesn't work well anymore, and dust particles can end up in the exhaust air easier. That's why you have to clean the filter every week by knocking out dust above the trash can. Does your robot vacuum have a washable filter? Rinse the filter under the faucet and let it dry at least 24 hours. Re recommend to replace the filter at least once every 6 months.
Periodical maintenance
With 'periodical', we mean at least once every 6 months. The periodical maintenance of your robot vacuum takes a bit more time and effort than regular maintenance, but it makes your robot run smoothly again.
Clean the sensors and lasers
Robot vacuums use different sensors to find their way around the house. Because the robot vacuum drives around on the floor, these sensors get dirty at some point. This dirt disrupts the signals. Because of this, the robot vacuum might suddenly fall down the stairs or spin around in circles. The robot vacuum isn't broken, it's just time to clean the sensors or lasers. You can read how to do this in a few simple steps in this article or in the manual for your robot vacuum.
Brushes and wheels
Side and middle brushes
The middle brush is the large brush which you can find in the suction opening. The side brushes are at the side of the robot vacuum. To clean these brushes, you can detach them and knock them out above the trash can. If there are hairs stuck, you can best remove them by carefully cutting them loose.
Wheels
It's also important to check the wheels regularly. Stuck hairs or dirt between the wheels can disrupt the cleaning program of your robot. If there's dirt between the wheels, you need to remove this carefully with a knife.