Buying a Robotic Carpet Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums do a fantastic job of keeping floors tidy but they're not perfect. Some people prefer to keep an upright vacuum cleaner around to clean up spills that the robot can't reach.

When buying a robot carpet robot cleaner, make sure you choose one that has powerful suction and the ability to thoroughly clean rugs. You should consider putting up virtual barriers to avoid any damage that might be caused by powerful suction.

Powerful Suction

The best robot vacuums come with powerful suction and can handle carpets, as well as a variety of other floor surfaces. The top robot vacuums come with a brush roll which digs into different piles to capture hair, dirt and other debris. They also come equipped with automatic suction adjustment for the perfect clean, allowing you to alter the power setting depending on your floor. The majority of our top picks come with a self-emptying dock, which reduces the frequency that you have to empty your garbage.

Most of our picks also include smart mapping features that help them to understand the layout of your home so they can wash rooms and areas with the click of the button. Some, such as our best overall pick which is the iRobot Roomba S9+, can even detect carpet cleaner vacuum up and automatically increase suction to better capture dirt and other particles that are embedded in the floor. This isn't a necessity but it could be useful in the event that your home has a variety of flooring types.

Many robotic cleaners can also mop, and some--like our top pick overall, the Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO T8AIV --are particularly effective on carpet. They feature a special mop pad that rises when it is in contact with carpet vacuum and cleaner to prevent the pad from getting wet and causing damage. Some also offer a wet sensor that stops the mop if it comes in contact with a wet object and sound an alarm.

Before you start a cleaning schedule, clear your floors of toys, clothing, cords, and other things that can get tangled up in the brush or impede the robot's movement. This will give your robot a smoother, more thorough clean. Make sure to determine whether your floors require further maintenance, such as sanding and refinishing prior to you begin your cleaning session. Then, you can switch the robot to the mode that suits you best--vacuuming or mopping--and let it work. Even the most advanced robots are able to only do a certain amount. They're not able to clean every last dust drop from crevices and corners for instance and they'll require you to clean ledges and baseboards.

Virtual Barrier Function

A robotic vacuum cleaner could be a great way to keep your home clean for people who are busy and limited in time. Before you purchase a robotic vacuum cleaner, take a look at your lifestyle and home's layout. Are you living in an Victorian home with a carpets that are high pile, for example? You'll want a robot with powerful suction that can remove threads and pet hair that have accumulated in carpets. You'll also need a model that recognizes different flooring materials so it can switch to the proper cleaning mode.

The majority of robot vacuums and mop are smart. They can "see" around your home and draw a detailed map on their first attempt. This mapping feature allows them to progress from room to room without crashing into furniture or walls. The robot vacuum for thick carpet's application lets you make use of the mapping feature to create virtual barriers or no-go areas.

If you'd like to keep your hands off you can purchase a basic robot with simple navigation features. These robots have a smaller suction capacity and are designed to redirect hair and other debris to side brushes rather than the main suction. These models are a little louder than the smarter models, but work well in minimalist homes with bare floors or some rugs.

Many older or cheap robot vacuums have manual or hardware options that block a particular area from being cleaned. This type of barrier typically comprises a physical piece of magnetic tape that you can place along the areas where you don't want your robot to go. These strips can be used with all robots, as long as the sensor can detect magnetism. The top-rated gyroscopic vacuum robot, the Lubluelu L20 has a compass that detects magnetic strips.

There are also a variety of smart home apps that allow you to establish and adjust boundaries using your tablet or smartphone. These can be used to create virtual barriers or no-go zones, and some even integrate with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. These apps are a great way to manage your robot's settings and schedule from anywhere you have an internet connection.

Wool and Silk Rugs

While almost any robot vacuum cleaner will do a great job of cleaning hardwood floors or tile of the debris and dust that blows across them like tumbleweeds, it requires more power and airflow to uproot debris embedded in thick carpet. Fortunately, the most recent generation of robotic vacuums are able to accomplish this. Some robotic vacuums have the ability to create virtual barriers to prevent the machine from cleaning areas you do not want it to. This is particularly helpful for rooms with carpets with high pile.

A rug made of silk or wool will need special care so that the fibers don't break down, get stained or discolored. By regularly cleaning and maintaining a silk or wool rug, you can extend its life by keeping it clean and free of dust, dirt and other contaminates. This will also help keep its luster and beauty. It's also a good idea to periodically rotate the rug to ensure that all areas are exposed air and light.

A wool or silk rug should be professionally cleaned by a professional rug cleaner who can utilize special methods to prevent damage and to restore its sheen, color and texture. Professional cleaners should employ dry cleaning methods since excessive moisture can cause damage to both cotton and silk. It's also an excellent idea to test cleaning products in an inconspicuous area of the rug prior to using them.

If you are concerned about the environmental impact of purchasing silk or wool rug, you should consider buying one with a cotton base. These rugs are sustainable and don't degrade as quickly as fake or synthetic silk rug do. They're typically made from jute, which is an absorbent plant fiber that will take in and hold grime hair, pet dander and other contaminants until it's washed.

Another alternative is a silk cotton blend rug. These rugs are typically less expensive than pure silk rugs but they still have the elegance and beauty of more expensive materials. If you want to be sure that the rug is a cotton and silk mix, make sure you look for a label from the maker with details on its fiber content. You can also tell if the rug is a silk and cotton mix by looking at how it reflects light, or by feeling its fibers. The real thing will feel soft and smooth to the touch, whereas synthetic silk and fake silk will have a rougher texture.

Pet Hair

A robot vacuum's filtering system assists with pet hair and dust removal, but the best models also have filters and motors that can manage pet hair that is particularly difficult to remove and dander. These machines have a powerful suction and powerful brushes to reduce hair and dander and then draw it through the form of a filter. They also feature anti-allergen filters as well as a specific brush that is designed to sweep up dander and fur without letting it spread throughout your home.

A high-quality robot vacuum should be able to work on all flooring that include tile, hardwood and carpets with low pile. Some carpet vacuum cleaners come with an additional mopping feature which is beneficial when you have a lot of spills or wet dirt.

Experts agree that, if utilized correctly and properly robot vacuums shouldn't cause harm to your carpets or rugs. However you may still want to use a regular vacuum as an alternative for areas that are particularly dirty. The best robot vacuums will even remove difficult-to-reach debris, such as food crumbs or Lego pieces off your chairs, sofas and other furniture.

In our tests, we observed that the iRobot Roomba J9 did an excellent job of removing hair of dogs, as well as other messes on both hardwood flooring and carpet robot vacuum cleaner. It removed about 99percent. It also has an integrated dirt sensor that informs the robot which messes are important. It can be programmed to return to the charger when its battery runs low.

Roborock S8+ is another great option. It is both a robotic vacuum and robot mop. It automatically detects the type of flooring you have, then removes and reconnects its mop pad to make sure your floors are completely cleaned. It also has the ability to stop cleaning to avoid over-wetting of area rugs and set zones that you don't want your robot in.

Take into consideration your budget and features that you need when you are choosing a robot mop or vacuum. The latest models have app connectivity that lets you schedule cleaning sessions, alter vacuum settings and set no-go zones on your phone. They also automatically empty their dustbins and clean their charging bases. A reliable robot can be a worthwhile investment, especially because they're usually discounted during sales events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.