Robot vacuums help keep your floors clean without much effort from your side. But even the most advanced robot vacuums require some maintenance. In this post, I'll share my own experience of maintaining robot vacuums based on using the Roborock S6 MaxV, but these tips are also relevant for all the other Roborock models.
Importance of regular maintenance of your Roborock vacuum cleaner
Regular maintenance helps to prolong the lifespan of your robot vacuum. You also don't need to replace the HEPA filter, side brush, roller brush, and mop cloth as often if you take care of them and clean them regularly.
Emptying the dustbin
When to empty the dustbin? It depends on how often you run the robot vacuum, the size of your house, and if you have pets. If you live in a small apartment and don't have pets, you can empty it after every 2-5 full cleaning cycles, so basically once per week if you use the robot daily or a few times per week. But if you have cats or dogs, depending on the size of your animals and how much hair they lose, the dustbin may be fully packed after every cleaning cycle. Most likely, you would need to empty the dustbin after every usage.
I would recommend emptying the dustbin even if it's not full, as dust and debris in the bin reduce airflow and suction power which negatively affect cleaning performance.
Cleaning the HEPA filter
All the Roborock cleaners come with a washable E11-grade HEPA filter. But from my experience, washing the filter too often may reduce its lifespan. I would recommend washing the filter no more than once per month. I usually knock the filter (or the dustbin) on a trash can which is enough to knock out most of the dust from the filter.
It's a fast and easy way to keep your filter relatively clean without much effort.
You can also use compressed air to remove the dust from the filter.
When washing the filter, I prefer to use a high-pressure shower. It removes most of the dust hidden deeply in the filter.
Remember to dry the filter carefully after washing since a slightly wet filter passes much less air than a dry one and can significantly decrease suction power and cleaning performance. I also noticed that the filter loses its ability to pass air after washing, so I usually use a hair dryer or a regular vacuum cleaner to blow air through the filter under pressure, which improves its breathability.
Cleaning the roller brush
If someone in your family has long hair, be ready to clean the roller brush regularly. Long hair tends to wrap around the roller brush. You would need to clean the brush at least once per week or after 1-5 cleaning cycles. I prefer to clean it after every one or two complete cleanings. Hair tangled around the brush negatively affects cleaning performance and decreases the brush lifespan.
The rubber roller brush of the Roborock S7 is much easier to clean from hair than the Roborock S6 MaxV bristle brush. Use the cleaning tool hidden under the robot's lid to cut the tangled hair and remove detachable side tips to clean the hair on the ends.
If no one in your house has long hair, the brush maintenance is much easier, and you can clean the roller brush once per month or so. But it's still great to check the roller brush from time to time to ensure nothing is stacked in the brush port or wrapped around the brush.
Cleaning the side brush
Long hair tends to wrap around the side brush too, but not as much as on the roller brush. Just check the side brush from time to time and clean it when needed.
Washing the mopping pad
If you use the mopping function, you should wash the mopping pad after every usage. I usually have a few spare mopping pads and wash them in a washing machine once per week.
How often replace the brushes, filter, and mopping pad?
The Roborock app has a reminder when the accessories should be replaced. But based on my own experience, you can use the roller brush, side brush, and mopping cloth as long as they look good and are not damaged. It's good to replace the filter once per year, as it's hard to say about its condition just by the appearance, and a worn-out filter may decrease suction and cleaning performance significantly.
Cleaning the sensors and other parts
Depending on the usage and conditions, it's important to clean sensors once per month or a few months. If your robot struggles to navigate around, or the map is distorted, the robot skips some areas on the map, probably it's time to clean the sensors. Usually, cliff sensors get dirty the fastest. Just wipe all six sensors with a dry or slightly wet cloth.
Also, ensure charging contacts are clean and wipe them too if needed (on the robot and on the charging dock).
I've never had dust on the Lidar sensor, and the front camera of the Roborock S6 MaxV also seems to be relatively clean.
But if you have any issues with navigation or there is visible dirt on Lidar lenses or the front camera glass, it's a good idea to wipe them too.
Once a few months, I also wipe the suction port with a wet cloth as it becomes pretty dirty with time.
Cleaning the wheels
I've never had any dirt or hair stuck in the main wheels. But the front wheel usually catches some cat hair, and I clean the wheel once per two months on average. You can use the cleaning tool that comes with the robot to pull out the front wheel.
Removing salt and minerals from water nozzles
If you noticed that the wet trail behind the mopping pad looks not uneven, check out the water nozzles underneath. They tend to clog with salt and minerals from the water. I usually use a needle to clean the nozzles.
