Robot vacuums are designed to be efficient and autonomous, but there are still ways to use them “wrong” or inefficiently. In a best-case scenario, a robot vacuum will patrol your home autonomously, getting rid of pet fur, dirt, dust, and unwanted particles without any manual intervention – but you need to create the right conditions to make this a reality.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Robot Vacuum

Follow these strategies to get more out of your robot vacuum:

1. Choose the right robot vacuum. In the early days of robot vacuums, there were only a handful of options. These days, there are dozens of options from hundreds of manufacturers. There are models for practically every budget, models of different sizes, and even some models that are specifically designed for specialized tasks. There isn’t a single “right” answer; you’ll need to review the different models that are available and choose the right fit for your household and your needs. Just be advised that the cheapest model isn’t necessarily the best investment; sometimes cheaper models are more likely to break prematurely.
2. Make the dock easily accessible. Most modern robot vacuums come with a dock – a kind of “home base” where the vacuum will be stored when not in use, and where it will charge its batteries. It’s important to make this dock easily accessible so the robot vacuum can easily find it and return home. That means putting your dock in a central location with an even surface – and no clutter to make it hard to enter.
3. Test it first. Before you trust your robot vacuum to handle your cleaning needs automatically, consider taking it on a test run first. Deploy your robot vacuum and watch how it interacts with its environment. How good is it at picking up dirt and debris? How does it navigate around obstacles? Are there any locations where the vacuum gets stuck? This is a great opportunity to learn and adjust the environment as necessary.
4. Hide cords, curtains, and other catchable items. Make sure you get cords, curtains, and other items off the floor and out of the way of the vacuum. A single obstacle that gets a robot vacuum stuck can interfere with its autonomous cycle and require your manual intervention. It’s best to avoid these as much as possible.
5. Create limits. With some modern robot vacuums, you can create a virtual map of your house and instruct the vacuum where it can and can’t go. If you can, do so. If not, you may need to set up physical barriers to prevent the robot vacuum from going where it shouldn’t; for example, you might set up a baby gate to prevent the vacuum from falling down the stairs to the basement.
6. Store your chairs upside down. While it’s not a strict necessity, it’s helpful to store your chairs on the table upside down. Chair legs make it tough for robot vacuums to maneuver around – and the under-table area tends to be one of the dirtiest areas of the house. You don’t have to do this every night, but it helps if you do it on an occasional basis.
7. Know your schedule. Modern robot vacuums typically allow you to set a schedule, so the vacuum only operates on certain days or during certain hours. Try to stick to something consistently so your home stays clean and block off days where you’re going to be busy (or when you can’t afford to be distracted). Work with your family to find the right schedule for all of your needs.
8. Clean out the vacuum regularly. Your vacuum’s job is to keep the house clean, but don’t forget that it needs to be cleaned on an occasional basis as well. Some robot vacuums are capable of emptying their own dustbins, but those that can’t will require some manual assistance. Do this regularly to prevent problems.
9. Provide supplementary cleaning. Unfortunately, robot vacuums can’t do everything. If you want your house to sparkle, you’ll need to help it out. Pick up big objects that can’t be vacuumed up – and stick to a routine cleaning schedule for non-vacuumable areas.
10. Remain observant. Watch your robot vacuum periodically to make sure it’s still operating as intended. If you notice something off, it could mean the machine requires some maintenance or adjustment.

Toward a Cleaner House

The right robot vacuum can make your house cleaner on a more consistent basis – and even save you some time and effort in the process. But don’t overestimate their capabilities; you’ll still need to provide the right conditions for your robot vacuum and add some supplementary cleaning of your own if you want your home to shine.