Robot vacuums are a novelty that continue to gain much popularity. Unlike traditional vacuum cleaners, these smart bots are designed to function on their own. You can connect these vacuums to smart apps installed on your Android or iOS phones and control their features remotely. But, on the flip side, there are a few essential points to consider before you buy one.
- You have to clean it
It sounds really ironic that you have to clean your vacuum cleaner. But, there are a lot of exposed moving parts on the underside where debris can accumulate and jam the mechanism. Many of these vacuums are also designed to handle pet fur and dander. But bear in mind that it is tough to get the fur out once it accumulates in the roller and suction mechanism. Regular cleaning ensures the moving parts rotate freely without friction. This also reduces the risk of any electrical shorts due to faulty operation.
- They are noisy
Make sure your robot vacuum is switched off if you want some quiet and peace while working during the day at home. These little bots are noisy and create a major ruckus, depending on the type of surface they vacuum. If the inbuilt sensor goes batty, they can gauge the distance incorrectly and keep banging into furniture or walls or, worse, something made of glass! Even the top-end cleaners boasting ultra-quiet modes may be noisy.
- Don’t forget to empty the tray
Basic, yet it is bound to happen at least once. These cleaners boast a ton of automatic functions, no doubt. But at the end of the day, you must manually remove the dust tray and clean out all the debris. The device’s smart capabilities alert you when the bin is full, but you have to empty it out right after cleaning. The ones that have bigger bins or collection trays can be emptied out once a couple of days.
- Beware of anything in its path
If you forget to pick up your phone power cords or any laptop wires lying on the floor, there is a good chance that you just might have to fish out scraps of what will be left after the vacuum goes to town on them. Sadly, these smart vacuums are not so smart enough to distinguish between debris and stuff simply lying on the floor.
- Wet and dry modes
On the brighter side, high-end smart robot vacuums are capable of handling both wet and dry surfaces. For dry cleaning, the rollers and suction can absorb most types of dirt and debris from different surfaces. An external tank attached to robot vacuums can be filled with water to enable wet surface cleaning. But understand that the features are limited, and you have to be mindful about the extensive use of these vacuums and only then make a decision.
