Schedule These Maintenance Tasks to Keep Your Robot Cleaner Running

If you love giving gifts, robotic vacuum cleaners are a great choice. Once they’re properly set up, they can take one of the most time-consuming tasks off your to-do list for good – or at least until they break. Fortunately, the maintenance of the robot vacuum cleaner is quite simple. Here’s everything you need to do to keep yours from gathering dust in the closet.

What to do daily (or after each use)

Robotic vacuum cleaners have a significantly lower collection capacity than vacuum cleaners with bags or canisters, meaning that emptying them after (or before) each use is important. To make this step too easy to skip, I put a small trash can right next to the dock so I don’t have to carry the dusty compartment to the kitchen to empty it.

Another important thing to do after every use is to check the side brushes and rollers for tangles. This is especially important if you have pets, long-haired family members, or tend to leave shoelaces where your robot cleaner can eat them. (We have all three in our house.)

What to do every couple of months

All robotic vacuum cleaners have filters to keep dust out of the exhaust system, and like all filters, they need to be changed every two months or so. Exact timing will vary depending on what model you have and whether you can flush or otherwise clean the filter between replacements; refer to the user manual or manufacturer’s website for specific recommendations.

How to fix the side brushes of a robot vacuum cleaner

Almost all robotic vacuum cleaners have rotating side brushes that sweep away debris in their path. These brushes protrude from the body of the vacuum cleaner, so they tend to bend when it hits its head against walls and furniture. The good news is that you can straighten them back quickly with a little heat: blow dry them on high heat for a minute or so, then shape them with your fingers while they cool. If you don’t have a hair dryer, you can also do this with boiling water:

Tesvor: How to reshape curved side brushes

However, you can only do this a limited number of times. Eventually, the side brushes and rollers will meet their creator, usually in the form of something the vacuum cleaner tried hard to turn over that it shouldn’t have. When the hair dryer trick stops working or the rollers show small cracks – or both – it’s time to replace. You can buy replacement parts either directly from the manufacturer of your vacuum cleaner or through a third party on Amazon.

If you’re gifting a robot vacuum this year, consider adding a spare parts kit and some spare filters. This way, your loved one will have everything they need to keep their new vacuum cleaner running smoothly for years to come.

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