Can You Pick Up and Move a Roomba? 5 Things To Know

Roombas, or autonomous vacuums, have made our lives easier by taking vacuuming – quite literally – out of our hands.

However, it’s important that you’re using a Roomba correctly. Is it okay to pick up and move a Roomba?

You can pick up and move a Roomba. However, you should make sure you keep the Roomba’s Home Base in the same space as you’re moving the Roomba. It’ll also be helpful for you to wait until the Roomba reaches its cleaning cycle’s end.

This article includes everything you need to know about picking up and moving a Roomba.

It also provides you with information about how Roombas work so that you’ll use them correctly.

Can You Move Your Roomba to Another Room?

You can pick up your Roomba and move it to another room. Make sure to move your Home Base with your Roomba to ensure it works more effectively. You should also wait for your Roomba to finish its cleaning cycle before doing so.

If you want to pick up and move your Roomba, below are 5 things you should know:

1. Always Move Your Home Base With the Roomba

You can pick up and move your Roomba if you’d like it to clean a specific room.

However, according to Roomba manufacturer iRobot, if you manually move your Roomba, the robot vacuum will find it challenging to find its Home Base.

If your Roomba loses its Home Base, it’ll run out of power and get stuck or lost. To ensure your Roomba doesn’t lose its Home Base, move it to the same area you’re moving the Roomba to.

2. Wait Until Your Roomba Finishes Its Clean Cycle

Another way to ensure your Roomba doesn’t lose its Home Base is to wait until it has completed its cleaning cycle.

When setting up your Roomba, you can program your robot’s cleaning cycle by identifying the areas you’d like your Roomba to clean and for how long.

If you want to move your Roomba, it’s best to wait for it to finish its cleaning cycle.

You’ll see how close the Roomba is to finishing its cycle by looking at the Roomba app or its Home Base.

You might also like: How often should you run your robot vacuum?

3. Pick Up Your Roomba if Your House Has Multiple Levels

Most Roombas will be able to clean 1 level of a house in a single cleaning cycle.

However, Roombas cannot climb up and down the stairs. Once your Roomba is done with 1 level, you should pick it up and move to another level.

4. Pause the Clean Cycle Before Picking Up Your Roomba

If you have to pick up your Roomba while it’s in the middle of a cleaning cycle, you should pause the cycle.

To pause most Roombas, follow these quick and easy steps:

Press ‘Clean’ on the Roomba’s Home Base or its app.
After pausing it, pick it up and relocate it.
Press ‘Clean’ again.

Pausing your Roomba will prevent it from getting damaged.

5. There Are Alternatives to Picking Up and Moving a Roomba

There are 2 main reasons you want to pick up and move your Roomba are:

You want it to focus on cleaning a specific area.
You don’t want it to enter a particular area.

Instead of manually picking it up, there are other ways to direct your Roomba. These include the following techniques:

Use Virtual Walls To Create Virtual Barriers

Electronic units create virtual walls with infrared beams. They connect to a Roomba and create virtual barriers that it won’t cross.

You can use a virtual wall to create a pathway for your Roomba and stop it from going into areas you don’t want it to.

Some of the best virtual walls on the market are available on Amazon.com. Let’s explore them in more detail below.

iRobot Dual Mode Virtual Wall

iRobot designs and manufactures this virtual wall. It’s a leading Roomba brand. It has 2 units that can be placed parallel to each other to create a wall between them.

Some of the standout features of the iRobot Dual mode virtual wall are:

A wall mode that creates penetration-proof virtual walls for blocking a Roomba.
A halo mode, which creates a barrier around particular objects like pet bowls.
A manufacturer warranty, which protects your purchase.

JoyBros Virtual Wall Barrier

The JoyBros Virtual Wall is compatible with several versions of the iRobot Roomba, including the 800 900 e/i/s Series. It activates and uses an infrared beam to block Roombas from entering your specified areas.

Some other features of this virtual wall are:

A halo and a beam mode.
Access across 10 feet (3 m) of space.

The set of virtual walls does not come with batteries. You’ll have to purchase batteries separately to use this set.

Draw Virtual Boundaries

Another way you can redirect a Roomba from one area into another is to draw virtual boundaries.

When you set up your Roomba through an app, you’ll be allowed to select rooms or areas that you don’t want it to enter.

If you set up boundaries in the app, you won’t have to manually pick up and move your Roomba.

Use Magnetic Adhesive Strips To Redirect a Roomba

You can redirect some Roombas from certain areas by using magnetic adhesive strips.

The magnets in these strips stop a Roomba from going near them. Use these strips strategically to block your Roomba from particular areas.

Try using the Master Magnetics Flexible Magnetic Tape from Amazon.com as it has powerful magnets and can be fixed on to a range of different surface types.

While you can pick up and move your Roomba, you now know that there are alternatives to move it manually. Using these alternatives will help your Roomba function more effectively and last longer.

Editor’s pick: 10 Easy Ways To Get Roomba To Clean The Whole House

How Else Can I Care for My Roomba?

You can care for your Roomba by emptying the bin and cleaning the filters regularly. It would help if you also clean the bin sensors often. Doing these will make your Roomba function more effectively and ensure it has a long life.

The following explains how to care for your Roomba:

Empty the Bin

Most Roombas will have an indicator that’ll flash when their bin is full. If your Roomba has an app, you’ll also see a full bin alert on the app.

To empty the bin, pause the Roomba’s cleaning cycle and follow the instructions in your user’s guide.

Clean the Filter

The Roomba’s filter picks up dirt and debris and needs to be cleaned at least once a week if you use your Roomba regularly.

To clean the filter, tap it against a waste bin until you’ve shaken off all the attached dust.

You should also change your Roomba’s filter every 2 months.

Clean the Bin Sensor

A Roomba’s sensor allows your Roomba to detect dirt and directs it to clean a dirtier place more thoroughly.

To clean the sensor, use a wet cloth to wipe down the sensor areas. Be sure to check your user manual to find the areas where your Roomba has an in-built sensor.

By following these simple maintenance tips, you can help your Roomba have a longer life.

Final Thoughts

While you can pick up and move a Roomba, you should make sure you’ve paused it before moving it.

However, instead of moving it, you might want to consider using other ways to redirect and move it, including buying virtual walls.

Learning how to use your Roomba correctly and taking care of it can keep your autonomous vacuum functioning for years to come.