When I first started testing robot vacuums, I was excited about automatically cleaning my floors. I never imagined that having a robot vacuum in my home would eventually help me with my floor clutter problem.
Having to keep my floors clean so the robot can navigate without distractions or blockages meant my floors were never cleaner. It completely stopped one of my bad habits – letting clutter accumulate on my floors.
It turns out that having one of the best robot vacuums means you have to pick up the clutter yourself, and the effect on my floors was immediate.
For context, I am a bit of a clutter-crazed person, and while I have slowly gotten over this bad habit, things still accumulate on my floors from time to time, often near where they should be, but not quite “home”.
However, after choosing a robot vacuum, I have to regularly pick up and put away these accumulated messes to avoid getting stuck or blocked by the vacuum we affectionately call “Stephen”.
Take our shoes, for example. When I’m in a hurry to get into the house, shoes tend to gather by the door, close to the entryway locker, but not quite inside.
Or my freshly washed laundry—a basket full of clothes usually sits next to my dresser for days until I finally fold it all up and put it away.
The minimalist “no pile” rule has started to help me with these issues, but they still pile up during the week. Now, however, I have to stick to daily tasks to avoid clutter, if not for my own health, but for the ease of vacuuming.
I may not yet have the most futuristic robot vacuum that cools and purifies the air in my home and helps deliver groceries, but the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot + Autowash Vacuum (available on Amazon) that I’m reviewing requires a tidy home to clean properly. It comes with built-in obstacle detection to prevent it from sucking in charging cords or bumping into big piles, but that means it’ll skip over parts of the floor and my home won’t be as clean.
For example, before running the mapping program for the first time on both floors of my home, I had to tidy up the entire house in less than four hours, leaving the space much tidier than it had been a few weeks before. As maintenance, I now have to follow a series of tidying tips before I leave the house, like gathering the edges of blankets, putting footstools and side tables back in place, or moving the laundry pile so that “Stephen the Roomba” can continue doing chores while we’re out running errands.
After a week of testing, I’m still getting used to my robot vacuum, but our in-house vacuum expert and Home Tech Editor Dan Fauzi assures me that its benefits don’t stop there.
They explain: “After testing 15 of the world’s best robot vacuums, I can say with certainty that they can revolutionize light household cleaning and floor maintenance. Many of the top robot vacuums use smart technology to map your home and create the best cleaning routine for you, monitoring particle pickup to thoroughly clean your floors.
“However, to see results, you need to be smart when choosing a model and make sure it fits your lifestyle and floor type. ”
Robot vacuums generally work well in cluttered homes, with many of the latest models featuring advanced obstacle detection and slimmer profiles to fit into smaller gaps.
That being said, cluttered floors can make it harder for the vacuum to reach all areas, reducing the overall cleanliness of your space. For best results, make sure the vacuum has a clear path and picks up any smaller or fragile items to avoid damage.
Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved, tested five robot vacuums. She said: “It’s worth noting that while many of the best robot vacuums come with AI that helps them identify common locations for charging cords and use object avoidance technology to avoid them, they may still suck the charging cord into their brush roll. This is more of a hassle than anything else. Keeping your floors clear will ensure that your automatic robot vacuum runs more smoothly.”
I’m still putting together my full review and will continue testing my Roomba models over the next few weeks before confirming my full review, but as it stands, the answer to the age-old question of “are robot vacuums really worth it?” is a resounding yes!
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