Vacuuming the house isn’t a house chore that most people like to do. Although you can’t compare it with cleaning the toilet, pushing and dragging a noisy vacuum is its own kind of torture.
Robot vacuums don’t come with cords that you have to plug into a socket and they require very little effort from you. Can robot vacuums clean corners? Most robot vacuums are designed with more than one spinning and rolling brush including side brushes that are very effective in capturing dust, fibers, and long hairs along walls edges, and corners. These brushes work together to collect large and small debris at the center where the vacuum can suck it up into its internal dustbin that you can remove once it’s full.
Table of Contents
Features of a robot vacuum you should consider
Cleaning modes
The same way you adjust your stand-up vacuum to clean either clean your hardwood floor or carpet, you can do the same thing with your robot vacuum. Not all robot vacuums clean the same, while some do a better job of picking pet hair and fur from your carpet, others can clean your vinyl and hardwood floors better. Most also have the ability to change suction and use the spot mode for concentrated cleaning on a small area, also options for single and double passes of a room and cleaning along baseboards and wall edges.
Control
All robot vacuums have an automatic mode that requires you to only press a button on your remote, app or vacuum itself to clean a room following a programmed cleaning schedule. This is great if you want your home cleaned when you’re at work. You can integrate the high-end models with your smart speakers to allow you to use voice commands to control them.
Mapping
Some robot vacuums have mapping capabilities using a built-in camera or laser reflections that will give you a 360-degree view of the room that allows the robot vacuum to create a map of the space and use it to locate itself on the map. Mapping allows the vacuum to know which areas it has cleaned and those it hasn’t to avoid cleaning the same spot again. And also where to resume cleaning when it stops to recharge.
Navigation
A robot vacuum can complete a task with very little management from you. With the help of a combination of sensors, your vacuum can maneuver around furniture and other obstacles and avoid falling downstair, edges, or getting caught up in electric cords. Other sensors can determine the amount of dirt in a room and adjust its cleaning mode.
Limitations of robot vacuums
Robot vacuums may have sensors that prevent them from falling downstairs, but they can’t do anything about that will prevent them from sucking in small items in a cluttered room, especially small cables.
Each robot vacuum has a battery that needs to be recharged after an hour or so of continuous cleaning, but it might not return to its charging station in time and you may find it in a room indicating it needs to recharge.
A robot vacuum can’t maneuver or have the same clean power as your traditional upright vacuum. Although it might have various amounts of suction, most models have designs that don’t allow them to clean every inch of your home.
The smaller robot vacuums have a design that doesn’t allow for a large collection bin which may need to be emptied regularly, especially if you have pets.
Differences between a robot vacuum and a normal vacuum
Robot vacuum |
Normal vacuum |
|
Scheduled cleaning |
Program the vacuum with a cleaning schedule |
Have to do the cleaning yourself |
Cost |
Both low and high-end models are expensive |
Can find a budget-friendly model |
Sucking power |
Their small size and smaller battery allowance lacks sucking power |
Have lots of sucking power from the big batteries and power supply |
Speed |
Slow |
Fast |
Why do you want a robot vacuum?
While a robot vacuum may save you the hassle of calling the maid service or pestering your kids to do their chores, it can’t replace an upright vacuum or a deep house cleaning. Before you buy a robot vacuum, there are some questions you need to ask yourself.
How big is your house?
Consider the size of your home when shopping for a robot vacuum.
You also need to check the room left around your furniture for the robot vacuum to pass through because some are more than 4 inches tall.
Do you have pets in your home?
There are robot vacuums that are best suited for cleaning up after pets from both carpeted and hardwood floors.
These models have HEPA filters to help in eliminating allergens in the air if you suffer from allergies.
Do you have a carpeted or hardwood floor?
Most robot vacuums can easily clean both hardwood and carpet floors, but some can clean one better than the other. You should also factor in rugs in you have any in your home. High-end models can accommodate both surfaces, but lower-end models may get caught up in tassels.
Conclusion
A robot vacuum is a luxury purchase that is meant to make your life easier, but it can’t completely replace a mop or an upright vacuum. However, it will keep your floor consistently clean and save you the time to do it.