8 Simple Robot Vacuum Tips to Help Keep Your Floors Clean Without Lifting a Finger

These simple setup, scheduling, and maintenance get your robot vacuum working for you—and not the other way around.

- By Angela Moscaritolo

In theory, robot vacuums are the perfect solution for maintaining a spotless home without having to lift a finger. Many new models (including affordable ones) feature everything from laser navigation sensors to map your floor plan, to phone and voice control for the ultimate in kick-back cleaning.

But in practice, robot vacuums require a little more human intervention than you might expect. They can get tripped up on wires, rugs, and everyday household clutter, and they can lose their way on the path back to the charging dock. Luckily, after testing scores of robotic vacuums, we’ve figured out our way around many of these easily avoidable obstacles.

Follow these tips for a worry-free cleaning experience every time. (And many of these tips apply to robot mops as well.)

TAKE IT FOR A TEST RUN

Since the layout of every living area is different, carve out some time to observe your robot vacuum on its first few runs. This lets you see how well it steers around (and underneath) your furniture, and where it can get stuck. You’ll then have an easier time configuring your space so the vaccuum can easily operate without any problems.

CLEAR CORDS AND CURTAINS