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Roomba vacuum cleaners are super convenient, since they can take care of cleaning your floors while you’re doing other things. Making sure the room you need vacuumed is ready for your Roomba by removing any clutter, and fully charging your Roomba will ensure that the cleaning goes smoothly. Decide what kind of cleaning pattern you want to use on your floors. Make sure you take care of your Roomba after each use to extend its life.

Things You Should Know

  • Make sure your charged Roomba has its Home Base on a hard ground, your floor is decluttered and dry, and your Roomba steers clear of stairs.
  • After setting up your Virtual Walls, choose the "Clean" pattern for an entire room or the "Spot" pattern for smaller, dirtier messes.
  • In addition to replacing its filter every 2 months, make sure you're routinely emptying your Roomba's bin, cleaning it, and charging it.
Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Room and Your Roomba

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  1. To charge your Roomba, you need to dock it with the Home Base. Press the "Dock" button on the top of the Roomba or on your remote. Then plug your Home Base into a wall outlet.
    • When your Roomba is fully charged, the status light on the top will be a solid green color.
    • It's especially important to charge your Roomba overnight if you have never used it before.
  2. The Roomba will return to the Home Base when it’s done cleaning, or if the battery begins to go flat. Make sure the Home Base is always plugged in, placed on a hard surface, and in a relatively open area. This makes it easier for the Roomba to find Home Base and dock.
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  3. Virtual Walls are small electronic devices that create an invisible barrier so your Roomba stays in one room. Set one to the left of the doorway you want to block, on the opposite side of the doorway of the room you're in. Press the "on" button to turn on the Virtual Wall.
  4. If you don’t have a Virtual Wall, you can use any kind of sturdy material to block hallways you don’t want the Roomba to move into. You can use rolled up yoga mats, laundry baskets, or boxes.
  5. Most Roombas will sense if they are near a ledge or set of stairs and turn back. However, you might want to keep an eye on the Roomba if you have a lot of stairs, just to make sure it doesn't take a tumble.
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Part 2
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Using Your Roomba

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  1. You don’t need to sweep or anything, but you should pick up anything on the floor that might be in the Roomba’s way. This includes toys, trash cans, stacks of books or movies, or anything else you might have sitting on the floor.
    • If you have an area rug with tassels or that’s made out of shag, you might want to remove it before you use your Roomba. It can suck up the tassels, which can mess up the inner workings of the Roomba.
  2. If you want a good, general clean for an entire room, choose the "Clean" cleaning pattern.This will instruct the Roomba to cover the whole room, getting under furniture and close to walls.
  3. If there’s a particularly dirty spot on your floor, press “Spot” on the top of your Roomba or on your remote control. This will direct the Roomba to spiral 3 feet (1 m) wide, then return to its starting position, sucking up more dirt in that particular spot that the "Clean" function allows.
  4. iRobot makes other models that are specifically designed to mop your floors. Because of the electronics in the Roomba, you’ll want to make sure the floor is dry when you use it.
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Part 3
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Maintaining Your Roomba After Use

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  1. A button on the front of the Roomba will release the lock on the bin, and you can pull it straight out. You might want to do this over a trashcan so that you don’t accidentally dump everything the Roomba just sucked up onto your floor. [3]
  2. When you take the bin off of the Roomba, you’ll be able to see the brushes the Roomba uses. Clean these by brushing them with a dry cloth. You should also clean the outside of the Roomba as well. [4] You can use a microfiber towel for this. [5]
  3. If you wait too long to recharge the Roomba’s battery, it can damage the battery. When the Roomba is fully charged, the light on the top of it will turn solid green.
    • You can either place the Roomba in the Home Base, or press “Dock,” and the Roomba will return to its home base on its own.
  4. The longer you store your Roomba on the charger, the stronger the batteries will become. Simply press the "Dock" button on top of your Roomba on your remote control to return the Roomba to the Home Base charger. [6]
    • If you need to store your Roomba off of the charger, take the batteries out and store everything in a cool, dark place.
  5. If the filter is too clogged or too old, the Roomba won’t pick up debris anymore. Changing it every two months ensures it always works well. [7]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I use a vacuum to clean upholstery and carpets?
    Ashley Matuska
    Professional Cleaner
    Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services. She received a BS in Biology and Sociology from Indiana University.
    Professional Cleaner
    Expert Answer
    Vacuums come with a plethora of attachments. So you can use them for cleaning a variety of things, including upholstery and carpets.
  • Question
    Why is it better to use a bagged vacuum cleaner?
    Ashley Matuska
    Professional Cleaner
    Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services. She received a BS in Biology and Sociology from Indiana University.
    Professional Cleaner
    Expert Answer
    It is more convenient to use a bagged vacuum cleaner. You can trap more dust with it and efficiently dispose of the trash.
  • Question
    What happens when Roomba bumps into an object?
    Community Answer
    If solid, the Roomba will go in a different direction. If it's too lightweight, it will get knocked over.
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      Tips

      • If the Roomba has been left off the charger too long, it will automatically enter a 16-hour long refresh cycle. If it’s in this cycle, the “Clean” button will pulse. Don’t interrupt this cycle.


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