How Often Should You Run Your Robot Vacuum? 5 Facts

The new age of robotic, self-automated vacuums has made regular household chores more convenient than ever.

Companies like iRobot have transformed vacuuming and sweeping the floors into a task you don’t even have to think about.

But some of the most common questions users have is, how often should you run your robot vacuum?

On average, you should run your robot vacuum every 2 days. However, the frequency you should be influenced by the amount of dust, dirt, or dander present in your home. Most users don’t run their vacuum more than 7 times per week.

The following article will elaborate and explain 5 additional facts and questions you might have about your robot cleaning device.

1. A Robot Vacuum Will Clean for Between 1 and 2 Hours

The runtime of a vacuuming cycle varies based on the make and model of your robot sweeper.

The size of the room you’re cleaning also matters. How many obstacles the vacuum will have to navigate will also determine the length of the cleaning cycle.

If the room has many furniture or items on the floor, the vacuum will have to maneuver around them. This will extend how long your robot will run.

On average, a robot vacuum will run its cycle for somewhere between 1 or 2 hours. This may vary based on the amount of dust, dirt, or dander present.

You’ll know your automated cleaner has finished its cleaning cycle when it returns to its home base or charging station.

This feature helps the device maintain its battery life.

The device’s battery health will hold up over time by charging immediately after you’ve drained the battery.

This will extend the overall lifespan of your robot vacuum.

2. A Robot Vacuum Will Charge on a Charging Station

Most models of automated vacuums come with a “home base” or a charging station. The battery needs to be recharged immediately after use.

Most robot vacuum models have a setting that allows them to return to their charging station automatically.

Once done cleaning, they can return automatically without any external inputs.

These automatic sweepers also have a fairly quick recharging time.

Under normal charging conditions, your vacuum should be fully recharged in around 2 hours.

In options like the Roomba, a popular model from the iRobot brand, the machine may initiate a “refresh” charge.

If the Roomba has been away from its charging station for an extended period, it’ll begin a long charging cycle on its own in order to refresh the battery.

This extra long charging cycle helps sustain the overall lifespan of the battery. It can last up to 16 hours.

If you’re not going to use your robot vacuum for a while, store it in a room temperature area. Make sure it’s away from any water or dampness.

If you’ve removed the robot from its charging station, you should charge the battery fully at least twice a year.

All of these tips will help you maximize the battery life of your robot sweeper.

Reading tip: Roomba Not Charging: 9 Ways To Fix It In 30 Seconds

3. A Robot Sweeper Can Dispose of Dirt Automatically

A robot vacuum seals away virtually any dirt it sucks up to minimize contact or respreading. A regular, stand-up push vacuum doesn’t provide this benefit.

An iRobot Roomba model contains a bin inside the device itself to collect the dirt it vacuums.

According to My Smart Home, a robot vacuum bin will hold between 400 to 600mL (13.5 to 20 ounces) of dirt, dust, or dander.

When the bin is full, the Roomba will display a red light to show it’s time to change the bin or vacuum bag.

Newer technology has made emptying your robot vacuum more accessible than ever.

For example, with the new iRobot Clean Base® Automatic Dirt Disposal, your iRobot will empty its bin by itself.

The vacuum will empty its bin into a sealed vacuum bag inside the clean base using the dirt disposal base.

These vacuum bags can hold up to 60 days of dirt. Thanks to this design, you won’t have to touch a speck of dirt.

The frequency at which you should change the vacuum bag of your robot vacuum depends on how often you run it.

On average, a robot vacuum bag needs to be changed once a month.

You can buy the vacuum bags your robot needs directly from the website of your chosen brand, or look for relevant listings on Amazon.

Some of the options for robot vacuum bags on available to you on Amazon include:

Smilyan iRobot Bags: These bags are compatible with iRobot roomba i & s Series. They also have great sealing properties, so you can easily and safely dispose of them.
Neabot Vacuum Dust Bag Kit: These dust bags are for Neabot robot vacuums and can hold 2-4 weeks worth of dirt.
Mochenli Replacement Vacuum Filter Bags: These vacuum bags are compatible with a few robot vacuum brands such as Yeedi and Ecovacs. They’re easy to install and just snap into place.

4. Some Models of Robot Vacuums Can Connect to WiFi

Of all the tricks some robot vacuums have up on their sleeve, WiFi connectivity is the most impressive.

Robot vacuums such as the following Roomba models are all retrofitted with WiFi compatibility:

Using WiFi, you can receive notifications about your iRobot, monitor, and schedule cleaning cycles and patterns.

You can even use your phone to locate your iRobot if you can’t find it.

You can also use voice commands on Google Home and Amazon Alexa to start your iRobot vacuum cleaning cycle.

Connect your iRobot vacuum to WiFi by following these steps:

Download the iRobot Home app. It’s available on the Apple or Android store to use in connecting your iRobot to your home internet.
Log in or sign up with your email and password for your personal iRobot account. From this point on, the app will walk you through the necessary steps for connectivity.
Choose the iRobot device you own from a drop-down menu. Follow the instructions provided.
Make sure to plug the Home Base charging station and receive electricity from your outlet. For best results, place the charging station in an area of your house that receives an adequate WiFi signal.
Choose your network name and enter the password. The iRobot app will sync your smartphone and your vacuum by connecting to the same network as your smartphone.

Learn more: Why is my Roomba not connecting to WiFi?

5. Robot Vacuums Provide Benefits That a Standard Vacuum Can’t

A robot vacuum can provide your home and floors with many added benefits that a regular vacuum cannot.

While a robotic vacuum won’t hold as much dirt as an upright vacuum, it still has several advantages over your regular sweeper:

A robotic vacuum can easily reach places your old vacuum cannot. Under the couch, bed, or chair are areas that a robot vacuum can reach with ease.
A robot vacuum provides a “contact-less” approach to cleaning. With sealed dustbins and automatic disposal, you don’t have to worry about emptying your vacuum and spreading around dirt that you just cleaned.
Newer robot vacuum bags also double as a filter. This allows your robot vacuum to pick up another layer of dust your standard upright vacuum may have otherwise missed.

Conclusion

To conclude, our new age of technology has made household cleaning an easier task than ever.

With a robot sweeper, cleaning is an automated task with helpful features available right from your smartphone.

An automated robot vacuum can provide your home with benefits that a regular vacuum couldn’t even dream of. This includes exciting features like:

Automatic disposal
Quick charging times
WiFi connectivity

You should run your robot vacuum several times a week and fully charge it at least twice a year for optimal performance.

It should take approximately 2 hours to fully charge.

Check out: 27 Roomba Tips And Tricks To Keep Your House Clean