Roomba is a popular robotic vacuum which could automatically clean your home without any effort required from you. Since your Roomba takes care of your home, you will also have to take care of it by emptying it out. This way, you will not experience any errors nor would it get damaged. In fact, every after use, you will have to empty your Roomba unless you have a self-emptying clean base. However, for those models that has clean base, you will still have to replace its bag when its full. Keep in mind that the frequency of when you should empty your Roomba would also depend on the size of your home and how many occupants and pets.
In this article, we shall provide you useful information and guide you on how to empty your Roomba.
When to Empty Your Roomba
The method of emptying Roomba would of course depend on the model. Usually, for those who have older Roomba versions, you will have to manually empty its bin more often than newer models. Moreover, newer models come with self-emptying dock which means it would take you much longer before you would need to empty it.
Empty the Bin on Older Roombas After Every Use
It is highly recommended that every after use of your Roomba, to empty its bin. The reason behind this is due to its containers are not that huge which means, its bin could be filled easily every after cleaning. Hence, to ensure that Roomba will not run out of bin space during its job of vacuuming, ensure that you check and clean its bin frequently especially if you have huge areas and have a lot of pet hair. Moreover, also keep in mind that if you plan for your Roomba to clean the entire floor of your home, due to its small container bin, you will have to empty your Roomba’s bin halfway through its cleaning cycle.
Do not worry as emptying Roomba is easy and very straightforward.
How to Empty an Older Roomba Model
- Press the clean button found on top of your Roomba device
- Remove the bin from the base
- If your Roomba has a filter, you will have to detach it before you empty the bin
- Tap the bin a few times on your garbage bin. This way, you could ensure that there will be no dust, dirt or debris that will be left behind.
- Clean out the filter and put it back in its slot
- Reattach the container back
Examples of Roombas with Regular Bin
- Older Roomba 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 Series models
- Roomba e5
- Roomba i3 and i7 – self-emptying dock sold separately
Empty Self-Cleaning Roombas When Prompted
As mentioned earlier, the newer versions and more expensive models of Roomba come with Clean Base which serves not only as a charging station but also as a self-emptying dock.
For Roomba users, it is necessary for you to place the clean base of Roomba near to a power socket. Do not worry as it does not take up a lot of space. In fact, its size is similar to the standard Roomba charging stands. Though this is the case, however, you would still need to give a little extra space. This way you would not have to check its bag often.
Unlike Roombas that do not have self-emptying dock, this type of Roomba does not require you to empty it every after use. Instead, your Roomba itself will go back to its base and will automatically empty its bin. In fact, its bags could have a weeks worth of dust, dirt and debris which is more convenient as you will not have to worry every cleaning session. However, though this is the case, keep in mind, especially if you have pets, you will have to check it more often.
How to Empty Your Roomba Clean-Base
- Lift the lid of the top of the base unit
- Get the card piece
- Lift the bag
- Throw the whole bag in your trash or garbage
- Slide the card of the new bag into the slot of the base
- Close the lid
- Start using your Roomba
Unfortunately, Roomba bags are no reusable which is why you will have to throw the whole bag and replace it with another or a new one. Though there are third party reusable bags which you could purchase and get online, it is not advisable as it is not guaranteed that it will work with your robotic vacuum.
Roombas that come with self-emptying dock
- Roomba i3+
- Roomba i7+
- Roomba s9+
Roomba Maintenance Tips
If your filter is in poor condition, you will have to replace it with new one. This way, you could be assured that your vacuum will work and that there are no debris that are stuck. By doing this, you could make your Roomba work more efficiently and more effectively.
If you have an S-Series Roomba with Clean Base
- Assess its charging contact IR windows sensors every month
- Remove the debris on the blower cover which could be found inside the canister every three to four weeks
- Replace the bag every time your Roomba notifies you.
Wipe the Cliff Sensors Clean
One way to maintain your Roomba is by cleaning its cliff sensors and to be able to do this, you will have to use a lightly damp melamine foam.
Sensors have a very important role, they ensure that your Roomba would not crash into walls nor fall off the stairs. Hence, it is equally important for you to clean them.
Remove and Clean Caster Wheels
- Remove the wheel from the robot
- Remove any visible debris
- Take out the wheel from its housing
- Ensure that everything is clean
- Put back the wheel
Clean Debris from Brushes
- Open up the brush guard by lifting the yellow tabs on the bottom of the machine
- Take out the brushes and clean them
- Use cleaning tools to remove the hair or fur from the bristles of the brushes
- Ensure that the entire brush area is clean
Choosing the Best Roomba for Your Needs
For Small Spaces
If you have a small space to clean everyday, we suggest that you try the iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum. It is a great and outstanding entry-level option. It is affordable and it is a self-charging vacuum. The Roomba 675 comes with 3-stage cleaning system which is compatible with Alexa and Google. This means, you could integrate it with the mentioned smart home assistants.
This Roomba model is recommended for studio and one-bedroom apartment. If you have a larger apartment then you would be needing to empty its contents more often than it is needed which is why this Roomba is specifically designed for small spaces.
For Larger Space
If you have a larger home, we recommend for you to get the iRobot Roomba s9+ (9550). It is more expensive but it also comes with more features. It comes with automatic dirt disposal, smart mapping and optimized cleaning. It has the ability to clean corners and edges as well. What is more impressive about this Roomba is that it has a 40x suction power compared to the other entry level models. Furthermore, it also has the ability to charge automatically while it empties its contents into larger bin every cleaning cycle.
Conclusion
We hope that through this article you were able to get useful information which you could use as a guide in choosing the best Roomba vacuum and at the same time, you were able to learn how to clean and how often you should clean your Roomba vacuum.
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